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Second year Justin Anderson has to be one of the most charismatic student athletes the University of Virginia has ever seen. His enthusiasm during games is incomparable, whether on the court or cheering on his teammates from the bench.
Last season, Anderson averaged 7.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game over 35 games of action, including 17 starts. With 81 assists to 43 turnovers, he has established himself as a competent ball handler and his athleticism is unparalleled in the league.
As the season progressed, Anderson's abilities matured and his performance was unbelievable. Check out two of his five rejections as he hosted Iowa for a block party in the NIT:
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Anderson proved he could handle adversity early on, dealing with the hostile Maryland crowd by putting up 17 points and 9 rebounds as they booed every time he touched the ball. Maybe it's his strong, muscular frame, but Justin gives off the air of being a senior player, not a guy coming off his rookie season.
This season, JA will be one of the factors that directly dictates how successful this team can be. If his performance builds off of where he finished last year, the Cavaliers are poised to cause some serious problems in the ACC for the usual guard (Duke, UNC) and the newbies (Syracuse, Notre Dame, Pitt).
Anderson has fully embraced the program at the University of Virginia, from his coach to his teammates, and every aspect of Grounds as well. He frequents other sporting events like #1 ranked Women's Soccer, #11 ranked Men's Soccer, and #5 ranked Women's Field Hockey. He's a Wahoo through and through, and as he told Whitey Reid from the Daily Progress, "I cut myself the other day and orange and blue came out."
The Stats:
Position: Guard
Height: 6-6
Weight: 227
Nickname: Simba
Best Performance Last Season: Tie- @Maryland (17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block) and vs. Iowa (24 points on 5-8 shooting beyond the arc, 5 blocks)
Twitter: @HooNamedS1mba
Best Tweet:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Never actually said this, but I'm so happy I picked to attend UVA over that other school I picked at first... <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoHoos&src=hash">#GoHoos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BestChoice&src=hash">#BestChoice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Blessed&src=hash">#Blessed</a></p>— Justin Anderson (@HooNamedS1mba) <a href="https://twitter.com/HooNamedS1mba/statuses/382898994869186560">September 25, 2013</a></blockquote>
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It got a lot of flack and complaining from our neighbors up North, but the Cavaliers are happy to have a character like Justin in the program. Who knows what he can do next. What I do know is that the member of the Virginia Athletic Department that decided Justin Anderson should go on the Maryland game ticket is a GENIUS.