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BEEJAY ANYA ESTABLISHING HIMSELF IN ’13; UCLA VISIT IMPRESSED YOUNG BIG MAN

Anya’s game is taking shape

By Ron Bailey

June 26, 2011 – A late entry to this year’s National Basketball Association Players Association Camp, Beejay Anya was taking a step up in competition by competing. It’s not that he hasn’t seen this level of play before as a standout with Team Takeover (AAU) 17u and DeMatha Catholic (MD), but the NBAPA TOP 100 offers not only a talent filled attendees list, but solid coaching and imparting/reinforcing new concepts as well. Anya stepped up to the challenge.

“It’s a good level of bump up here. I feel like the competition is great. I’m trying to hold my own and I’m holding my own” said the 6’7”, 275 plus-pound center forward in the Class of 2013, midway through camp. From a team standpoint, Anya played with the camp’s Thunder team; he went on to note “today my team didn’t do so well. Hopefully we’ll stay together and play better.”

Individually, Beejay showed power around the rim, where he stepped into opponents and finished, hard. Possessing long arms, Anya’s a surprising shot blocker and good rebounder when remaining active. Not a gazelle but having good feet, Beejay displays solid low post footwork (a developmental focal point of his), and at times fills lanes.

Besides overall conditioning – Anya might have put on a few pounds since the high school season ended – what is he concentrating on in terms of development?

A very good assessment indeed. Presently he admitted liking to go over his left shoulder more (he’s right handed), but interestingly enough Anya’s “left hook is better than my right hook. I don’t know, sometimes I like to use my right hand to shoot off, but I’m trying to get better with both hands.”

In a camp where pick and roll seemingly was stressed, Beejay shared his development in that basic and central basketball offensive tenet was “going good; usually with my high school team, we’ll run a really different offense. But in the summer we’ve tried to incorporate that, and I think I’ve been doing good with the rolling and pick-and-popping.” A good finisher who will go through contact, Anya was more than solid and pick and roll action, though his mid-range jumper – or popping – admittingly is a work in progress.

Defensively in pick and roll, he indicated concentrating on “Mostly sliding my feet out on pick and rolls, that’s definitely key. I’ve started to get better at that so far. Coach Keith (Stevens of Team Takeover AAU) has been working on that at practices, and I feel like I’ve been doing a good job.”

In terms of recruiting, Anya is wide open now, though he did indicated BIG EAST institutions Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, South Florida and St. John’s have offered, joining Texas, Ohio State, Florida State, NC State and Virginia Tech in that regard. Many others are involved.

While trying out for a USA Basketball travel team in Los Angeles, Anya had the opportunity to tour UCLA. Clearly, the Bruins are now a significant player in his recruitment: “UCLA – great school. They have a beautiful campus…it’s beautiful. And when I felt when I went there the coaches were very nice and respectful; my mother was with me. They just showed me around and talked about the academics of the school…It’s a very good school and I’ll also be considering them.”

Many other schools do and will hope to be similarly thought of.