A little more than 24 hours before his first NCAA Tournament game, freshman forward OG Anunoby is hiding.
His locker is in the far back corner. But that’s not enough. While all of his teammates leaned forward and took questions, Anunoby is leaning back in the corner of the his corner locker so that somebody walking in could barely see him.
Anunoby doesn’t talk much. Emotion is not something he shows often. As he hid in the corner Wednesday while most of his teammates talked to the media, the picture of an 18-year-old star who managed to remain hidden from most recruiters in high school became clearer.
Yet despite his relative silence to the media, Anunoby created the loudest of cheers this weekend in Wells Fargo Arena when IU dominated Chattanooga and defeated Kentucky to advance to the Sweet 16.
Each highlight level play — and there were many — ignited roars from the crowd. He doesn’t speak much, but he makes viewers stand and celebrate his explosive plays.
This has become commonplace for IU fans following the freshman all season. The legend has been building with every game. Anunoby can guard elite perimeter players in addition to scoring in the post and jumping passing lanes for steals.
It was as if each highlight play from Anunoby had been working in the pursuit of the play six and a half minutes into the Chattanooga game Thursday.
He intercepted a perimeter pass and broke away to the basket.
He had so much space and too much time. When he started slowing down in preparation to leap, everyone in the place knew something special was coming.
Anunoby provided Wells Fargo Arena with a 360-dunk and everything went to chaos, to which he displayed his trademark thousand-yard stare. Judging by his face, a random spectator would have no idea what he just did.
Freshman center Thomas Bryant said he had to ask himself if Anunoby really just did that. Bryant said he has done it in practice, but never thought he would do it in a game.
“When we see OG go down and get a dunk like that we want to get a defensive stop to see him do that again,” Ferrell said.
And about that stare. I asked Anunoby what’s going through his mind after one of his putback dunks or show-stopping blocks. He has to be exploding inside. He can’t really not be excited, right?
“It’s just another play,” he said.
Anunoby has become IU’s enigma. We hear stories about how he’s the best dancer. He plays with the confidence and swagger of Deion Sanders but has the social demeanor of Marshawn Lynch.
One time earlier in the season, a reporter was asking Anunoby whether he would describe himself as a guard or a forward. Several seconds of awkward silence passed. So the reporter followed up with, “or just a basketball player?”
He bailed him out.
“Just a basketball player,” Anunoby responded.
But that same press conference he was asked question after question and hardly answered anything with more than a sentence. So Ferrell chirped in about how shy Anunoby is.
Anunoby interjected.
“I’m not shy,” he said, grinning just a little.
That provided hope for those who love Anunoby.
He will be revered when he lets people know who he is. Anunoby is on the brink of becoming a focal point for IU as players like Ferrell and others make their way out.
His development as a player is evident. On Thursday he confidently took some 3-pointers, one of which wasn’t even a classic catch-and-shoot. His eurosteps and spin moves on drives will be frightening once they become consistent. On Saturday against Kentucky, he spent extended stretches guarding leading-scorer Jamal Murray and practically shut him down.
But with a bigger role on the court comes a bigger role in the program. Maybe he will never be the ambassador Cody Zeller or Victor Oladipo were. I just want to know if he will break out personality-wise.
It’s beginning to happen outside of the public eye. Ferrell and senior guard Nick Zeisloft both said he is being more vocal on the court and coming out of his shell.
In the post game Saturday, Ferrell and Anunoby were asked the same question. Ferrell gave an extended answer as usual. Then, it was Anunoby’s turn.
“What he said,” the freshman responded.
As everyone laughed, IU Coach Tom Crean didn’t let him get away with it. He prompted Anunoby to give the reporter more. He gave a one-sentence answer.
“Keep going,” Crean said. “You need the practice right here.”
These are things players and coaches think about when working with Anunoby.
Speaking amounts aside, man oh man can he play. Anunoby has reached the status former IU running back Tevin Coleman reached where he makes plays that I simultaneously didn’t know were possible yet have come to expect.
He makes people stand up and cheer. He can create more noise and joy in an arena in one play with nothing more than his stoic face than 10,000 words could from most.
Just imagine if he started talking.
