Few people saw the Christian Anderson emergence happening as quickly as it did. In fact, the Texas Tech freshman guard has become one of the best players in the Big 12 in his first season on campus. So while he didn't arrive with much fanfare, Anderson took his rightful place among the top freshmen in the conference Monday when he was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team.
For the season, Anderson averaged 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Those numbers are among the best any Texas Tech freshman has ever put up.
Additionally, Anderson essentially became Tech's fifth "starter". Though he came off the bench in 27 of the 29 games he played in the regular season, he averaged a whopping 29.3 minutes per game, which was over 12 more per game than Tech's least-used starter, Kerwin Walton, averaged per contest.
Anderson did much of his work from 3-point range, where he proved to be an elite weapon. He was second among Texas Tech's regulars in 3-point shooting percentage (41.1%), 3-point makes per game (2.1), and 3-pointers made (62).
The other players who were on the Big 12 All-Freshman team were Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State), VJ Edgecombe (Baylor), Robert Wright (Baylor), and Egor Demin (BYU). It could be argued that Anderson's inclusion on the All-Freshman team is the most surprising of the five, given that Quaintance, Demin, and Edgecombe were 5-star recruits, while Wright was the No. 1 high school point guard in the nation. Meanwhile, Anderson was more under the radar, at least as it pertains to blue-chip recruits.
Texas Tech found a gem in Christian Anderson
Anderson was a highly-regarded recruit coming out of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. 247Sports' composite rankings had him rated as a 4-star prospect and the No. 122 player in country.
However, he was far from being a high school All-American. What's more, when he signed with Texas Tech after originally being a Michigan commit, the news was only a footnote in college basketball recruiting circles.
What's more, Anderson's recruitment wasn't some high-profile battle. In fact, 247Sports shows no other offers than the Red Raiders and the Wolverines.
However, last summer, we got an indication that Anderson might be more than your run of the mill freshman signee. Playing for Germany in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket tournament, he averaged 20.3 points and 5.0 assists in seven games, including a 31-point, five-assist performance in the championship game to help his team claim the title.
That showing overseas opened the eyes of Texas Tech basketball fans. However, no one expected Anderson to become one of the best guards in the Big 12 as soon as he stepped on campus in Lubbock.
That's what happened, though, and he is a huge reason for the Red Raiders' success in the Big 12 this season. Therefore, it was a foregone conclusion that he would earn all-freshman team recognition this season.