That stretch of two defensive possessions and one brief offensive possession in the second half of IU’s 82-54 exhibition win against Ottawa on Tuesday night showed why the freshman forward can be a great player for IU.
But in a combined 1:34 of playing time in the first half, Anunoby picked up three fouls.
It’s not a problem specific to Anunoby. Most freshmen struggle with the adjustment to the college game, but his strengths make him special. His ability to guard any player anywhere on the floor sets him apart. But with the natural length, size and speed comes a work ethic that gives him his versatility, his high school coach Blair Thompson said.
“Every game he’s been on the floor in his high school career, he’s been the focal point of defenses that took a physical approach to guarding him,” said Thompson, head coach at Jefferson City High School in Missouri. “I think one of the ways to battle that was to get in the weight room.”
Some of the physical development was natural. No matter how many weights you lift, you can’t become 6-foot-8 with long arms, Thompson said. But he developed past his natural gifts in high school, in part because of the goals he set for himself.
He wanted to be the best player he could be, the best player in Missouri and to play on a major college team, Thompson said. Part of achieving those goals was to get stronger; the other part was to just play a lot of basketball.
“Basketball was huge to him,” said Seth Stegemen, former teammate of Anunoby and now a senior at Jefferson City. “I know every chance he had to be in the gym he was there putting in the work.”
That’s what Anunoby did most, Stegemen said. He put in the work and just played basketball. The rest of his teammates saw that and the mentality around the team changed. Now everyone was working harder to try and match Anunoby.
If he wasn’t in the weight room or in the Jefferson City gym, he was walking around town trying to find an open gym to play in, Thompson said.
“If there was a door unlocked or anything he would tend to find his way in to any number of gyms around Jefferson City and find somebody to rebound for him or play against,” Thompson said.
When he’s playing basketball, or just in basketball mode, he’s almost a different person, Stegemen said. He’s vocal and a leader for his teammates. He’s a role model for many kids in the Jefferson City community, because everyone wanted to know who O.G. was.
When a player that good comes to a community that small, curiosity peaks, Thompson said.
“Him being one of, if not the best player to ever play at this high school, people wanted to know a lot about him,” Thompson said. “That spread throughout the community and no matter what school people went through throughout our area.”
But off the court Anunoby was a different person. He was quiet and reserved. It took Stegemen almost an entire season to feel like he knew Anunoby well off the court.
He was quiet and didn’t open up immediately until he felt comfortable in the situation. He was entirely different than he is on the court.
“Off the court he’s really quiet and everything,” Stegemen said. “You kind of have to get to know him for a bit for him to talk more, but on the court he led us in everything really.”
On the court he needed to be a leader, so he became one. When he needed to be a figure to look up to for younger players, he was. If he needs to guard a player in the post or step out onto the perimeter, he does.
He has always worked to do what he needed to in the situation and that won’t change in Bloomington, even if this could be the hardest thing he’s ever done. He’s been working his entire life for this challenge, Thompson said.
“He’s been fortunate enough to have been given an opportunity and I think he’s going to take full advantage of it,” Thompson said. “I think he’s where he wants to be even knowing he’s going to have to work his tail off to make an impact and to help his basketball team.”
