The IUS men’s basketball team has eight new players this season. One of them is Brandon Anderson, psychology junior.
Anderson is a 5-foot-11-inch guard who transferred from Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Ill. Anderson said he got in touch with head coach Wiley Brown, toured IU Southeast and really liked it here.
“I feel right at home,” Anderson said.
Alvin Thomas, assistant coach, said Anderson has had a smooth transition from Shawnee.
“He’s really been coming along just great,” Thomas said. “I’m very proud of him.”
Anderson said the team quickly accepted him, and the family atmosphere of the team is what is what made him decide to play for IU Southeast.
Anderson said there are some differences between playing at Shawnee and playing at IU Southeast.
At Shawnee he was the team leader but at IU Southeast there are multiple team leaders.
Also, everyone on the team pushes each other harder and encourages each other more than they did at Shawnee.
Anderson said the team hopes to win the NIAA Division II Championship this season.
“Everybody is so hungry for it,” he said.
Anderson has never won a championship and said winning one would help New Albany and the school.
Anderson said he has always been interested in basketball.
“Basketball has always just been my release away from a lot of things,” he said. “It has kept me positive and kept me out of trouble.”
Anderson said his mother bought him a basketball goal for Christmas one year and he and his friends played all the time.
Anderson attended Western High School in Louisville, where he was also a guard. Throughout his basketball career, he has either been a point guard or a shooting guard.
“Shooting guard and point guard go hand in hand,” he said.
Anderson stays very busy year-round with basketball and said he “lives” in the gym. Anderson also stays busy as a full time student and taking care of his 10-month-old son.
By AMANDA FRENCH
Staff Writer
aafrench@ius.edu