Guy to keep an eye on: Chris Anderson (the anatomy of a dunker)

Pic from: ToledoRockets.com

If there was ever an all-area player with all-state talent that most people outside of his area had never heard of, Chris Anderson is that player.  Averaging 19-points and 13-rebounds per game in his junior year, the athletic Anderson was an afterthought in last year’s state basketball scene, the lone bright spot on an 8-13 Reeths Puffer team.

The 6-6, 210 pound forward was getting moderate recognition from schools as high as Division-1, but not at the level his talent warranted.  Believe it or not, at 19/13 per contest, Anderson’s individual numbers were actually deflated thanks to near constant double- and triple-teams, enough so that that all-area recognition could have easily been all-state.

Then summer came around, and Anderson’s already lofty stock skyrocketed.  Freed from the constraints of disproportionate defensive attention, Anderson was able to showcase his strength, skills and bouncy athleticism on the national stage.  Didn’t take long before Toledo had seen enough, snatching up the senior-to-be on the way up.

Fast forward to present-day.  Scholly in hand, Anderson now warrants a feature article in the Muskegon Chronicle that, along with revealing his propensity and talent for drawing tats,  houses this little gem:

“We’ll put his talent more on display this year,” (Reeths) Puffer coach Dalrecus Stewart said. “We know he’ll be doubled a lot. We want to get him on the perimeter more this year. We want to run and get him on the wings in transition where he causes matchup problems. … It’s too bad we don’t have four more of him.”

Still, Stewart is glad to have one Anderson and a much improved supporting cast – point guard Dontreal McKinley (10 ppg, 4 apg), sophomore guard JhaMonte Melton, senior forward Joe Melton and senior guard/forward Caden Beals.

So what was the difference between the Reeths-Puffer Anderson and the Grand Rapids Storm Anderson?  What was the determining factor between athletic hustler and D-1 standout?  His supporting cast.  The talent level on the rest of the Storm team drew the attention away from Anderson, allowing him to do his manic dunking thing.

And here’s why you should pay attention: Not only did Anderson become accustomed to dominating during the summer, but Puffer’s “much improved supporting cast” will logically have the same effect on Anderson’s output that did playing with the storm.  Plus he’s got the recruiting monkey off his back, and now he’s free to focus on what’s next.

Anderson has big goals this season, including winning conference and district titles and becoming a McDonald’s All-American.

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