Indiana's Damezi Anderson Finds New Home, Commits to Loyola
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — It didn't take long for former Indiana basketball player Damezi Anderson to find a new home. Just a week after announcing he was leaving Bloomington, the 6-foot-7 sophomore wingman from South Bend, Ind., has committed to Loyola of Chicago.
Anderson made his announcement on Instagram late Thursday night.
Anderson is the all-time leading scorer in South Bend high school history, scoring a city and county record of 2,210 points during his time at South Bend Riley. But he never really found his way offensively during his two seasons with Indiana. A prolific scorer, he lost his shot this season and rarely saw playing time the final two-thirds of the season.
Anderson missed his last 18 shots from the field, and didn't make a basket for the Hoosiers since Dec. 10. He shot just 31 percent from the field for the season, and only 21 percent from three-point range. During his two years at Indiana, he scored just 82 points.
A change of scenery may do him good, and he'll still be relatively close to home for family and friends to watch him play with the Loyola campus on the north side of the Chicago. And even though Loyola plays in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Ramblers have has been in the national spotlight the past few years, reaching the Final Four in 2018 under coach Porter Moser.
Their most recognizable face, of course, is Sister Jean, the 100-year-old nun who gained national attention during their Final Four run and is still actively involved in the Loyola community.
When Loyola went the the Final Four in 2018, Sister Jean became a national phenomenon. (USA TODAY Sports)
Loyola went 32-6 that year. The Ramblers were 20-14 a year ago and were selected to play in the NIT before the season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anderson was part of Indiana's 2018 recruiting class that ranked No. 10 in the country and included 5-star recruit Romeo Langford, now a member of the NBA's Boston Celtics after staying just one year at Indiana, and fellow 4-star recruits Rob Phinisee and Jerome Hunter, and 3-star recruitJake Forrester, who has since transferred to Temple.
This is a huge get for Moser, who is a very well-respected coach that has turned down offers from larger schools to stay at Loyola. Anderson would be their first-ever 4-star recruit, according to the 247Sports historic records.
Anderson will likely have to sit out a year before playing at Loyola, according to NCAA transfer rules. He may apply for a waiver to play immediately, which is something more players have done the past few years, with some success.
Anderson's transfer leaves Indiana with two scholarship openings for the 2020-21 season, but it's expected that Evansville Reitz 5-star point guard Kristian Lander will take one of the spots.
He is currently in the class of 2021, but he's attempting to graduate early and reclassify into the 2020 class. Recent NCAA guideline changes are helping to make that easier for him. That announcement likely will come at some point this month.
It's unclear — at least for now — what Indiana coach Archie Miller and his staff might do with this opening. The class of 2021 is loaded in Indiana, so there is a chance they might just hold on to it. A graduate transfer who would only have one year of eligibility might be an option as well.
