Note #028: Christian Anderson (Sophomore Stock-Riser)
Texas Tech Red Raider Christian Anderson, who was a third team All-American as a sophomore in 2025-26, will be declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft.
For the 2025-26 season, Anderson averaged 18.5 PPG, 7.4 APG, and 3.6 RPG in 33 GP.
Since 1947-48, the only other two NCAA Division I men's basketball players who averaged at least 18 PPG, 7 APG, and 3.5 RPG in their sophomore season were:
1. Ja Morant (2018-19) - 24.5 PPG, 10.0 APG, 5.7 RPG
2. Michael Anderson no relation (1985-86) - 18.8 PPG, 7.3 APG, 6.5 RPG
Let's tack on these baselines as well: 1.5+ SPG (C. Anderson 1.5), and 3.0+ 3P/G (C. Anderson 3.3). The other five players to meet these plus the criteria above in a single season:
Seniors
1. Charles Jones (1997-98) - 29.0 PPG, 7.4 APG, 5.2 RPG, 2.9 SPG, 3.9 3P/G
2. Damon Stoudamire (1994-95) - 22.8 PPG, 7.3 APG, 4.3 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 3.7 3P/G
Juniors
3. Terrell Lowery (1990-91) - 28.5 PPG, 9.1 APG, 4.5 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 3.3 3P/G
4. Marques Green (2002-03) - 21.3 PPG, 8.0 APG, 3.7 RPG, 2.6 SPG, 3.5 3P/G
Freshmen
5. Trae Young (2017-18) - 27.4 PPG, 8.7 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 3.7 3P/G
Christian Anderson is the only sophomore since 1947-48 to reach that set of per game marks.
Stoudamire (46.5), the 7th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, Anderson (41.5), and Lowery (40.1) were the only three to shoot over 40% from 3. Anderson (260) had slightly more 3PA than Lowery (257) and Stoudamire (241).
For fun, another sophomore observation to chew on, focusing solely on offense:
The only other sophomore, since 1947-48, to average 2.9+ 2P/G, 3.3+ 3P/G, 2.9+ FT/G and 6+ APG besides Anderson:
Jay Williams (2000-01) - 3.9 2P/G, 3.4 3P/G, 3.6 FT/G, 6.1 APG in 39 GP
Williams and Morant are the focus of Note #025 on Villanova's Elijah Crawford. Ja can also be located in Note #021 on BYU's Robert Wright III.
Here are the other three NCAA Division I men's players since 1980-81 to shoot 55+% from 2 (min. 170 2PA) and 41+% from 3 (min. 260 3PA) in a single season:
Sorted by FGA (ascending)
1. Shan Foster (2007-08) - 61.0 2P% (108/177), 46.9 3P% (134/286), 52.3 FG% (242/463)
2. Fletcher Magee (2017-18) - 56.5 2P% (105/186), 43.9 3P% (148/337), 48.4 FG% (253/523)
3. Buddy Hield (2015-16) - 55.2 2P% (154/279), 45.7 3P% (147/322), 50.1 FG% (301/601)
Foster and Hield were seniors in the seasons above, Magee a junior.
And FWIW, those four's FT numbers in the seasons above:
Hield - 176/200 (88.0%)
Anderson - 95/118 (80.5%)
Magee - 97/107 (90.7%)
Foster - 73/96 (76.0%)
Anyway, in 2025-26 Anderson averaged a monstrous 38.4 MP/G.
The only other player that season to average 38+ MP/G:
Delaware's Christian Bliss: 39.8 (!?) MP/G in 31 games
Bliss played the entire game 21/31 times for the Blue Hens. What's more impressive: five of those 21 were overtime games!
Of 30, including Anderson, since 1947-48 that averaged 38.4+ MP/G in 33+ GP, six were sophomores:
1. Tyus Battle (2017-18) - 39.0 MP/G (37 GP)
2. Lionel Simmons (1987-88) - 39.0 MP/G (34 GP)
3. Kay Felder (2014-15) - 38.5 MP/G (33 GP)
4. Johnny Dawkins (1983-84) - 38.4 MP/G (34 GP)
5. Christian Anderson (2025-26) - 38.4 MP/G (33 GP)
6. Malik Sealy (1989-90) - 38.4 MP/G (34 GP)
Simmons makes an appearance in Note #024 on Siena-turned-Syracuse standout Gavin Doty. Dawkins is seen in Note #010 on Alex Wilkins.
Statistics via Sports Reference
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