Hanging on the southern wall of Point Loma Nazarene University’s Golden Gymnasium is a banner. It’s a reminder of the Sea Lions going to the 2019 Division-II Men’s Basketball National Championship Game. Senior forward Kaden Anderson knows exactly where it is, and although he tries not to look, sometimes he can’t help taking a glance.
And he does not like it one bit.
“Definitely a few times (I’ve looked at it). I haven’t looked at it much recently, we’ve just been going game by game and not trying to look too far ahead but it’s definitely in the peripheral vision now,” says Anderson.
He was a freshman on that 2019 team that finished as national runner-up, losing a close game to undefeated Northwest Missouri State. Since then Anderson has blossomed into a matchup nightmare, a 6’8”, 220-pound forward who shoots 42% from 3-point range. He’s won three straight PacWest Conference Player of the Year awards and could find himself in an NBA training camp this summer.
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Sea Lions head coach Matt Logie, who just won the Conference Coach of the Year honor, says Anderson had transfer offers from Division 1 schools. Kaden chose to stay at Point Loma and tend to some unfinished business.
“I never entered the Transfer Portal but, as Logie said, I probably could have gone anywhere,” says Anderson. “That banner is probably a big reason why I didn’t. I don’t want it to say runner-up. I owed my last year to be at Point Loma. The coaches and players I’ve played with the last couple of years, I just kind of felt like my job wasn’t done here. It just feels like home.”
That home is going to be very busy this weekend.
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After winning the regular season PacWest Conference championship with the first 20-0 season in history and sweeping through the conference tournament with a perfect record in Hawaii, the road to the D2 Elite Eight goes through Golden Gym. The 4th-ranked Sea Lions have won 23 straight games and get to host the NCAA Tournament West Regional. The last time that happened?
2019. Anderson remembers that part of the experience much more fondly.
“Oh, it was huge. Freshman year this side was all students and it was rocking. I’m definitely looking forward to having that again,” says Anderson. “All our players can attest to what kind of advantage it is when the fans get into it and I’m sure the opposing teams get a little hyped, too, because there are so many people. But, we all know who they’re rooting for.”
As good as Anderson is, PLNU is really an ensemble cast. Their entire starting five averages at least 10 points a game. Altogether they’re one of the hottest and most complete ball clubs in the nation as we enter March Madness.
“We’re ready to rock on Friday,” says Anderson.
And just maybe hang a banner that replaces “Runner-Up” with “Champion.” PLNU opens the tournament with a 5:00 pm tipoff on Friday night against 8th-seeded Northwest Nazarene. For ticket information, which includes the ability to see all four Tournament games on Friday and on through the weekend, click here.
