Anden Santamaria
Twitter: @andensanta33 | IG: andensanta33
6'8", 185 lbs, Class of 2026
Musselman High School, WV
Anden is an imposing and rare classic old-schooling with incredible footwork and a full bag of crafty moves to get high-percentage buckets. Anden has a high IQ and incredible footwork that thrives attacking the rim. Anden has the ability to post anywhere on the court and make a play who, whether it’s kicking it out fi, finding an open shooter, finding a cutter, or making a move and scoring; his athletic ability and 7’1 frame help him finish over top of defenders, that frame also helps Anden on defense whether it’s the on the perimeter or in the paint, Anden length makes it very difficult to shoot over easily. Anden has the speed to keep up with guards g, giving him the unique ability to guard 1-5; Andens is a strong force on the boards as well, establishing him as a blue-collar workhorse.
Last season, Anden averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks a game. Anden averaged 14.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game in AAU. Anden really wanted to focus on developing his shoshot-blockingility, ad leadership. With their senior core gone after last year and after being a 2 y2-varsity player, this year Anden was asked to step up and lead this team, A; Andennts to show off his shooting ability more and get teammates involved more. So far this season, all the hard work and determination are paying off already, as Anden is averaging 15 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 4.0 blocks per game. Anden has elevated almost every area of his game, doubling his rebounds and blocks. Leading by example.
Anden's goals for this season are to be All-State this year and first team EPAC. Last year, Den was on the second team, playing behind a senior core of 8. Anden also wants to lead his team to the state tournament and make a run. A—Anden's greatest challenge is achieving these goals for himself. Anden believes in himself and knows he is capable; he just has to go do it out therenden wants to prove to everyone what he can do. Anden thinks his biggest improvement from last year is his confidence. After getting varsity experience in his first 2 years of high school and last year playing with 8 seniors, no, the team is his, and he is a leader. Anden's coaches and teammates have clarified that and told him he needed to step up. Anden loves the pressure, and he knew he had to be a role model and leader for his team, which took his confidence to another level.
Anden's biggest basketball accomplishment since he is still early in my career but, but Anden was ranked as a top 5 player in WV the class of 2026 via prep hoops, made 2nd team EPAC sophomore year, on and was on track for 1000 points by the end of his career, going for it all this year.
The biggest game/rival Anden is looking forward to this season is Spring Mills. They’re the number one team, and they knocked them out at the regional championship last year. They’re gonna have a lot of eyes on them this year, and Anden thinks it’ll be a big game with lots of viewers. They play them twice. Anden will be guarding the best player on the best team in the state, and he wants to show that he can not only compete with them but also play and stop their best player.
Anden believes his team can make a deep tournament run, giving credit to his teammates for working so hard in the offseason. It feels great to be surrounded by guys who that want it as badly as he does. Anden and his guys sat in the gym for countless hours, working, building chemistry, and bonding. No one on this team is selfish, and everyone knows their role and always looks for the best shot, no matter who takes it. Their biggest problem was scoring last year, and this year, that’s been a strength. It’ll take a lot of dedication and focus, but if everyone dials in and does their job, the sky’s the limit for the,m, Anden believes.
What fires Anden up most on the court is balling. Basketball is Anden's escape. Every time Anden steps on the court, the whole world goes quiet. All Anden hears is the ball bouncing on the floor and the shoes squeaking against the floor. Once Anden laces his boots up and gets into the game, all of his outside problems disappear, and he has no worries. It’s just him, the basketball, and the hoop. Anden doesn't get that feeling from anything else in the world, and that fuels him because playing basketball is the greatest feeling to him, and there’s nothing he loves doing more.
The best piece of advice Anden was ever given is, "With hard work, dedication, and Jesus, anything can be accomplished."
Anden's Interests and hobbies outside of basketball are that he enjoys the beach, going on runs, spending time with friends, watching movies, reading books, and gaming.
As Anden strives for next-level goals, his biggest focus is the weight room and eating. Anden believes he has the skill set and IQ of a D1 player, and if he can put on more weight, he will be even more dominant. Anden has gotten looks and interests so far from as high as d2 level schools that mostly say the same thing - he is on the top of the list for his class. It's still early in his recruitment career and they look forward to following him throughout this season and next season.
I assess that Anden has an insane work ethic and the fruit of all that hard work is evident in his production already this season. Anden is thriving in his leadership role and is now delivering everything his team needs as a productive double-double machine. Anden is performing at a very high level, and his potential is incredible. Anden is playing hungry and with passion and purpose. As Anden's game continues to develop even more and likely evolve into him becoming a more dominant athlete, it's safe to say Anden will be a real problem for his opponents and wreak all sorts of havoc as a match-up nightmare. Buckle up, y'all. It's gonna be a fun ride. Stay tuned.
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