PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Ryan Anderson’s return to New England was windy and chilly from the moment Arizona arrived in Rhode Island, but nothing like the first time he lived in the area.
Before becoming an All-Pac-12 standout for the Wildcats, Anderson was an third-team All-ACC performer for Boston College. The Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, campus is located an hour up the interstate from Dunkin’ Donuts Center, where Arizona will face Wichita State on Thursday night.
Anderson started his college career far away from home — he grew up in California, a stud at Long Beach Poly, and picked the Eagles over West Coast offers from schools like California, Washington and San Diego State.
Looking back, it’s easy to see why Anderson made the move to the year-round sun in Tucson. By October — more specifically, on Halloween — of his freshman season in Boston, he experienced his first harsh taste of winter.
“I’ll never forget it,” Anderson said on Wednesday. “I wasn’t ready. Me and my roommate at the time didn’t have winter clothes and were just walking around in lightweight sweatshirts and California shoes, and we just looked like idiots because we didn’t know what to expect.”
When it came to basketball, he didn’t know what to expect either.
He certainly didn’t expect the losing. In Anderson’s three years at BC, the Eagles were a combined 33-63, and 15-37 in the ACC. When Steve Donahue was fired after the 2013-14 season — an 8-24 campaign — Anderson transferred to Arizona.
On Wednesday, the Star spoke with Anderson in Arizona’s locker room about what the experience has been like for him as he enters his first-ever NCAA Tournament.
When you came to Arizona, you talked about how at Boston College you would look at the schedule and circle the big-name teams like North Carolina and Duke, and how you were looking forward to becoming the hunted one and the favorite instead of a constant underdog. Now that you’ve been through it, what has that experience been like?
A: “It was an unbelievable experience. Even just the little glimpse I got of it last year when (Anderson sat out the year due to transfer rules), ASU beat us and stormed the court, that was the one road game I was at. Just the whole environment there, it’s different when we come to town. It really made it a special season, something I’ll never forget. Playing on the road is tough for anybody, but especially when they’re amped up even more for us.
“But it’s what competitive players want. It’s what we always dreamed of. So it’s made for a really good year and it’s prepared us for big moments like this.”
How does your mindset change when you’re walking into a game as the heavy underdog as opposed to the constant favorite?
A: “You’re a little more focused on the details of things because both teams are going to be well-coached and playing hard. You just gotta figure out the little things you have advantages with. At the end of the day, every game I’ve ever played I’ve tried to win. I’ve given it my best and it’s not always the easiest thing to do, but when the team’s a little more amped up, something I’ve always tried to do is win.”
Has your experience at Arizona so far been what you thought it would be when you transferred?
A: “It’s been that and more. With all the adversity with losing (Elliott) Pitts and losing Ray (Smith) early, losing Kaleb (Tarczewski) for almost all of nonconference, losing ’Zo (Allonzo Trier) for seven games, and to still be here where we are, yeah, it’s just a testament to our team’s durability and our fight. And I think it’s mentally prepared us for this moment to hopefully make a big run, string a couple games together and see what happens.”
If you could go back and talk to a freshman Ryan Anderson at Boston College, what would you tell him?
A: “I would probably tell myself to lift more. I didn’t lift as much as I should’ve when I was at BC, I would definitely tell myself to just be in the weight room more. I’ve always been a guy who likes to be in the gym, not so much the weight room, and that’s really paid off for me in the last year. So I would tell young Ryan to do some pushups. I didn’t realize how much it would help me this year.”
What’s it like being back in New England?
A: “It’s crazy. I didn’t think it was going to happen like this, but I’m happy to be here. It’s fun. I love it out here. It’s definitely no hard feelings. I wish I could’ve stayed out here, but it’s just the way things worked out.”
What was that like for you coming out as a kid from SoCal and moving to Boston?
A: “I got some funny stories about my first winter, not having the right clothes. Even just the way people talk, the way people dress, it’s different out here. But I love it. I think it’s good to have the four seasons. You get the effect of everything. My first Boston winter was crazy. I got a snowstorm one year, all kinds of weather things that happened, then we had the Boston bombings. It was a crazy time that I’m appreciative I was out here for.”
