OSU’s Big Game James is big time
Lost amid the hubbub over a coach’s potty mouth and a program in serious rebuilding mode is the makings of a darn good season for one Cowboy.
James Anderson is having a season worthy of consideration for all-conference honors.
Oklahoma State’s sophomore shooting guard is putting together one heck of a resume. He is starting to not only come into his own but also establish himself as a star.
Everyone remembers how Anderson showed signs of greatness early last season. As a true freshman, he lit up OSU’s non-conference opponents. Then when conference play began, his production dipped and his numbers waned. Opponents seemed to figure him out, and he looked lost through much of the Big 12 schedule.
It left everyone to wonder — what kind of player was Anderson going to become, the kind who dominated early last season or the kind who became a non-factor late?
Anderson has answered that question emphatically this season that he intends to be a force.
Through this past weekend, Anderson ranked fourth in the conference in scoring with 17.7 points a game. That puts him behind the likes of Blake Griffin and Craig Brackins, a couple of first-team all-conference shoo-ins. But he ranks ahead of a bunch of really good players – A.J. Abrams, Curtis Jerrells and Sherron Collins among them.
Anderson also ranks seventh or better in field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
Those sorts of stats should make coaches in the league sit up and take notice when they start filling out their all-conference ballots.
Thing is, Anderson is more than a scorer. He ranks 11th in the conference in rebounding. He’s just a smidgen out of the top 10. And remember, we’re talking about a guard who’s been forced to play against bigger, taller guys all season. The Cowboys have limited resources inside, so the job of defending forwards and rebounding misses falls on guards.
Considering that, it’s pretty amazing that OSU’s best scorer would also be one of the league’s best rebounders.
It’s difficult to know if Anderson will be a first-teamer when the all-conference selections are announced, but he’s a guy that deserves serious consideration.
The Cowboys’ struggles might deter some voters, but something that all of them should think about is whether they intend to hold team performance against the likes of Craig Brackins at Iowa State or Curtis Jerrells at Baylor. I suspect those two guys will get plenty of all-conference love, and their teams are comparable to the Cowboys.
If they deserve individual honors in spite of their team’s win-loss record, so does Anderson. What he’s doing might have been overshadowed, but that definitely should not be ignored.
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There you go again JC….Let’s just go by your written word since you appear to some on paper as a genius. James’ incredible game play is not being overlooked. People are noticing that he is stepping up and playing good ball. Lets’s not forget the other guys coming in off the bench as of late and making some huges plays for the team. But wait….you are the f******g idiot that keeps bringing up Coach Ford and our rebuiling phase. Maybe if you as a so called “journalist” (and I use the term loosely) would improve your skills and focus more on the positive rather than the negative we as readers could somehow respect your views. Honestly I could never respect you after your article that caused Gundy’s tirade on your worthless butt. Move to the MEAC conference.