College Basketball

Local kid Anderson leads upstart UCLA against Duke at MSG

The coach who recruited him was fired, the player with whom he was supposed to form a dynamic duo moved on to the NBA, yet Kyle Anderson is still in Westwood, Calif., playing up to the lofty standards many forecast for him after an All-American high school career.

The former St. Anthony of Jersey City star plays at Madison Square Garden on Thursday for the first time, leading surprising UCLA and first-year coach Steve Alford against No. 8 Duke. The 6-foot-9 point forward is living up to his high ranking coming out of high school — despite former running mate Shabazz Muhammad bolting for the NBA and Alford replacing Ben Howland on the bench. After a disappointing freshman year, Anderson is averaging team-highs of 8.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists, to go along with 13.8 points per game.

“I always knew I could do it at this level,” Anderson said. “I have a better sense of confidence this year. I’m just doing what I’ve always done. People know I can play the game of basketball.”

Anderson, who won back-to-back New Jersey Tournament of Champions titles at St. Anthony under Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr., was used on the wing last season by Howland, but Alford has returned him to the point, the position at which he has thrived all his life.

“We’re doing a really good job of valuing and taking care of the ball and that always starts with the guy that initiates your offense and Kyle has a lot do with that,” Alford told reporters this week. “We can post him, we can do an awful lot [with] him. He sees over people. He’s a great passer, he thinks pass-first. We’ve wanted him in that position from Day One and through 10 games he’s done an outstanding job proving he can play that.”

This won’t be the first time Anderson and Duke freshman phenom Jabari Parker will face one another. They squared off in an AAU tournament the summer before Anderson’s senior year of high school, and Anderson’s Playaz Club rallied from a 26-point deficit.

“[Parker] was a grade younger than us, but he was still dominant as he is now,” Anderson said. “He’s one of the better players in the country. It’s always good to get challenged and go up against guys like that.”

The game against Duke (8-2) presents UCLA (9-1) with an opportunity to make a national statement on a big stage. The Bruins have yet to face a ranked foe. Anderson is thrilled to get a chance to get back home and play at the Garden.

“I think it’s going to be crazy,” he said. “You can never [understand] the Garden intensity until you watch a basketball game inside the Garden, so [I can’t] imagine what it’s like playing there.”