To the public's eye, boys' basketball in 2016 is all about flare. It's the highlight tape generation; everyone cares about the eye-popping play, and bad games are excused if you dunk on someone or make a defender fall. Adam Anderson, a rising senior at Saratoga Springs, doesn't make a ton of highlight plays. All he does is make tons of good plays to help his team win games, and a Team 518 roster with all new faces besides him, Ichabod Crane 2017 Joe Werner, and South Kortright 2017 Tyler Lamport find themselves in the same spot as last year - the top seed.
Anderson, an athletic 6'2" guard that plays hard at both ends and can fill numerous roles for a team, jumped on the basketball scene last summer. He didn't even play varsity basketball at Saratoga his sophomore year, but his first couple weeks in EST showed the rest of Section 2 that he would be a force going forward. He improved as the summer went on, dropping scoring totals of 19 and 20 points on playoff day - 1 year ago Monday - to help his Team 518 squad complete an undefeated season and win the championship. He earned an all-league honorable mention selection last summer for his contributions. Last winter only built onto the résumé, as he led the Blue Streaks in scoring in a stronger-than-usual season for them and earned a 3rd team pick in the strong Suburban Council.
After a strong spring on the circuit with the City Rocks, he's back on 518's side for the summer and has gradually grown into taking more of a leadership role. He's been the model of consistency, being 1 of 4 on his team and just 11 in the league to have attended every game thus far this summer. He also didn't miss a game last year; this now puts him as the only person in the boys' league to have never missed an EST game in 2 years. His record of 24-2 in the league heading into playoffs this week speaks volumes, as does his 2016 stat line. Anderson leads Team 518 in all statistical categories; points (13.8), rebounds (7.4), assists (4.6), steals (2.7), and blocks (1.6). He's shown the ability to fill it up when needed, with 20+ point totals 3 times and a season high of 26. At one point, he was 2 assists shy of a triple-double. Anderson has proven to not only be one of the league's best scorers - his 13.8 PPG is 6th in EST - but his ability to create for others, rebound from the guard spot, and defend multiple positions has put him in the discussion as one of the league's best two-way players this summer.
He jumped on the radar of some D3 programs right from the start of last summer, and that interest has spiked over the last few months. Along with hearing from the likes of Princeton, Rider, Mercy, St. Rose, Dominican, and Queens University of Charlotte, he's been one of the top buzz names among higher D3 programs in the Northeast. He's been a big target among SUNYACs, Empire 8, and Liberty League programs, and the combination of ability on the court and academic strength has opened up the discussion among some NESCACs. With his senior year starting in a month, college continues to loom closer. One thing is for sure; whatever program lands the services of Anderson will have a winner in uniform.
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