Player Profile: Rowan Anderson 2018 (Cleveland HS/Elite 24)
We caught up with Cleveland HS point guard Rowan Anderson who caught our eye while playing this summer for Elite 24. He shares his thoughts on his junior year, his recent aau experience, what he’s looking for in a college program, and what he’s working on to help ensure that Cleveland is ready to compete in a tough Portland Interscholastic League this season.
“My junior year was really enjoyable, we had a great group of seniors, and our team chemistry was really good. I was honored to be named 2nd team all league after averaging 17 points and 6 assist per game and our team played well enough all year to earn the right to host a play off game.” When reflecting on his most recent AAU experience, Anderson had this to say: “Playing on the AAU circuit with Elite 24 was a lot of fun. I learned a lot from all of my coaches, but especially Omar Leary who played point guard at Oklahoma. We played against some super athletic players and teams, but our style of playing together as a team was the biggest difference in our success. We had a great mix of shooters, bigs that could post up, and guys that just knew how to play. It was a point guards dream situation.”
As to who is currently recruiting the 6’0 lefty play maker he mentioned, “I’ve been contacted by several coaches from all levels of college. I was able to attend a couple of elite camps at D1 programs this summer. I’ve had good talks with some good D3 programs like Macalister, Lewis & Clark and Trinity. My hope is to have a big senior year and generate more interest.” “I really want to play at the next level, I’m hoping to have a couple of options to choose from. In terms of how I’ll go about choosing a college, I’ll pick the one that provides me the best opportunity to play, plus the best academic school that reflects how hard I’ve worked academically. It’s pretty simple for me, play & learn. That’s been my life to this point and I hope to keep it going in college. I’m interested in studying business and economics or maybe sports administration.”
When asked to evaluate his own strengths and weaknesses as a player, Anderson was surprisingly candid in his reply, “I try to play with energy and focus on fundamentals as my basics. On every team, I have always carried a lot of responsibility for handling the ball, running the team, and scoring, so that all feels natural by this point. I’m starting to take more pride in defense and want to never let my guy get to the basket. I’m a gym rat, off season is one of my favorite times. Areas that I’m focusing on improving are drawing the second level of defenders to me and setting up my teammates. I’m also trying to extend my shooting range, and the pull up jumper. Physically I’m working to improve my foot speed and strength so that I’m better able to pressure on defense. I’m loving how my workouts are going and I’m very excited for my senior season.”
Prep Hoops Oregon Evaluation:
Rowan Anderson is a 6’0 lefty point guard from Cleveland HS in Portland. He has the ability to shoot from range as well as score in bunches. However, when playing with other quality players has shown a willingness and ability to get the ball to teammates in scoring position. High basketball iq, great feel on the offensive end of the floor. Must continue to improve athletically and commit to becoming a better defensive player to reach his ceiling. A bright kid with a 3.9 gpa, Rowan should be on the list of every high academic school. Will be an impact D3 player if he chooses to go that route.