'It just gave me confidence': Moc's, Lakeland's Luke Anderson earns DII Player of Week
Arduous weight training, nonstop shooting and playing pick-up basketball with seasoned Lakeland veterans and professional basketball players were the keys for Lakeland native Luke Anderson to get that much better.
Anderson, who played for Lakeland High before committing to Iowa State and going on to USF before landing at Florida Southern, finally got his opportunity when some upperclassmen moved on, and head coach Mike Donnelly switched him to his natural position of small forward. And he didn’t want this moment to pass him by.
“Whenever you’re active, obviously you are going to get better instead of just sitting around and doing nothing, so I’d say that’s really all I did was just work,” Anderson said.
His work led to Anderson becoming the Division II Player of the Week by the D2CIDA in the second week of January. Anderson was at the helm of a pair of wins, averaging 25.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
The junior posted 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting and six rebounds and three assists in a 103-82 win against Lynn. He would go on to post up 24 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in a 100-98 victory over Saint Leo. The Lakeland native shot 54% from the field on the week, which included a 7-of-11 three-point attempts (.636) as well as all six of his free throw attempts. Additionally, he added 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
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Right now, Anderson is third in the Sunshine State Conference in scoring thanks to his 18.7 points; he is also a man among boys with eight rebounds a game. Still, Anderson aligned his recent play with his preparation ahead of the 2023-24 season.
“Whenever I was playing, knowing that I was one of the best players on the court against really good competition, so it just gave me the confidence. And honestly, it ensured that all the hard work I put it was paying off,” Anderson said. “Coach Donnelly has given me full reign, and I feel like that’s what the biggest thing is. … I’m not in a shell. I’m playing free.”
Playing free for Anderson looks like a confident player with no restrictions on the floor. He is now free to make slithering moves to the basket, shoot jumpers or even post up would-be defenders. Most of the time it ends up in a bucket.
But of course, it isn’t just Anderson. Anderson is assisted by sophomore forward Alex Steen who has been one of the best players in the country thanks to his 17.4 points and 11.2 rebounds a game. The Mocs also have graduate student transfer Akol Arop who averages 9.4 points and 7.2 rebounds.
The team is stacked and is off to a 13-5 start for the second straight year. Florida Southern’s (13-5) next game) is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Rollins College. The remaining home games 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 vs. Eckerd College, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10 against Barry University, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 vs. Saint Leo University, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 against Florida Tech and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 against Rollins College, which is Senior Night.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland's, Florida Southern's Luke Anderson bests DII talent
