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Report: Kyle Anderson ‘likely’ to turn pro after this year

Kyle Anderson UCLA

The season hasn’t started, but we’ve had another player announce his intentions to turn pro after the season.

Kyle Anderson’s father all but told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that he will be heading to the NBA after the season. Both Marcus Smart and Jahii Carson made similar statements already this offseason.

“It’s more than likely that it will be time for Kyle to move on at the end of this college season,” he said.

Anderson is a slow-footed but extremely talented 6-foot-9 point forward. He averaged 9.7 points, 8.6 boards, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals as a freshman, but he did much of it while playing off the ball and somewhat out of position. Anderson, who was a top three recruit in the Class of 2012, ended up returning to school for his sophomore season. He considered entering the draft, but he was a long way from being a lock to go in the first round.

“Kyle has made great strides in his mental approach to the game and his work ethic since being at UCLA,” Kyle Sr. told ESPN.com. “The major deficiencies in his overall game are his lack of strength, quickness and explosion, and inconsistent shooting. ... We feel that both of which can be addressed more efficiently with more time and repetition.”

Where Anderson’s season gets really intriguing is that under new UCLA coach Steve Alford, he could end up being the Bruin’s point guard given the lack of a lead guard on their roster. Anderson is a talented creator, but with Larry Drew II shouldering the point guard load last year, it forced Anderson off the ball. He proved himself to be a better rebounder and playmaker defensively than some expected, but that’s not the strength of his game.

Anderson is currently projected as a late-second round pick by Draft Express. It will be interesting to see where he is slotted if he has a big year.

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