Readers of The Hudson Reporter were first introduced to Kyle Anderson five years ago, when the North Bergen native was just beginning his skyrocketing basketball career.
In the Aug. 8, 2006 editions, it was noted that Anderson was already being considered among the top 12-year-old players in the county, that there was a service called the Clark Francis Hoop Scoop that actually ranked pre-teen players. At that time, Francis had the 5-foot-11 Anderson as the No. 5 point guard in the country among 12-year-olds – as strange as that sounds.
The young Anderson was already playing competitively at some of the nation’s best basketball camps, actually holding his own with current NBA All-Stars like Dwight Howard, J.R. Smith, and Josh Smith. He was receiving college scholarship offers before he even entered grammar school.
The feature written in 2006 talked how the 12-year-old Anderson was playing regularly in North Hudson Braddock Park, going up against guys many years older than the kid known at the time affectionately as “Little Kyle.’’ Guys with tattoos, full facial hair, chiseled muscles readily accepted “Little Kyle” as one of their own.
“They never ask my age,” Anderson said at the time. “They have no idea I’m 12. It’s not like I’m wearing it on my sleeve or anything.”
Flash forward to 2011, where Kyle Anderson is far removed from that “Little Kyle’’ moniker.
He’s now a junior at St. Anthony High School, in his first year at the downtown Jersey City school after spending his first two years at Paterson Catholic. He stands 6-foot-8 now, almost 6-foot-9. There’s nothing little about him anymore.
Some things have not changed over the years, because Anderson is still ranked among the best players in the nation in his junior class. He’s still among the top 25 in the junior class nationwide, according to ESPN Rise, and he’s the No. 8 guard/small forward in the group.
Anderson never thought he would be attending St. Anthony. He was content at Paterson Catholic, but the school closed its doors last June.
“I was really upset by it,” Anderson said. “We had some unfinished business there. Leaving there was very upsetting. I thought we had a chance to do some good things there my last two years.”
But when Paterson Catholic closed its doors, it opened up the chance for Anderson to come home.
“I knew I wanted to come to St. Anthony,” Anderson said. “I saw the documentary, ‘The Street Stops Here,’ and knew right away that I wanted to come to St. Anthony. I figured it was a bittersweet experience. It was bitter, because Paterson Catholic closed, and sweet, because I was going to play for a Hall of Fame coach.”
That Hall of Fame coach, Bob Hurley, knew Anderson from when he was a toddler. Anderson’s father, Kyle Sr., is a Jersey City native who was the head coach at Ferris after serving as an assistant at Snyder, coaching in Jersey City for over 20 years.
“I had Kyle as a camper when he was little and have known his dad,” Hurley said. “I had no reservations about him coming in at all. I knew that our kids would embrace him, especially because Kyle is a passer first. I knew he was going to be a great addition for us.”
But there’s no way that Hurley imagined what Anderson would become.
“I thought he’d come in and have an impact,” Hurley said. “I had no idea he would be this good this soon. It’s all about his dedication to the sport. His game is balanced. His life, thanks to his family support, is balanced.”
Anderson felt comfortable with his transfer to St. Anthony.
“They did a good job of welcoming me,” Anderson said. “The coaches, the players, they all did. It was an easy transition.”
Anderson worked hard on fine-tuning his body right after he decided to transfer to St. Anthony. He became a regular at the St. Anthony weight room sessions and saw instant results.
“My body started to fill out and that’s helped me a lot on both sides, both offense and defense,” Anderson said.
“After Paterson Catholic closed, within a week, he was working out with us,” Hurley said. “When he started, he could bench 165 [pounds]. Now, he’s at 235. With his size and long arms, he’s a load. He’s come a long way with the ability to play with skill and strength.”
Anderson has not regretted the move to St. Anthony one bit, because he’s on the throes of leading the Friars to yet another NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title. The Friars won the NJSIAA Non-Public B title last Saturday by defeating Cardinal McCarrick of South Amboy, a game where Anderson scored 22 points and had nine assists. It was St. Anthony’s state-record 26th state championship, 25 under the leadership of Hurley.
The Friars are two wins away from the school’s 11th T of C crown. They would play for the T of C title Monday night at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford.
For his efforts, Anderson has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
“He’s come a long way,” Hurley said. “And he still has another year with us next year. He’ll be changed athletically and we have the chance to put kids around him. It’s incredible to watch him. His attention to detail and adding things is amazing. He picks things up easily. I know having his Dad as a coach working with him to study the game of basketball has helped. Nowadays, kids are more athletic than skilled. He’s old school in that he’s skilled.”
“I’m officially a Friar now,” Anderson said. “I’m fortunate to be part of the legacy of St. Anthony.”
Anderson isn’t getting too caught up in the attention that comes with being a highly recruited player.
“I’m just focused on my team right now,” said Anderson, who says he receives at least one phone call at night from some big-time college recruiter. “A million other kids want to be in my position. I look at it as being lucky. It’s not annoying yet. I have a good grip on it.”
Anderson said that the most impressive phone call he received to date came from Louisville legend Rick Pitino.
“That was cool,” Anderson said.
Not nearly as cool as the impact he’s had on the fabulous Friars. He’s not “Little Kyle” any longer, but he’s certainly a big-time player, just like he was when he received the first attention five years ago. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.