You know the basketball season is kicking into first gear when the impressive slams start coming thick and fast. That's the case again this week, with the latest addition a particularly impressive fast break slam thrown down by a top prep hoops star.
The player finishing off the flush you see above is Rockville (Md.) Montrose Christian School small forward Justin Anderson, who is ranked among the top 35 prospects in the nation for the Class of 2012. Anderson, who has committed to Virginia, is also the centerpiece of a strong Montrose Christian squad which starts the 2011-12 campaign ranked in the top-10 of the RivalsHigh Hoops 100.
Clearly, both Anderson's athleticism and the team's continuity have a lot to do with that. On the fast break slam you see above, Anderson is fed the ball on a slick off-the-backboard alley oop by Montrose sophomore point guard Kevin Zabo, who received the ball himself on a precise open court heave that traveled at least half of the distance of the court.
Of course, the fact that Anderson could simply press his personal "B" button and elevate for a reverse slam is the kind of skill you just can't teach, but his slam wouldn't have had quite the panache it showed if it wasn't for Zapo's assist.
Naturally, since this was an intrasquad scrimmage, there is a downside to Anderson's explosive flush: It was thrown down against a Montrose Christian defense. Given that Anderson was the player elevating just in front of a chasing defender, something tells us the players who got burned might receive just a touch of leniency.
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