Jerime Anderson Verbally Commits to UCLA
By Bruin Basketball Report
UCLA Coach Ben Howland needed at least one elite point guard from the 2008 class, and it appears he has landed one.Multiple college basketball recruiting services are reporting Jerime Anderson of Canyon High School in Anaheim has verbally committed to UCLA.
Anderson (6'2, 170lb) is ranked as the No.5/No.6 ranked point-guard in the class of 2008 by Rivals and Scout, respectively.
The junior point guard reminds many of former Taft High School and UCLA star Jordan Farmar.
Similar to Farmar, Anderson is a pass-first point guard and displays a good combination of size, athleticism, and overall feel for the game. He is the type of special player who makes his teammates around him better.
Anderson is a deceptively good athlete and surprises many opponents with his second-gear and quickness to the basket. He has an excellent midrange game and gets into the lane with ease and finishes well at the rim. He also excels at running the team in the open court.
Last season as a sophomore, Anderson averaged 13.5 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the field and 30% on three-pointers.
Just as important, Anderson is willing to work hard on the defensive end and exhibits great instincts for the game. He averaged 3.1 steals per game at Canyon High School. He will be a good fit in Ben Howland's system.
Anderson is a part of an elite group of California high school point-guards from the 2008 class which includes Malcolm Lee, Larry Drew Jr., and Brandon Jennings (recently transferred out of state to Oak Hill Academy). Anderson's skill and potential has been compared most closely to both Lee and Drew by recruiting services.
During the offseason, Anderson teams in the backcourt with Campbell Hall's Jrue Holiday - a top five recruit in the class of 2008 - on the Double Pump Elite AAU team. It is logical to believe an Anderson signing may boost the Bruin's chances of also getting a commitment from Holiday.
In addition to UCLA, Anderson was heavily recruited by Arizona, Connecticut, Stanford, USC, and Louisville.
Anderson is an excellent student and currently has a 3.7 GPA in high school.
(BruinBasketballReport.com)
(photo credit: O.C. Register)
BBR :: Article Link :: 12:05 AM ::
2 comments
2 Comments:
Why do you think that Howland offered now? Do you think we're going to sign another point guard from the 2008 class?
There is a good possibly the Bruins will sign another PG from the 2008 class - although I doubt it will be an elite pure-PG like Larry Drew Jr. However, combo guards, Malcolm Lee and Jrue Holiday, are still strong candidates since either player could fill in as a back-up PG to Anderson in '08.
On the other hand, it wouldn't be surprising if the Bruins picked up a "late-blooming" PG from the 2007 class, ala Russell Westbrook. Much of it would appear to depend on how Westbrook develops this year as a back-up PG.
Howland has already shown that recruiting strategies are continually revised based upon changes and developments in the arena. It wasn't very long ago when a respected recruiting analyst stated Howland would not commit to any of the 2008 elite-PGs until next year.
Why did Howland offer now instead of waiting until next year?
Unlike some who have suggested that Howland "settled" for Jerime Anderson - I don't believe this is true. Anderson has good size for a PG and is athletic, he plays a controlled game from the point and plays hard on defense. Like it or not, Anderson appears to be a good fit in Howland's system - why not lock him up now especially since he wants to be a Bruin and other programs are going after him hard.
Moreover with the Derrick Rose situation, no one knows how Rose's decision to consider UCLA and the Bruin's apparent interest in him has affected the apple cart of PG recruits. Although he is a longshot deal for the Bruins, a Derrick Rose at UCLA in 2007 would change everything in the backcourt.
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