Diamond Anderson moved into Hinsdale South’s boundaries when he was in sixth grade, but the junior guard still has plenty of friends from his former hometown of Downers Grove. Many of them are playing for South’s Mustangs this season.
Anderson contributed to the rivalry between Hinsdale South and Downers Grove South on Friday, Feb. 5, with a spin move and short jumper for the go-ahead basket in Hinsdale South’s 54-49 West Suburban Gold victory in Darien.
Anderson scored seven points and had one of the game’s biggest baskets with 2:04 remaining, when he broke free along the baseline to give the Hornets a 47-45 lead. Hinsdale South never trailed again and held Downers South to only one basket in the final six minutes.
“Somehow he was open under the basketball,” Hornets coach Brett Moore said. “His man left him open.”
Anderson was the only junior to play against the Mustangs, who beat Hinsdale South 59-58 in conference play on Dec. 18 in Downers Grove. The Hornets won 71-54 on Dec. 31 in the third-place game at York’s Tosh Holiday Classic.
Hinsdale South (16-7, 6-3) pulled to within a game of Downers South (16-8, 7-2), with three games remaining. The Hornets are set to host conference-leading Proviso East (12-5, 7-1) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9.
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With the Hornets returning four starters, Moore thought that Anderson was capable of filling a starting role.
“Coach told me in the summer if I worked hard and kept pushing, I could be a starter,” Anderson said. “Over the summer, every day or every other day I went to Indian Boundary YMCA if my mother let me take the car. I would go with Terreon Hopkins, who is on the team. He would push me doing dribbling drills.”
Anderson continues to work out at the YMCA in Downers Grove and has run into former youth basketball teammates currently with the Mustangs, such as Sam Ebersold, Tyree Spencer and leading scorer Denis Alibegovic.
“We talk about how we’ll play against each other,” Anderson said. “They talk a lot of stuff on the court. I’ve known Denis since third grade. It’s just fun.”
Anderson, who moved to Willowbrook, plans on trying out for an AAU team this offseason now that his star is rising. He looks to be the team’s only returning starter next season and will join Christian Lopez and Michael Stoltz as the only incoming seniors with regular experience.
The 5-foot-10 Anderson is the only junior playing regular minutes on a senior-dominated squad that is led by 6-10 Northwestern-bound Barret Benson.
Anderson said Benson has been his biggest mentor, although they play different positions.
“Barret has helped me a lot,” Anderson said. “He always asks me, ‘Are you all right? You all right?’ If I keep my head down, he says, ‘Don’t, because that’s what the team will (start) looking like.'”
Anderson is still learning. He took an ill-advised jump shot with 35 seconds remaining with the Hornets leading 51-46. He also drew a foul just seconds after the tip-off.
“The (seniors) have accepted him,” Moore said. “He has been capable playing defense. His defensive side of the ball is way ahead from where we thought he would be.”
Twitter @geomwilcox
