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As clearly talented of a basketball player as Nick Anderson was coming out of Clear Creek High School a few years ago, college coaches really weren’t checking for him like that.

A few Division III schools and several junior colleges made offers to the super-talented kid, who had good grades, a great demeanor, and a high SAT score to match. Anderson ultimately chose nearby St. Thomas, where his older brother Calen was already playing.

He played at a high level for the Division III Celts, but after two seasons decided to jump up to Division I and the Prairie View Panthers. Anderson’s game has elevated along with the level of competition, so it’s not surprising.

“I’m coming from a D-III so honestly coming in, I wasn’t expecting as much of a role, I would say,” said Anderson, who has started his first seven games for the Panthers. “I was expecting to come off the bench, contribute where I can.

“When I got here and saw that I was going to have a bigger role, I was like okay, I’ve got to make sure I’m prepared for this, make sure I do what I need to do in order to have success on this level.”

Let’s just say preparation has met opportunity.

Anderson, a 6-foot-4, smooth-shooting junior guard, has quickly emerged as one of the Panthers’ top players. His transition to the highest level of college basketball has been so seamless that many, including Prairie View coach Byron Smith, wonder how Anderson got so overlooked coming out of Clear Creek.

His 19.1 points per game average leads the SWAC and ranks inside the top 40 in the nation. Anderson is also averaging 4.6 rebounds and shooting nearly 46% from the floor for the Panthers.

It’s definitely different. It’’s definitely a transition coming from where I was at. Definitely not negative. For anybody to come here and be a part of this program, you’ve got to be mentally tough.

Nick Anderson on his transition from St. Thomas to Prairie View

“As a basketball player, I think a lot of people missed on him,” said Smith, whose team is off to a 1-6 start. “I think he is one of the more talented kids in this region. He was under the radar. But I think the world and the country are starting to see what he can do.

“He is a multi-dimensional guy. He can shoot it, he can handle it and he is super athletic. He plays really hard, he defends the basketball, he rebounds the basketball and there is a premium on guards who rebound.”

Education Came First

Nick Anderson spent the first two years of his college career at St. Thomas. Credit: X.

But to understand the beginning of his journey, you have to understand his mother and the high expectations she has for her sons. Going the junior college route might have been best for Anderson’s basketball career, but it wasn’t the academic route his mother was interested in.

In a household where academics and being challenged academically come first, a four-year college was the only route to go as far as his mother was concerned. St. Thomas, it was.

“My mom didn’t really want me to take the JUCO (junior college) route, even though a lot of people wanted me to,” Anderson said. “They said it probably would have benefited me more on the court to get somewhere like here faster.

“But just out of respect for her, I didn’t want to take that route, so I just went D-III for a while.”

Answering the Call

Nick Anderson’s hard work is paying off. Credit: X.

Smith and his staff contacted Anderson and expressed interest in him transferring to Prairie View, where a scholarship and free tuition would be awaiting him. Anderson was enjoying his time at St. Thomas and had developed a strong bond with head coach Anthony Medina, but the decision to move on wasn’t difficult at all.

“I knew I was leaving because just the financial part. I was paying a lot of money to go there,” Anderson said. “So just for the free school part, getting a scholarship, I knew I wanted to go somewhere.

“I didn’t know how reachable it really was until I started talking to Coach Smith and they started showing some real interest. That’s when I knew I could really go somewhere. I wanted to make sure I got that scholarship part for my family.”

Anderson’s success at Prairie View has been instant. He has put up impressive numbers against the Panthers’ grueling non-conference schedule. Anderson is showing ahead of the SWAC schedule that he can fill it up, dropping 32 points in a recent 114-98 loss to Northern Colorado, while also putting up 20 points, seven rebounds, and three steals in a 95-59 loss to the Big East’s DePaul.

One person who hasn’t been surprised at Anderson’s early success is Medina, who first got to know the younger brother when recruiting Calen out of Clear Creek. He got to help Anderson develop from a raw talent to a kid who is more aware of his game and ability to impact winning.

“I got to watch him grow as a player and go through things at Clear Creek,” Medina said. “I feel like he never really knew how talented he was. Once he learned how to really work at it, his game just took off.

“A lot of what we are seeing is him maturing into the player he didn’t know he could be.”

While his transition from non-scholarship Division III to Division I has seemed easy from the outside, Anderson quickly points out that it’s been anything but. He can tell and feel that he is playing at a much different level.

“Guys know how to play a lot better, a lot more,” Anderson said. “They know how the game works. They are taking advantage of mismatches or any slight mistake you make. If you are in the wrong position they are going to take advantage of that. You have to be on your P’s and Q’s a lot more at this level. No plays off.”

Well-Rounded Player

Smith, meanwhile, is enjoying unlocking all of the gifts and talents Anderson has brought with him. He sees him as a versatile player who can do it all, whether that is on offense or defense, rebounding and thinking through the game mentally.

“I’m not trying to give him the LeBron James title, but he is a very well-rounded young man and first and foremost is very respectful and comes to work every day,” Smith said. “He impacts winning and his teammates like being around him because he is a very pleasant guy.

“I think the sky is the limit as far as his talent. He is having a very good year. We just hope it continues.”

That certainly seems to be Anderson’s plan as he looks forward to jumping into SWAC play in January with a team that returned only one player from last season. But in the meantime, the Panthers’ gauntlet of a non-conference schedule continues with Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), Mississippi State, Loyola Marymount, UCLA, Rice and Oklahoma still to come.

Anderson believes the tough December schedule will prepare the Panthers for the SWAC.

“If we keep going on that route we will definitely ready to take off,” Anderson said. “Playing these teams that are a lot bigger and a lot stronger and have more of a team style whereas we are all brand new.

“Playing schools at this level has definitely been fun, it’s been exciting and I think it will make all of us a lot better.”

Anderson says the team has built great off-the-court chemistry but sees the on-court connection coming together. And once it’s there, Anderson has set high goals for him and the Panthers.

“It’s a big goal but I’m hoping to make the (NCAA) Tournament if we can,” Anderson said. “That would be a dream come true and just help the team any way I can. Put up efficient numbers, be a good teammate.

“I want to have a lot of fun with this group. I feel like we can really win a lot of games and have a memorable year, for sure.”

I've been with The Defender since August 2019. I'm a long-time sportswriter who has covered everything from college sports to the Texans and Rockets during my 16 years of living in the Houston market....