Anderson: Big fish, small pond

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Look for St. Anthony to produce a more high-profile girls’ basketball program after the recent hiring of James Anderson as coach.

Anderson is the former coach at Harbor City Narbonne, where he led the Gauchos to three state championships, three Southern California regional title, six City Section championships and 10 Marine League titles in 16 seasons. Narbone was forced to forfeit three of the City titles after sanctions were levied against the program in January for use of an ineligible player. See the Daily Breeze version of events here.

St. Anthony has one Southern Section title, in Division V-AA in 1999-2000, to its credit. The Saints were 18-9 and lost in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Here’s betting they get farther in 2007-08, with help from sophomore guard Talor Hixon, and the Saints’ new coach, who has a career record of 310-80. He coached four WNBA first-round draft picks in 16 years at Narbonne.

‘I’m going to be competitive wherever I go,’ Anderson said. ‘But it’s not going to be as intense, and I won’t have to deal with Long Beach Poly or Lynwood anymore.’

Both Southern Section teams are perennial contenders in state competition -- see The Times’ final 2006-07 rankings here -- and Long Beach Poly won the Division I state championship for the second year in a row last season.

- Lauren Peterson