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SoCal College Recruiting News

More on Ricky Anderson from
the AZ Star News--(November 16, 1997)

The Arizona Star News has also confirmed that Ricky Anderson has committed to Arizona's 1998 recruiting class, which it labeled "the highest-rated assemblage of talent in coach Lute Olson's 15 years at the school".

``I'm happy. This is the best thing that could have happened to me,'' Anderson told the Star News yesterday. ``I know I'm going to a school where I can develop because Coach Olson is one of the best in the nation. When Coach Olson called, it was crazy,'' Anderson said. ``I was a little shocked. I was always hopeful something could happen because Arizona was my No. 1 school all along.''

Anderson was also quoted as telling the Star News, ``I think I can add some leadership to the class coming in. The biggest thing is I'm looking forward to be around everybody in that program. They're all really good guys.''

Anderson told the Star News that he doesn't have any hard feelings for the on-again off-again way his recruiting went. ``Arizona's coaches were always up-front about it. I never got angry or anything like that.'' Ricky's father, Gary, played for Olson at Long Beach City College in the 1970s, and according to the paper, Anderson always felt that a scholarship spot might open up for next year.

The paper also confirmed that Olson last month had rejected a verbal commitment from Anderson last month, but offered the scholarship on Wednesday night after he learned that Chris Richardson had signed with UNLV over Arizona. Olson told the Star News on Saturday night that he had not seen the letter, and therefore couldn't comment on it.

The Star News also tried to get some confirmation or comment from another Arizona assistant coach, Jim Rosborough, who basically said he too couldn't discuss the signing, but not because he hadn't seen the letter, but ``because I wasn't responsible for recruiting him. I was out of the loop on that.''

Rosborough did confirm though for the Star News that Ricky's signing does not affect any of the other signees (including Richard Jefferson, Ruben Douglas, Michael Wright, Traves Wilson and Luke Walton) who also signed letters of intent on Wednesday and Thursday. Rosborough confirmed that the decision to offer Anderson a scholarship was not a result of any of the others not qualifying or changing his mind about attending Arizona.

The Star News also confirmed that before Arizona offered Anderson a spot, they had already filled their allotment of five scholarships, but were were planning to offer a sixth to Richardson. In order to do that, it seems fairly certain that Olson probably discussed the loss of a scholarship with one of the current players, but if so, no one's talking yet, and so we are left to speculate.

The Star News writes that "Anderson might occupy the scholarship of recruit Dion Broom, who said yesterday [Saturday] that he has not received his SAT results. Or the Wildcats will have to free up the scholarship next year that would have been used by reserve guard Josh Pastner."

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