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How Christian Anderson carved out role for a Texas Tech basketball team with Final Four dreams
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- How Christian Anderson carved out role for a Texas Tech basketball team with Final Four dreams
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Milan Anderson is nestled tightly in her mother Yolanda Anderson's arms, sound asleep and blissfully unaware of the raucous environment that will surround her in a matter of minutes.
Christian Anderson Jr.'s family has been able to be up close for all the freshman guard's exploits with the Texas Tech basketball team . None of them are surprising. The family — dad Christian Anderson Sr., brother Lucai, mom Yolanda and little sister Milan — moved to Lubbock so they could be close to the eldest child as he pursued his dreams of being a star basketball player.
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Christian Anderson Sr., a former Division I player himself at the College of Charleston and Virginia Union, said the Andersons are "not just an ordinary family." He dissects his son's play as much as he claps and cheers along with other Red Raiders fans, who were moments away from filling the other seats inside the T-Mobile Center for Anderson's first postseason game as a college player.
More: Can Texas Tech basketball reach Final Four in 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket? Our prediction
Lucai — three years younger but could pass as his twin — has especially gotten a kick of out seeing his older brother on the court with the Red Raiders this season.
"It's been fun to watch him," Lucai said. "You never know what he's gonna do next. He's always consistent though. That's my favorite part."
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Anderson's consistency and growing confidence have gained him access to a coveted spot in college basketball: a freshman playing starter minutes for a Texas Tech team with Final Four aspirations.
Texas Tech wasn't Anderson's first destination of choice. That would've been Michigan, the school the Atlanta native had been committed to since he was 14. When Juwan Howard was fired as head coach of the Wolverines, the Anderson family set out to find a new home, for the entire family, and wound up in Lubbock.
"I believe everything happens for a reason," Yolanda Anderson told the Avalanche-Journal, "and this is where we're supposed to be."
Texas Tech's Christian Anderson shoots a 3-pointer against Texas A&M during a non-conference basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Dickies Arena at Fort Worth.
Christian Anderson carved a crucial role for himself with Texas Tech basketball
Head coach Grant McCasland shouted praises for Anderson well before the 2024-25 season got started. Anybody who ventured into Lubbock for a preseason look at the Red Raiders left walking away talking about the four-star freshman point guard as a name to watch.
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When the Anderson's were looking for a new school for Christian Anderson Jr., his dad began connecting with anybody we could, digging into every aspect of the program his son would potentially join.
McCasland's success in his first year as head coach spoke to Christian Anderson Sr., who spent time playing overseas in the likes of Israel, Spain, Germany and Australia. The patriarch of the Anderson family liked McCasland's ability to win while also being a bit under-the-radar.
"What we were looking for," Christian Anderson Sr. said, "was a coach that gets it."
When Christian Anderson Jr. signed with Texas Tech last May, McCasland had an ideal setup. A year after having one true point guard on the roster, he now had two — the talented freshman in Anderson and a fourth-year starter in Elijah Hawkins, who was among the best passers in the country last season.
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Playing Hawkins and Anderson together popped into McCasland's head during the summer, but there were some drawbacks. One was playing two smaller guards, Hawkins standing at 5-foot-11 and Anderson at a lanky 6-2.
"It was just defensively, are you too small and inexperienced in the Big 12 to guard like we need to," McCasland said, "because in the Big 12 you've got to have one of the best defensive teams, too."
The other complication was having Anderson and Hawkins suffer identical injuries at almost the exact same time. Texas Tech had to utilize guys like Chance McMillian and Kevin Overton as primary ball handlers before Hawkins and Anderson could make their season debuts in the third game of the season.
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Less than 90 seconds after checking in against Wyoming for their respective Red Raider debuts, Hawkins hit Anderson for a 3-pointer on the left wing, the veteran's first of many assists as a Red Raider and the rookie's first of many made 3s as a college player.
Texas Tech's Christian Anderson dribbles against Texas A&M during a non-conference basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Dickies Arena at Fort Worth.
Christian Anderson still growing as a universal threat for Texas Tech basketball
As the season progressed, Anderson and Hawkins spent more and more time on the floor together. It was a new venture for both, Hawkins being a mentor to his new teammate and Anderson being tasked with playing off the ball, and being a plus defender, as he adjusted to life in the Big 12.
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"His offensive game is amazing, as everybody knows," Hawkins said. "I just helped him with just being more of a leader, how to command the team."
While Anderson has had some bumps throughout the season, he's also shined bright on big stages. He dropped 18 points against Iowa State, 17 at Arizona and set new career-highs with 21 points on five made 3s while also being assigned to guard all-American guard Javon Small against West Virginia .
"Chris has the capacity to grow exponentially every year," Christian Anderson Sr. said. "A lot of people don't want to get better, but he wants to get better and then he has the capacity to do so."
Christian Anderson Jr's first postseason experience, too, had some ups and downs. In the closing moments against Baylor — Milan had arisen from her slumber long before then — Anderson missed two free throws that would've iced the game. Luckily, VJ Edgecombe's last-second shot was off the mark and Texas Tech walked away with the win. His teammates were quick to wrap Anderson in a hug and smile about it. They got the win, and that's what mattered.
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The next day, with McMillian and Darrion William out with injuries, Anderson got his first postseason start and was tasked with trying to slow down Arizona's high-scoring guard Caleb Love. It's a challenge most players wouldn't excel at, and Love — a fifth-year senior — got the better of Anderson on most occasions.
But Anderson played through it all, never leaving the floor and scoring 19 points to keep Texas Tech in the game until the final buzzer. McCasland sung his praises some more for the grit it took to get to the finish line.
Having his family around for all the highs and lows, keeping a good head on his shoulders through it all, is something Anderson hasn't taken for granted.
"It's been amazing," Christian Anderson Jr. said. "My dad still works me out. I think that's a huge benefit. They've always been with me. ... Just having them is, I feel, like a major plus. I feel like it just makes my transition so much easier.
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Christian Anderson Jr's family has lived and breathed every moment of his freshman year. Everything they've seen is exactly who he's been since he first showed interest in basketball as a toddler. And they can't wait to see what comes next.
"He's always had this demeanor about him that wasn't normal from other kids," Yolanda Anderson said. "He's always had that focus, that determination, that sacrifice. It's always been in him. So I'm not surprised by anything. He's just that kid."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Freshman guard playing key role in Texas Tech basketball team's Final Four chase
