Anderson Has Done It All At Michigan State
2/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Alan Anderson is playing so well that his hard-to-please coach is praising his play and making flattering comparisons.
After the senior had 16 points and six rebounds while defending guards and forwards in Michigan State's recent win over Michigan, Tom Izzo said Anderson played his best game as a Spartan on both ends of the court.
Izzo has seen dozens of talented and versatile players during his 22-year tenure at Michigan State, which includes the last 10 seasons as head coach.
Has he seen any players, like Anderson, with the ability to play both point and shooting guard, small and power forward?
"Steve Smith would be the closest," Izzo said. "In Alan's case, he's been able to guard 6-10 guys and 6-foot guys. Alan is more physical."
Anderson was honored to be mentioned with Smith, now playing in Charlotte. Smith has averaged 14.5 points per game in an NBA career that started in 1992.
"That's crazy to hear a comparison like that," Anderson said. "Steve Smith and Magic Johnson were probably the best players here and went on to be among the best in the league."
Anderson did not want to talk about his pro aspirations, or even next month's NCAA tournament, because he was focused on playing his hometown team one last time.
The Minneapolis native and the 11th-ranked Spartans (17-4, 8-2 Big Ten) will host Minnesota (16-8, 6-5) Wednesday night.
"It's special because this is my last year in college and I'll always want to go home, so I've got to keep bragging rights," said Anderson, a highly touted player at DeLaSalle High School. "Minnesota recruited me big time, but I chose Michigan State and it was a great decision for me."
It also led to some challenging times.
Anderson expected to fit in with a team featuring Jason Richardson and Zach Randolph, but they left school early for the NBA.
He was thrown into the starting lineup for 23 games as a freshman during the 2001-02 season and started an average of 27 games the next two seasons.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder was best suited to play small forward or shooting guard, but spent a lot of time at point guard during his sophomore and junior seasons - when he wasn't playing one of three other positions.
This season, Anderson is listed as a power forward, and he's doing a little bit of everything: scoring, rebounding, passing, dribbling and defending.
"Playing all of the positions I have during my career has forced me to learn the game so much more than I would've if I was just at one position," he said. "I take a lot of pride in being able to use my size and quickness because it helps us win, and that's what I'm about because this is my last year."
Anderson, who is averaging a career-high 12.2 points and 5.5 rebounds, is a major reason the Spartans have won 14 of their last 16 games.
"He's coming along like a fourth-year player should, and the timing is perfect," Izzo said. "As a senior, you always want to play your best basketball at the end, and he's doing it."
