Primetime Performer

From professional players to Division-I starters, the Primetime Basketball League is a star-studded event.

The League, which is in its 29th year, is a summer basketball league that gives college athletes and other talented players a chance to put their talents on display and hone their abilities.

This summer, Washington?s Derek Anding is getting the chance to test his skills against some of the region?s best athletes, and he wants to take full advantage of the opportunity.

?It?s a huge experience,? Anding said. ?To get better, you have to play better people. This will help a lot for next season, and it?s really fun to see all these guys throw down dunks.?

Anding, who will be a senior for the Demons during the 2015-16 school year, was selected to one of the seven teams at the event, and has made an impact early.

In the first game of the round-robin season, Anding put in nine points (2-for-3 from 3-point range), and hasn?t been afraid to put up shots, attempting nearly five attempts per game, and averaging nearly two assists per game in limited minutes.

?He?s intense and he understands basketball,? Kevin Sanders, the coach of Anding?s team, said. ?Sometimes I noticed that he gets down on himself if he misses a shot, but I?ve told him, ?keep shooting.? He?s a good kid and he wants to play. You can see he loves basketball. He?s a good player.?

Anding, who averaged 13.4 points and two assists per game as a junior for Washington, is teamed up with former Iowa star, and current Finland pro, Melsahn Basabe, Northern Iowa?s Paul Jesperson and Iowa commit Dale Jones. With that level of talent not always being seen in the Southeast Conference, the Washington senior is soaking in everything he can.

?At first (it?s intimidating), but they were all just like me once,? Anding said. ?I?m hoping to get there someday. They?ve been telling me what to do. They all know quite a bit more than I do, and they know that, so they?ve been helping out.?

Going up against multiple Division-I athletes during the games (which are held on Thursdays and Sundays), Anding?s skills will be tested, and through three games, he?s already noticed improvement in his game.

?Quickness,? Anding said. ?These guys are pretty quick and I?ve already gotten a lot quicker since I started here. I just need to get faster and in a little better shape and I?ll be all right.?

Anding noted that he takes pride in his shooting ability, and Sanders echoed that sentiment, adding that the biggest thing that he hopes to see out of Anding?s progression is the addition of confidence to his game.

?Confidence,? Sanders said. ?He needs to improve on that. At times he?s kind of nervous. You aren?t going to make every shot. Just because you miss a shot or two, I?m not going to bench you. You can see that it?s working, because tonight he put up a couple shots, and they were good shots. They didn?t go in, but you can?t worry about that.?

Back home, Anding?s high school coach Bryce Smeins noted that the senior is going to only improve from the experience of the Primetime League, and hopes to see those dividends on the court next season.

?I hope he gets better defensively up there,? Smeins said. ?If you don?t play hard on defense there, they are definitely going by you. That?s an area he can improve at, and working on getting that shot off quicker and handling the ball against pressure.?

Anding isn?t the only area athlete participating in the event, as IMS? Eli Gingerich was also selected to one of the Primetime League teams.

Gingerich, who is teamed up with Iowa?s Jarrod Uthoff, has scored nine points (all off 3-pointers) after appearing in two games.

The games will continue on July 2, with Gingerich in action at North Liberty?s rec center, while Anding?s next game will be on July 9 in Waterloo.