Hunter Anderson makes college choice

<p>The fates conspired one more time to deny Topekan [player_tooltip player_id="885579" first="Hunter" last="Anderson"] the public acclaim he deserved.</p> <p>Having completed a brilliant, though relatively unnoticed, four years at Cair Paravel Latin School (CPLS) in Topeka, Anderson had only to pick from the several colleges who recruited him. But when he finally made his choice, COVID-19 made impossible a signing party at his school, with his friends, family and fans around to enjoy it with him.</p> <p>The 6-foot-6 wing quietly informed the coaches of Coffeyville Community College that he would play for them next fall. He said it was a relief to have the decision made, but admitted it would have been nice to have a public celebration.</p> <p>“It kind of stinks. A signing party would be pretty neat,” Anderson said. “It is unfortunate that I didn’t get to do that. But still I’m just really looking forward to the season.”</p> <p>Anderson is accustomed to not getting a lot of public notoriety.</p> <p>His school plays in the Metro Christian Athletic Association, and participates in a few tournaments against smaller public schools in northeast Kansas. The school gets little notice, despite racking up a 21-5 record this year and winning its league tournament.</p> <p>When he did have an opportunity to demonstrate what he could do against “name-brand” competition, Anderson didn’t disappoint. He scored 30 points in CPLS’ win at Hayden. He had 30 points and six rebounds in a win over Baldwin. And he had 27 points and seven rebounds in a loss at Lebo, one of the best 1A teams in the state.</p> <p>Anderson averaged 25 points per game for CPLS as a senior. He also starred for Freedom Hoops club team in Kansas City.</p> <p>Anderson’s game includes some of everything, including ball handling, perimeter shooting, passing and presence in the lane. He said the Coffeyville coaches noticed what the media missed.</p> <p>“They watched a bunch of my film, and they thought they liked me as a player,” Anderson said. “They thought I had good size and a lot of potential.”</p> <p>Anderson said what drew him to the Red Ravens was their winning culture and their reputation for producing Division 1 players. Coffeyville finished last season 26-8 and was ranked 15^th in the nation when the season was aborted due to COVID-19.</p> <p>Anderson was recruited primarily by junior colleges and Division 2 and NAIA schools. He said his goal is to play at a Division 1 school, and he believed Coffeyville offered the best opportunity to achieve his goal.</p> <p>“I weighed all the options,” Anderson said. “My ultimate goal is to get a good experience to get better. I want to get in the gym and get working out, to get a chance to go to a four-year school.</p> <p>“Coffeyville has a great team, they have great coaches, and a great tradition. It just seemed like the best program and where I fit in well.”</p> <p>Anderson said he’s happy to have the recruiting process complete, but he may have to wait a little while before he can suit up again.</p> <p>“I called (the coaches) to tell them I was coming. When it was over, it was great. I’ve got my decision. I’m just ready to go now.</p> <p>But his date to report to Coffeyville will remain undecided for a while.</p> <p>“They wanted me to come for the month of June, but now I’m really not sure if that will happen. I’m just waiting to see what they tell me.”</p>