August 19, 2010
Anderson has a College Smorgasbord
A theorem that actually rules our daily life -- whether we like it, will admit to it, or not -- is that nobody can predict the future. For heaven’s sake, good ol’ Miss Cleo’s forecasting radar didn’t pick up her inevitable demise. Even Warren Buffet makes a bad investment every now and then. Then there is the drafting of Ryan Leaf to lead and quarterback a National Football League team. Keeping such an admonition in mind and defined on three in-person viewings, let’s try our hand at anticipating the future of Castro Valley High senior Juan Anderson.
Anderson’s Rivals list of offers to date are Arizona State, California, Creighton, Murray State, San Francisco, Southern Methodist, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, Utah State and Western Kentucky. That’s the PAC-12, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, West Coast, Conference USA, Western Athletic and the Sun Belt Conferences.
Cal’s Mike Montgomery recently extended a hand. We have no idea which school and basketball program Anderson will eventually select -- he more than likely doesn’t know yet himself, but the Bears are just over 20 miles from Castro Valley.
Would this location, or even Arizona State, be the wisest choice for Anderson?
Let’s take an uninvited turn in that barrel on that subject.
A Berkeley degree carries terrific post-basketball weight in the normal eight-to-five world, plus playing in the PAC-12 is as lofty as possible if desiring to remain on the West Coast -- a pairing of usually consequential factors.
But, and this obviously depends on the arc of his post-high school development, does Anderson wish to be a star talent, the straw that stirs the drink -- say in the Mountain West Conference, Western Athletic Conference or West Coast Conference? Even the Big West Conference.
Is being pegged as a possible/probable starter somewhere within the PAC-12 and at some point an irresistible lure?
Will immediate playing time play a factor in Anderson’s decision?
Those are also unanswerable questions -- at least to outsiders. Guesses are all we can make.
Here is what we have observed, with the admission that the acknowledged trio of Anderson showings is not necessarily an ideal or fair total.
He needs more heft in order to handle the much greater physical play of college hoops in order to not wear down over the length of a season and to be a better finisher. But he has a couldn’t-draw-up-a-better canvas (frame) on which to create his portrait.
Most schools have the facilities and the faculty on hand in which to develop the body he needs even if some are plusher than others.
His shot remains a work-in-progress.
There are different camps here. On one side, are the believers that improved mechanics are always possible. Then there are those who say some betterment is do-able. Finally, some pitch their tent in the what-you-see-is-what-you-get territory. It’s certainly true that certain players have improved their mechanics, therefore the range and accuracy, even after entering the NBA but there aren’t a lot of these types. Our thoroughly unscientific survey indicates that, to an idiosyncratic degree, a more desirable shooting stroke is available to most everyone if such a commitment is pursued 100% by heart and head.
Can Anderson advance beyond solid efforts, along with the occasional spectacular play, to an every-minute on-court menace?
A better separation ability on his dribble-drives would be a tremendous asset and it appears to be coming.
Defenders and defenses are so much more sophisticated in college play so finer outside shooting and handling the ball better go hand-in-hand -- and each facilitates the effectiveness of the other.
Anderson needs to better his combination. The aforementioned additional strength will also factor into this.
He already displays a coach-desired intensity defensively and filling out will only help.
Anderson understands passing lane concepts, plus his long arms factor into nabbing errant passes.
He has the capability of being an all-conference defender come college play.
The senior-to-be understands the game and see the floor well.
He performs well in making the court computations displayed by those with higher basketball IQs and that’s quite the plus for any high schooler.
Anderson is coachable, wants to get better and is putting in the work to do so.
That’s an all-you-can-ask-for trifecta.
In summary, it is impossible to determine the summit for any basketballer in Anderson’s particular situation but that will never stop the high/low predictions from flowing. All tendencies indicate the Anderson of the present will not be the Anderson of say a couple of years from now. He will certainly be able to play at the PAC-12 level so it seems the landing spot will be defined by both how much more hard work he puts in and by his vision of himself -- the role he sees himself playing. In the right circumstances, albeit way down the line, Anderson could end up in The Big Show. Yes, that level of potential is present.
But enough of the speculation -- here is Anderson in his own words.
Asked if he was keen to be on a team loaded with tradition and winning or play a role in turning around a program, Anderson said, "Not really [to the former] and I’m not looking to be a hero [to the latter]. I want to go where I am going to be successful, fit in and enjoy."
He added, "I don’t expect to come in and start or play 30-35 minutes a game but I want to have the chance to compete and the chance to play.
As for remaining in-state or leaving California behind, he replied "It kind of depends. Location isn’t really a factor but I hate being cold."
Right now, it’s a quintet of schools running neck and neck in Anderson’s mind: Cal, Oregon, San Diego State, Arizona State and UC Santa Barbara.
Most if not all basketball fans are unaware of this but there was another sport that was Anderson’s first love. "Soccer took up about 80% of my time but I became serious about basketball in my freshman year." It’s been the court and not the field as a preference ever since.
What also stands out about Anderson is that he didn’t jump from one club basketball team to another during the springs and summers of his high school years. It was the Bay Area Hoosiers organization which morphed into the Oakland Rebels in the just-concluded season. Why the loyalty? "Coach Ray [Young] is like a father figure to me and has helped me get better as a person and a player. All the guys made me feel comfortable, like part of a family. It’s been like a brotherhood and in more than just basketball. We all work out together throughout the year."
What motivates him is the idea of "a better life for my family. My mom is a single parent and I was never fed from a silver platter. One day, I want to make it so that my mom doesn’t have to work and I can take care of my little brother and sister."
That’s a vision shared by many prep and college athletes.
But a much lower percentage actually extend the necessary effort to develop their physical and basketball skills and to succeed in the classroom in order to turn such a perspective into reality.
Our take: count on Anderson to be in that successful minority.