The biggest decision of Kyle Anderson’s young life is exactly now one month away and the St. Anthony High School basketball standout is feeling a wide range of emotions.
“I’m nervous, excited and worried,” said Anderson, the Hudson Reporter Boys’ High School Basketball Player of the Year last year who led the fabulous Friars to state and national championships. “I’m worried if I will make the right decision.”
Anderson, considered by many to be the top high school basketball player in the country, has narrowed down his choices for college to five big-name schools. UCLA, Florida, Georgetown, St. John’s and Seton Hall are the five schools still in contention to secure the services of the multi-talented 6-foot-9 point guard.
“I feel like I have a great five,” said the North Bergen native. “They all have great coaching staffs and they’re all great schools. I think I did a good job of narrowing it down.”
According to Kyle’s father, Kyle Sr., the former head coach at Ferris High School and former assistant at St. Peter’s College, it was an intricate process getting down to the final five schools.
“We cut it down because we didn’t want to entertain a bunch of schools during July,” the elder Anderson said. “We didn’t want it to become a circus and have coaches calling him all the time. So we narrowed it to the five schools and he’ll now only take calls from those schools. We didn’t want other schools chasing Kyle around the country.”
The younger Anderson, who has enjoyed a brilliant summer playing AAU basketball for a team coached by his father, has become one of the most followed people on the Internet. Google his name and about 4,000 different links pop up. It’s astounding the way high school basketball has exploded in popularity due to the use of the Internet.
Every move, every appearance that the 17-year-old Anderson makes is charted and written about. It’s almost frightening to think how much scrutiny a teenager like Anderson has to endure.
“I can handle it,” Anderson said. “I really don’t pay much attention to it. When I look at it, it might be a pain, but not a lot of kids get the chance to be recruited and watched like I am. I really look at it as a blessing. This is what I’ve worked hard for. I’ve been playing the game since I was like 3 years old and it’s what I’ve wanted to have happen. It’s never too big for me. Sometimes, I stop and think, ‘Am I really on ESPN or on TV?’ And I think that this is what I worked hard for.”
Anderson is a rare breed, a point guard with incredible court knowledge and savvy and the ability to pass the ball like no other. His high school coach, legendary Hall of Famer Bob Hurley, calls him “the best all-around player in the country.”
At his height, Anderson might have been recruited as a forward, but there’s no denying his talent with the ball. He’s drawn comparisons to the immortal Earvin “Magic” Johnson, a fact that the elder Anderson encourages and agrees with.
“I’m not afraid to say that he can be compared with Magic,” the elder Anderson said. “He’s as good as Magic was at this age. Basing on what Kyle has done, winning a national championship in high school, earning praise from knowledgeable basketball people, I’m willing to put him right there.”
Kyle Anderson, Sr. knew that his son was a special talent at a very young age.
“To be honest, I knew he was very special at age 4 or 5,” the elder Anderson said. “He wanted to go to every single camp and wanted to learn. A lot of those camps were long, but he wanted to be there. I didn’t think he’d grow to 6-9, but I knew that he was willing to put in the time to become special.”
After playing in an AAU tournament in California, Anderson is headed back to Los Angeles next week to participate in the ESPN Elite 24 Classic with the top 24 players in the country.
“My mom told me that I’m going to Los Angeles more in one month than she did her whole life,” the younger Anderson said. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s an honor to be considered among the top 24 players in the country. It’s been a blessing to go to all these places in the country.”
There were some reports that the elder Anderson was trying to piggyback on his son’s shoulders to secure a coaching job at the school he chooses. It is not true.
“I have to be honest,” the elder Anderson said. “I had at least four major schools offer me, but Kyle made it clear to me that he wants to go to college alone and I respect his decision. So the speculation is not true.”
There was also talk that the Andersons told schools that he would not be recruited at any other position other than point guard. While the elder Anderson made it clear to the colleges that his son’s preference is to be a point guard, there were no such stipulations made in the process.
“We just put it out there,” the elder Anderson said.
“I know that wherever I go, it’s not going to be what I want,” the younger Anderson said. “I like having the versatility to play other positions and I’ll do whatever is best for the program.”
The younger Anderson said that the five schools have really not pestered him with daily phone calls.
“They really haven’t been a nuisance,” he said. “They’ve all been very respectful.”
So on the occasion of his 18th birthday, Sept. 20, Kyle Anderson will make the decision of his life. He didn’t tip his hand at all about which way he was leaning, because honestly, he really doesn’t know just yet. It will be a big surprise to everyone when he decides, including his family, friends, coaches – even himself.
“Thank God, it will be over soon,” Kyle Anderson said. “I will be grateful when it’s over.”
Kyle Anderson doesn’t know if he will go to college and be a “one-and-done” player, meaning staying only one year in college before heading off to the NBA.
“I’d like to do more years in school so I can have something to fall back on,” Anderson said. “But I don’t know yet.”
“We set goals for him to one day be an NBA player,” the elder Anderson said. “He’s projected as a ‘one-and-done,’ but we’ll see. It will be his decision.”
Just like the one he’ll make in a few weeks, one that will change his life forever. It appears as if Kyle Anderson is more than ready to make that decision, despite his apparent apprehensions.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.
You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com.