Steady Play Earns Anderson His Minutes : Prep basketball: Servite sophomore was concerned about making the team as a freshman. Now, he no longer worries about playing time.

Adam Anderson wasn’t sure what to think when he arrived for the first day of freshman basketball tryouts at Servite High School in 1988.

He sat on the sideline, nursing a collarbone injury from football season, as 44 other freshman boys raced up and down the court.

Anderson was just a little intimidated, and frustrated.

“I wasn’t sure if I would get any playing time on that team,” Anderson said. “Eddie Rubio and Angel Barrios (who is now at Buena Park) were on that team. I showed up that first day of practice and I thought it would be a struggle just to make the team.”

Anderson doesn’t worry much about playing time these days.

He’s getting plenty of it as a sophomore on Servite’s varsity. He’ll be in the starting lineup when the Friars (19-11) play Dos Pueblos (18-13) in the Southern California Division III Regional championship game at 11:30 a.m. today at the L.A. Sports Arena.

Anderson, a 6-foot-4 forward, smiles when he thinks back to his start at Servite. His collarbone healed four weeks into his freshman year and he averaged 12 points a game and shot 57.8% from the field for the Friars’ freshman team, which finished 18-1.

“He was hard to figure out as a freshman,” said Richard Smith, Servite’s first-year coach. “He was quiet. I think he was overwhelmed by the tryouts. We had 45 kids come out for our team.

“He had a good freshman year. He had a supporting role and his confidence grew.”

When Smith was promoted from an assistant coach to head coach this fall, Anderson joined the varsity. He has started every game this season.

“Being a first-year coach, I wanted to set a precedent that people who worked hard here were going to play,” Smith said. “In practice, Adam showed he wanted to play.

“After about four or five games, all of the coaches sat down and evaluated everyone. Adam was our most steady player.”

Anderson is averaging 10 points and five rebounds a game. He leads the team in steals, averaging three a game. His steady play earned him a spot on the all-Angelus League first team.

His role on the varsity is similar to the one he had on the freshman team. He plays defense, rebounds and takes some of the offensive pressure off leading scorer Steve Marusich, a 6-7 center.

“Adam’s very active without the ball,” Smith said. “He sneaks in behind people for layups. He does a lot of things that don’t show up in the stats. He’s an A.C. Green and Kurt Rambis type of player, always going after loose balls and getting steals.”

Anderson says he’s in no rush to score more points. He’s satisfied with fitting into the Friars’ offense.

“The points will come,” he said. “Paul (Stapleton) finds me on a pass every once in a while.”

Smith has been pleased with Anderson’s patience.

“He hasn’t tried to force anything,” Smith said. “He’s blossomed more and more as the season has gone on.”

Early in the season, Smith wondered how a young, inexperienced sophomore would mesh with a team comprised mainly of seniors. Anderson’s barely 15 years old--young for a sophomore--and Smith hoped Anderson had the maturity to play.

“He and Eddie are the only sophomores on the varsity,” Smith said. “It was tough for them socially at the start of the year. Most of our players are seniors, and Adam and Eddie had to find out how to fit in personality-wise, who to hang around with and stuff.

“I think they’ve earned the respect of the older players. Now we even look to Adam and Eddie for leadership.”

They also like to tease him. The Friars finished Friday’s practice with a free-throw shooting contest between the starters and the substitutes. The object: make seven consecutive free throws.

The starters sank six in a row when Anderson stepped to the line. His shot drew iron but no net. He heard all kinds of ribbing after the substitutes rallied to win.

Anderson shook his head.

“My teammates always give me a hard time,” Anderson said. “They say I’m the best layup shooter in Orange County because I’m always getting the ball inside and shooting.”

One of Anderson’s biggest layups came Thursday night in a 41-39 semifinal victory over Corona del Mar. The Friars trailed, 30-21, when Anderson rebounded a missed three-pointer by Stapleton, drove to the hoop and laid the ball in.

“He scores a lot of big baskets for us,” Smith said. “He had a big hoop on a drive in our (57-55 quarterfinal) win against Lemoore. His dad (Russell) came up to me after the game and said, ‘I don’t want to tell you what to do, but you need to kick Adam in the butt and tell him to drive to the hoop like that more often.’ ”

Still, Anderson has room to improve, Smith said. He moved from center to forward when he was promoted to the varsity, and he’s been working on his shooting range.

“He’s also worried that if his ballhandling doesn’t improve,” Smith said, “I’ll move him back to center.”

Anderson spends all fall working on his basketball game. He gave up football after his collarbone injury.

This spring, he’ll play pitcher and first base with the junior varsity baseball team. In the meantime, he’s practicing basketball instead of baseball.

“I don’t think my baseball coaches are too happy about it,” he said. “They want to see me out there at practice.”

And if Anderson has his way, that will come after the state basketball tournament March 16-17 in Oakland.

DIVISION III BOYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP GAME LINEUPS

Servite (19-11)

Name Ht. Yr. PPG Pos. Mike Coady 6-4 Sr. 5.0 F Adam Anderson 6-4 So. 10.0 F Steve Marusich 6-7 Sr. 15.4 C Jamie Rosenkranz 6-3 Sr. 6.0 G Paul Stapleton 6-1 Sr. 6.3 G

Coach Richard Smith

Dos Pueblos (18-13)

Name Ht. Yr. PPG Pos. Tom Carr 6-5 Sr. 6.7 F Adam Estabrook 6-2 Jr. 7.3 F Chris Gaines 6-6 Sr. 20.0 C Mark Estabrook 6-0 Sr. 13.0 G Ken Ardouin 6-0 Sr. 10.0 G

Coach Erik Burkhardt