CHARLOTTE HORNETS GET SON OF VIRGINIA UNION STAR IN NBA DRAFT
Look for another son of a black college product in the NBA next season.
Christian Anderson Jr., a 6-3 sophomore point guard from Texas Tech, was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 18th pick in the recently completed 2026 NBA Draft.
His father, Christian Anderson Sr., a 6-6 forward, played at Virginia Union in the 1999-2000 season after a stint at College of Charleston and then had a ten-year career playing overseas in Switzerland and Germany. As a senior at VUU, Anderson Sr. averaged 16.3 and 7.0 rebounds per game while the Panthers finished 26-5, 18-2 in the CIAA.
As the 18th pick in the draft, Anderson Jr. will have a contract that pays him $21,257,017 over four seasons or $4,390,440 per year.
Anderson Jr. averaged 18.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.5 steals in 38.4 minutes per game, competing in 33 games (all starts) for the 23-11 Red Raiders this season. He was named All-Big 12 First Team, a Third-Team All-American, Big 12 Most Improved Player and was on the Wooden Award national ballot this past season. Anderson Jr. led the Big 12 in assists (244) and minutes per game (38.4) and logged a pair of 30-point games in his sophomore season.
Among his standout performances this season, Anderson had 27 points as the Red Raiders handed Duke its first loss of the season, 82-81. He was 9 of 14 from the field, 5 of 9 on 3s, handed out 5 assists and grabbed 3 steals. He had 22 points (11 of 18, 3 of 4 3s) to top pick A. J. Dybantsa of BYU’s 13 points in a win over the Cougars.
“(He is) One of the best shooters in the draft,” said Jeff Peterson, the Hornets’ president of basketball operations. “He shot about 40% on three, just right under eight attempts a game. Shoots them off-balance, catch-and-shoot, spot ups — just in various ways. And then his IQ as well. He’s one of the best pick-and-roll players in the draft, too. Does a tremendous job of valuing the ball.”
As a freshman at TTU, Anderson played behind former Howard and Minnesota point guard Elijah Hawkins who served as a mentor for him. He started seven of the Red Raiders 38 games, oft times playing on the floor with Hawkins, averaging 10.3 points, while shooting .421 from the field and .387 from 3-point range, .816 from the line.
The skill, toughness and play-making ability of Anderson may be one reason the Hornets traded away star LaMelo Ball (to Minnesota) and turned the reins of the team over to former UNC star Coby White, who was acquired from Chicago late in the season. Anderson will likely be penciled in as White’s back-up.
HARRIS, NKRUMAH, THOMAS MAKE NBA NBA SUMMER ROSTERS
MEAC Player of the year, Howard forward Bryce Harris, Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, Tennessee State swingman Aaron Nkrumah and Langston guard Orlando Thomas were named to NBA Summer League squads last week after signing undrafted free agent contracts.
Harris, a 6-4, 220-pound specimen led the MEAC in scoring (17.1 ppg.) and rebounding (6.9 rpg.) en route to also capturing the league’s tournament MVP award. Harris also led the Bison to the MEAC tournament title and the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in the First Four over UMBC.
He signed an NBA Summer League contract Thursday with the Oklahoma City Thunder after participating in a pre-draft workout with the organization earlier this month. The agreement gives the former Bison an opportunity to compete for a spot within OKC’s player development system.
The 2026 NBA Summer League takes place July 9-19 in Las Vegas.
Nkrumah, listed as a 6-6 guard, was named the 2025-26 OVC Player of the Year after averaging 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.8 steals per game while shooting 35.1% from 3-point range. He led the Tigers to their first OVC title and NCAA berth in over 30 years.
He signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Denver Nuggets Thursday. An Exhibit-10 contract is a one-year, non-guaranteed NBA minimum-salary contract that secures a player for training camp, Summer League, and the preseason.
Thomas, a 6-3 left-handed guard, was named an NAIA second team All-American after leading Langston to the 2026 NAIA championship game. He averaged 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting an efficient 42.3 percent from three-point range—numbers that helped solidify his reputation as both a scorer and perimeter threat.
He has signed to join the Detroit Pistons Summer League team.
