Texas Tech confirms Christian Anderson will return for sophomore season

One aspect of living in the era of player movement in college sports is having to wait to find out if key underclassmen will return to your school. That's why college sports fans are more anxious than ever before. Fortunately, Tuesday afternoon, Texas Tech gave Red Raiders everywhere some good news on that front when it announced that Christian Anderson will return for his sophomore season in Lubbock.

A four-star signee out of high school, the Atlanta, Georgia native smashed expectations in his first season on campus. He averaged 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while coming off the bench in 28 of the 35 games he appeared in.

What's more, Anderson proved to be a fantastic outside shooter. Despite a cold snap that impacted him in the NCAA Tournament, he still managed to shoot 38% from 3-point range, which was third-best among the eight-man Texas Tech rotation. Also, he tied with Chance McMillian for the team lead in 3-pointers made this season with 71.

Earning Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors, he was a vital part of the Red Raiders' success as Tech reached the Elite Eight for the third time in program history. What's more, he figures to be one of the building blocks of the future.

Next year, Anderson could slide into the point guard role left vacant by the graduating Elijah Hawkins. However, McMillian is more of a score-first guard than Hawkins. While Hawkins was best at setting up others for opportunities, as evidenced by his Big 12-leading 6.5 assists per game, Anderson is more apt to take over a game by putting the ball in the bucket.

This season, he had 18 double-digit scoring performances. That included a season-high 22 against Arkansas in the Sweet 16 and 21 against both West Virginia and Arizona State in the regular season.

Still, if Tech doesn't want to bring in a high-priced starting point guard, Anderson could handle that role. This season, he averaged only 1.0 turnovers per game despite logging an average of over 30 minutes each time out. Though he would have to master the nuances of running a team from the point, he has already demonstrated the skillset and the maturity necessary to handle that task if needed.

Anderson's return comes as no surprise given that his family has relocated to the South Plains and his younger brother, a promising Division I prospect in his own right, is enrolled at a Lubbock-area high school. Still, in the age of the transfer portal, it can never be assumed that any underclassman will return until an official announcement has been made.

Now, we have a definitive decision from Anderson and the program can proceed with its offseason plans knowing that it will be able to build around one of the best guards in the Big 12. What's more, considering that Anderson is just scratching the surface of what he can become as a collegiate, fans now have a reason to be extremely upbeat about the future of Texas Tech basketball.