Anderson impressed with work ethic of players

Coach John Anderson may have only been at the helm of the Columbia Falls boys basketball team for a few weeks now, but already he’s impressed with the work ethic of the players.

“The heart is there,” he said last week. “They don’t quit. They push through any challenge you put in front of them.”

A Whitefish attorney and former college basketball player, this is Anderson’s first high school coaching gig after coaching at the junior high level for several years. He was hired after longtime coach Cary Finberg stepped down after last season.

Anderson said he wants the team to play an up-tempo game.

“We want to dictate the tempo of the game ... so other teams have to catch up to us,” he said.

It’s not run and gun, however.

“It’s a very responsible and patient transition game,” he said.

Under Finberg, the team largely played a zone defense. Anderson said he’s a strong believer in man-to-man defense, though “we’ll throw in a zone every now and then.”

Anderson acknowledges his system is new to the team.

“It’s totally untested,” he said. “I’m teaching them things they’ve never been taught before.”

The team has four seniors, Nathan Riley, Tyler Murphy, Kyler Burns and Glenn Morden. All but Burns saw varsity time last year. He also has a slate of young talent as well.

“We’ll play a lot of players,” he said.

Last year the squad took third at the state tournament, but the starters from that team have all graduated.

The squad will be on the road until Dec. 19, when they face conference foe Frenchtown at home. They open the season on the road Dec. 5 against Corvallis, which has some good guards, Anderson said, but not much size.

Polson is the team to beat in the Northwest A and Frenchtown has some height, he noted.

Anderson is assisted by junior varsity coach Bill Coleman and Dean McFadden, who is coaching the freshmen. McFadden was a very successful coach for the Whitefish girls team several years ago.