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For years, Cole Anthony has been featured as The One. The latest to date, after a break, in a long list of elite bodyguards in New York City. He had the pedigree and the support system in place. He had inner motivation and needed sports gifts.
On Tuesday morning, he took an important step toward achieving incredibly ambitious expectations, announcing his commitment to North Carolina and coach Roy Williams, joining a select club of friendly local stars to win a blue powder purse. from the ACC power station.
"I've always wanted to play at the highest level," said The Post Anthony, a 6-foot-3, son of former Knicks goaltender and NBA broadcaster Greg Anthony. "They have a winning culture and I want to be part of it."
"It's a validation of all his work he's done," said his mother, Crystal McCrary-McGuire. "This is the next stage of his journey."
Anthony, one of the country's top three prospects by consensus, chose the Tar Heels over Notre Dame, Georgetown and Oregon. He praised the recruiting efforts of all the schools that have pursued him relentlessly, especially for the relationship he has established with Oregon Assistant Coach Mike Mennenga, Mike Brey of Notre Dame and Patrick Ewing of Georgetown, the former teammate of his father Knicks and a close friend of the family. In the end, however, North Carolina's winning tradition, his style of play, and the connection he made with Williams won. Anthony wanted to play for a coach who would drive him to excel, but also with whom he felt comfortable, and Williams had both of these characteristics.
"I just think he's a really genuine guy," said Anthony from the Upper West Side. "He cares about all his players. He is more than an excellent coach. This is a wonderful person. "
Anthony will arrive in North Carolina as one of the most decorated guards in New York City for years, the most valuable player of the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic, who got the average of a triple double at the Oak Hill Academy National Preparatory Center (Virginia). . He won a gold medal with the US U-18 team at FIBA Americas, was part of the all-tournament team and was the most useful for the regular season of the basketball league elite AAU Nike AAU. In second year, he headed Molloy Catholic School in Queens State in Queens for the first time as world champion for 17 years. As a senior, he shone for Oak Hill against a national program with the best prospects in the country.
"It's perhaps the most comprehensive guard I've ever recruited at this point in his career and I think he can get better," Williams said in a phone interview. "It's the fun part."
Williams saw Anthony for the first time in the summer after his first year, and North Carolina started making a lot of progress last spring. Whenever Williams looked at him, Anthony improved something new in his game, making the previous weakness a strength. Williams sees the attributes of some of his best-kept guards in Anthony: Marcus Paige's clutch gene, Ty Lawson's speed with the ball and Kendall Marshall's talent.
"He has a great mix right now," Williams said. "And the two qualities that I love most are his brain and his heart."
This is a unique talent, the best main guard the city has produced for some time, at least since the Hornets All-Star goalie, Kemba Walker. Oak Hill coach Steve Smith coached nine NBA players and considered Anthony a similar talent to Rajon Rondo, Brandon Jennings and Lawson of the same age. The most impressive for Smith, however, are Anthony's work habits. When he left the team on Saturday, Anthony would play rehearsal games with regular students. His family should basically tie him to the couch to make him take a day off. He frequently spends his free time perfecting his skills with NBA coach Chris Brickley.
"He does not just want to be a professional, he wants to be a great professional," Smith said. "He does not think he's a finished product, which is a good thing. I've seen guys with his abilities never reach the level you think they'll reach because they're not working enough. He is the opposite of that.
"I've never had a playmaker like him, I'll tell you," added Smith.
For years, Anthony has been blindfolded on the back. The famous family name and the high ranking have not always been easy to respect. He was confronted with the criticism and the surf of social media. But he did his best to avoid the stupor that has trapped so many phenomena in New York City. Unlike many of his predecessors who were labeled "can not miss" their prospects at a young age, it is only getting better. Anthony did not capped or regressed. His commitment to North Carolina is just the latest example.
"I really do not look in the hype," he said. "I have put so much work that I do not feel it right now. I have been under pressure for a while. At this point, that's another part of the game that I have to face. "
This will only increase from here. The hype that is reserved for him is attached to him. Fans await Final Fours in North Carolina. He will be closely compared to Coby White, the star guardian star of North Carolina, who will head to the NBA as a top-10 pick among the candidates. Again, no one expects more from Cole Anthony than himself.
"As a rookie," he said, "my # 1 goal is to get to the Final Four."
– Additional report by Joseph Staszewski
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