From Oklahoma State PG to 'Uncle A.' TCU's Avery Anderson faces Cowboys in new life phase.

STILLWATER — Since transferring from Oklahoma State to TCU for his final season of college basketball, Avery Anderson III has unlocked a new role in life.

Call it his “Uncle A.” phase.

Originally from Justin, Texas, just north of Fort Worth, the 23-year-old Anderson is back close to home after spending four years in Stillwater.

And that means more time with family — especially his 15-month-old niece Kami, who has come to enjoy all the extra time she gets with her Uncle A.

“When he was at OSU, he would see Kami once every three months sometimes,” said Tracy Anderson, Avery’s mother and Kami’s grandmother. “Now, they have a bond that we cannot touch. They love each other.”

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As long as the weather doesn’t mess up travel plans, the Anderson family will be back in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Tuesday night, this time sitting in the visitor’s section as Avery and the Horned Frogs come to town looking to snap a two-game losing streak.

On the other side, Anderson’s former squad is mired in a five-game skid that began with the start of Big 12 play. OSU (8-10, 0-5 Big 12) has had close calls against Baylor and Kansas State, but hopes to find its first conference win of the season at 8 p.m. Tuesday against TCU (13-5, 2-3).

While OSU coach Mike Boynton desperately needs a win, he hopes the Cowboy fanbase treats Avery as an old friend who happens to be an opponent now, rather than some sort of traitorous villain.

“I hope (the fans) understand he didn’t do anything wrong,” Boynton said of Anderson. “He was as good a representative of the school as I’ve had, certainly. He played his butt off. Effort was always there.

“We don’t wanna see him get hurt or anything like that, but we don’t want him to play well. I got a lot of respect for him and his family. I’m thankful for the time he gave us, and he’s a graduate of this place, so he’ll always be that.”

The respect goes both ways. It was important to the Anderson family when Avery decided to transfer that they maintained positive relationships with those in the OSU program.

“It’s very important, because what you need in life is relationships,” said his father, Avery Anderson Jr. “You don’t wanna leave no stone unturned in terms of opportunities. That’s one of the reasons I wanted Avery to get his degree from Oklahoma State.”

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Avery III played a major role at OSU, averaging 11 points or better over the last three seasons and scoring more than 1,000 points in his four-year career.

He got off to a rough start at TCU with some minor injuries that, all added together, kept him off the court quite a bit over the summer. But he began to rediscover his rhythm in December, and by Christmas, coach Jamie Dixon had inserted the 6-foot-2 guard into the starting lineup.

For the season, Avery is averaging 9.1 points and a team-best 3.7 assists, which is the most significant statistical improvement he has shown at TCU. With 66 assists for the season, he’s approaching his single-season best of 75 at OSU last year.

TCU has recent upset wins over Houston and OU but followed those with losses to Cincinnati and Iowa State, which knocked the Frogs out of the top 25 entering Tuesday’s game.

But whether it’s extra time with Kami or regular trips to his parents’ home, the move to TCU has been a positive one for Avery III.

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“Just being able to get some home-cooked meals,” Avery Jr. said. “He can come home as often as he chooses to.

“He definitely enjoyed his time in Stillwater, and he grew as a man up there.”

The family can be more involved in Avery III’s life as well, thanks to the proximity.

“It’s been great,” said Brittanie Anderson-Tatum, Kami’s mother and Avery’s older sister. “We love being able to go watch every home game and being able to stay together as a family, and not have to rush to get back to Texas.”

The family has maintained connections with people in the OSU program, and families of other players they got to know, so they’re looking forward to reuniting with some friends Tuesday night.

And while it won’t be the same wearing purple in GIA, the Andersons haven’t completely cut their OSU allegiance after Avery III’s move.

“I’m gonna have one hand up doing the Frogs sign and one hand up doing the Go Pokes sign,” Tracy said, “because he’s always gonna be a Poke.”

Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

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OSU vs. TCU

TIPOFF: 8 p.m. Tuesday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater (ESPN2)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: TCU's Avery Anderson III returning to face former team, Oklahoma State