Louisville Officially Announces Addition of Forward/Center Sananda Fru

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Nearly four months after committing to the Louisville men's basketball program, Sananda Fru is now officially a Cardinal.

The German big man has officially signed with Louisville, the program announced Monday.

Fru originally committed to the Cards back on Feb. 11, but could not sign until after the conclusion of his season with Lowen Braunschweig in the BBL - which is the top professional league in Germany. Lowen Braunschweig was eliminated by Wurzburg Baskets in the BBL quarterfinals last week.

"Sananda is an impact player for our program from Day 1," head coach Pat Kelsey said in a statement. "At 6-11, 255 with 7-4 wingspan he is an imposing physical presence with athleticism, skill and basketball IQ. He impacts winning on both ends of the floor. He is very good in the pick and roll as a lob threat and finisher, but I believe his game is evolving before our eyes as a viable three-point threat as well. He has very good shooting mechanics and in our system his confidence in that area will skyrocket. He attacks closeouts and is a productive player getting downhill at the rim on drives. Defensively, he blocks shots and his ability to move his feet makes him a very good 'switch big,' which is extremely valuable in modern basketball. He has competed against grown men in one of the best professional leagues in Europe over the last three years. Sananda is a terrific person. I am so excited to have him as a part of Louisville Basketball."

The 6-foot-11, 245-pound forward was named the Basketball Bundesliga Best German Young Player, which presented annually to the league's most valuable player under the age of 22, who also has German nationality. Appearing in 29 games for Lowen Braunschweig, he averaged 12.3 points on 66.0 percent shooting, while also putting up 6.2 rebounds and a league-best 1.6 blocks per game. His player efficiency rating of 17.4 leads the entire BBL.

The 21-year-old also took part in the FIBA Europe Cup with Lowen Braunschweig, playing in six games while starting three. There, he averaged 15.5 points per game while shooting 69.6 percent, on top of 5.5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game.

Fru is second of Louisville's four committed prospects in the Class of 2025 to officially sign, joining DME Academy (Fla.) Daytona Beach point guard Mikel Brown Jr., who is already on campus. He's also one of three international commits in the cycle for the Cardinals, with Senegalese forward Mouhamed Camara and Greek center Vangelis Zougris both committing over the last couple weeks.

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