Our spotlight today is on Justin Anderson ( @JDotAnderson23 )rising star out of Montrose Christian Academy. At 6’5, and around 210, his frame and athletic ability is off the charts, and beyond his years. He uses these gifts to overwhelm defenders on the offensive end, speed, quickness and strength are assets on display whenever he takes the court. The kid has impressive hops and blow-by ability from the wing position. Defenders be warned, he will put you on a poster.
Justin continues to build a resume of skills to bring to the next level, known already for his athleticism on the offensive end, those same skills are being shown on the defensive end as well. His attitude for wanting to be challenged and not believing the hype but showing and proving is what separates this prospect from the others.
“One thing my parents have always taught me,” Anderson said, “is to be humble and be hungry. Somebody might say I’m a top-five player, but they didn’t see that kid in Africa working out who’s going to come over here and be better than a lot of players who are ranked.
“It’s nice that a lot of people think I’m a top prospect, but in the end, it really doesn’t mean anything. You have to keep working because there’s always somebody else who’s working and wants your position.”
Seeing Justin play alongside Josh Hairston was a thing of beauty, side by side you would think Anderson was the older of the two with a body ready for college basketball at the age of 16.
With positive experiences in the AAU circuit and USA basketball, at his young age he is a seasoned veteran of international play and also has faced the best talent in the nation during his summers.
“Some people might say, ‘You didn’t get a lot of playing time down there. That must have been frustrating,'” he said. “But you have U.S. across your chest. You’re playing for your country. I don’t care who scores. I don’t care who has the ball. I was proud to be part of that team, and I was willing to do whatever I had to do to help the team win.
“I feel the same way about whatever team I’m playing for. Montrose is a great program and I’ll do whatever they need me to. Boo’s program has a great reputation and has been good for a long time, and I want to do everything I can to help them stay at that level.”
It’s no wonder he is attracting big time attention from strong schools such as Duke of course, UNC, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, Vtech.
Whether or not he ends up at Duke, he is one to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhJ54nf3qmY
