Evan Anderson

Wisconsin other verbal commit from the class of 2010 is Eau Claire North center Evan Anderson. At 6'11" with a 7'4" wingspan and weighing in at 250 pounds, Anderson has an imposing figure. Despite his high rankings on the recruiting sites (#3, #5, and #6 C, #17, #29 and #37 overall), many Badger fans aren't too excited about him or at least the excitement that those rankings would normally entertain. I have a feeling that may be due to the recent centers recruited, namely Ian Markolf and J.P. Gavinski, that are perceived as recruiting "misses" and drawing similarities among them since Evan isn't averaging 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 blocks in his games.

However, Anderson has great attributes and skills that should not be overlooked due to a lack of impressive quantatives...

1) He has a slight temper. His high school coach has had to teach him to let things go when he's pushed, grabbed, etc. without a call. This mean streak is needed to be a great post player for the aggression to score through contact and grab rebounds.

2) He has great, great ability in positioning in the post on offense. He is extremely talented at keeping his defender on his back, keeping his hands high and wide, and keeping low to not get pushed out.

3) He is very strong. His AAU coach, Ritchie Davis, has said that at this point of his career, he is on par or stronger than Greg Stiemsma and definitely stronger than Brian Butch, Keaton Nankivil, and J.P. Gavinski.



His game stats, which aren't very in depth or complete, are weighed down by many factors. In the offense his high school runs, it makes Dick Bennett's offense like a run and gun with the team routinely scoring in the 30s and 40s. He isn't the focal point of said offense and was used more as a wall for seniors Tyler Brown and Andy Kleist to run around all game. The few times he's able to post up, he gets in great position to receive post passes but the guards aren't adept at entry passes or don't look for him. Second, in an effort to take advantage of his length and decent shot blocking ability, they run a 1-3-1 on defense, hurting his rebounding chances with no block out assignments. Lastly, he missed nearly half the season with an ankle injury. Luckily he is able to play AAU ball that can better highlight his skill, which is obvious considering his high regard in recruiting circles, scholarship offers from recruiting extraordinaire Bill Self/Kansas and Kentucky, and had growing interest from UNC and UCLA. He is rather raw offensively, but with a redshirt year, Anderson should be a great get for Wisconsin on both ends of the floor.

Approximate Statistics
9 ppg
6 rpg
3 bpg

Links
Scout Profile
Rivals Profile
ESPN Profile
Verbal Commitment Article