Michigan basketball pledge Christian Anderson Jr. put up big numbers this year
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard took a chance on a small guard last year, offering class of 2024 point guard Christian Anderson Jr. before just about anyone else. Anderson has since grown three inches from 5-8 and continues to put up insane numbers for his Atlanta Lovett team.
Anderson was honored as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,572 points Jan. 9. He then scored a season high 40 (of his team’s 48) points in a 68-48 loss to Pace, making 14 of 23 field goals.
A month later, Anderson made 16 of 21 field goals, including 8 triples, and notched 46 points and 5 assists — a 95.2 percent eFG (effective field goal) percentage in a win over Stockbridge. eFG takes into account the triple vs. the two-pointer.
Anderson averaged 39.3 points per game in playoffs where he showed out. He notched 32 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds in a 62-60 win over Pace and an incredible 43 points,
Anderson made the GBP all-state team as a junior.
“The 4-Star Junior committed to Michigan … rated as high as No. 14 junior PG in the nation and No. 10 prospect in Georgia in 2024. He led Lions to 4A Sweet 16 finish. Stats – 26.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.1 apg while shooting 47.0 FG, 37.0 3FG and 86.0 FT.
Anderson scored 20 in a 49-48 loss to Madison County in the state quarterfinals. His triple from half court hit the rim as time expired in the heartbreaking loss.
”I think this is going to be the first time in the Big Ten Conference where a coach has the chance to have a player who does everything that he wants him to do while adjusting to any level of play,” Adrian Collins, the founder and director of Runna Report, which specializes in grassroots basketball scouting, said. “If Juwan wants Christian to score 30 points a game, he can set that up. If Juwan wants Christian to record 10 assists, he can set that up.
“I look at Christian as like a very efficient baseball player who has a low ERA. If Christian shoots it a certain amount of times, you know what his percentage is going to be against any competition. So, I think he’ll go to Michigan and be a playmaker. But he can also feed bigs and rim runners, as well as motivate them, which will ignite the defense and ignite wins.
“Michigan will be able to execute in transition and in the long ball with Christian as the dynamic point guard who will maximize production.”
He’s still got a year of high school ball to play first.
