The coaching change at Maryland has cost the Terps another commit.
Rising junior Justin Anderson of Montrose Christian announced he will head to Virginia to play for head coach Tony Bennett instead of remaining committed to Maryland.
Anderson is the third former Maryland commit to change his mind after Mark Turgeon’s hiring, following senior point guard Sterling Gibbs (Texas) and forward Martin Breunig (uncommitted). Senior guard Nick Faust remained committed to the Terps.
“The Cavaliers were always my second choice behind Maryland,” said Anderson, the No. 3 small forward in the Class of 2012 per Rivals. “Also, my family lives in Virginia. After the departure of Coach [Gary] Williams and Coach [Robert] Ehsan it just feels like the right fit.”
During a junior campaign averaging 14 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game, Anderson led his team to victory over six nationally ranked opponents, including a 63-37 rout of pre- season No. 1 Findlay Prep. The Mustangs closed the season by winning the ESPN National High School Invitational championship in a thrilling double-overtime victory against Oak Hill Academy. In the nationally televised game, Anderson hit a 3-point shot with 1.5 seconds left to send the game into double-overtime. He called it “the biggest shot of my life.”
“Justin decided to revisit his options after Gary [Williams] retired,” Montrose Christian coach Stu Vetter said.
“He has been heavily recruited since the 8th grade and it has been an exhausting and distracting process for a teenager. Although Mark Turgeon wanted to begin recruiting him, Justin and his family decided to conclude the process. We look forward to developing a relationship with the new coaching staff at the University of Maryland. We are very pleased that Justin will continue his education and basketball career at the University of Virginia. UVA is a tremendous institution and recent Montrose graduates Tunji Soroye and Doug Browman have had great experiences there as student-athletes.”
