Anderson scored a game-high 25 points in the title game. (robert cole)
One day soon, New York City may be able to call Kyle Anderson one of its own. For now, it will have to accept joint custody.
The crowd at Gauchos Gym in The Bronx was just happy to have the highly ranked St. Anthony of Jersey City star part of the Battle of the Boroughs. Players from Queens, Brooklyn and The Bronx weren’t as thrilled.
The 6-foot-8 Anderson, who hails from Fairview, N.J., but spends summers with his mom Suzanne in Harlem – making him eligible for the summer showcase – dominated the day. He earned MVP honors after scoring 25 points in Harlem’s 84-70 win over The Bronx and had 20 points in a semifinal win over Queens. He added eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in the title game and shot 9-of-11 from the field.
“It feels good – like I accomplished something special,” he said. “There were a lot of great players here.”
Anderson owned the second half, scoring 18 points and controlling the game’s tempo as he ran the point from the small forward position, turning defensive rebounds into fast break opportunities. In one two-minute span, he sank a 3-pointer, scored inside and set up two teammates for easy layups, kick-starting a 14-0 run.
“Though he’s pretty slow, he’s effective,” Harlem teammate Melvin Johnson said. “Everything he does is tight – his handle, his mid-range game, his decision-making.”
When The Bronx put together a mini-run to get within 10 late in the fourth quarter, Anderson answered with a transitional 3-point play.
“From the neck on up, he’s the best high school basketball player in America,” talent evaluator Tom Konchalski said. “He’s just a winner. He won at Paterson Catholic, he won a national title at St. Anthony’s and he’s gonna win at the next level wherever he goes.”
The fifth-ranked prospect in the Class of 2012 according to Scout.com, Anderson is down to St. John’s, UCLA, Seton Hall, Georgetown and Florida. He plans to visit UCLA for the second time on Tuesday before playing in the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Classic in Venice Beach, Calif.
Darrick Wood, his AAU teammate with the New Jersey Playaz, committed to St. John’s on Saturday. But Anderson said that would have little impact on his choice.
He had help from Satellite Academy’s Chris Hooper, who scored 15 points. Johnson, the former Rice standout and incoming St. Benedict’s Prep swingman, and Lincoln incoming transfer Tafari Whittingham each added 10. Chris McCullough of the Salisbury School (Conn.) led The Bronx with 17 points while St. Raymond duo Kerwin Okoro and Daniel Dingle contributed 10 points apiece.
All the city standouts paled in comparison to Anderson, who has made a habit of playing in the city’s many streetball leagues in recent years. Nobody was happier to have him on his side than Harlem coach Kimani Young, who has faced Anderson for years on the AAU circuit as the athletic director of New Heights.
“He makes you look like you know what you’re doing as a coach,” Young said. “I just love him as a player, as a person, his whole attitude on the court.”
On Sept. 20, the day of his 18th birthday, Anderson plans to pick a school and he has indicated St. John’s is an intriguing option. The St. John’s fans in attendance got a peak into the possible future on Sunday.