Virginia's Justin Anderson insists he, Cavaliers will be just fine

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- When President Barack Obama was unveiling his picks with ESPN's Andy Katz in his "Barack-etology", he got to his pick of the No. 2 seed Virginia facing off against the No. 3 seed Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. 

"I think Virginia gets through, despite the fact that I'm still worried about Anderson and how he's feeling," the president said of his predicted team to advance to the Elite 8.

Anderson, in this case, was Virginia junior guard Justin Anderson.

When asked about Obama's comments, Anderson grinned slyly.

"I'm very appreciative of that, I guess I should say first. But secondly, I think it's a little bit of somebody giving him a little prep of what to say as far as listening to ESPN about what does Virginia need I guess to win and they're like 'Justin' and he just maybe said it," Anderson said.

"He doesn't know me. I'm not going to sit here and be like 'oh yeah, the president said my name' and boost my own head. No. It was sweet. It was cool. I appreciate it so much. If it does get back to him, thank you, Mr. President. But if not, it's all good. That's sweet. But he didn't have us in the Final Four, so I guess I have a little beef with him there."

No, President Obama had Virginia losing to the No. 1 seed in its bracket, Villanova, in the Elite 8. Hardly a slap in the face, but this was a Virginia team that many -- the president included, most likely -- felt could have won the national title before Anderson's injury.

Anderson broke his pinky finger in the first game against Louisville on Feb. 7 and had to have surgery that would keep him out four to six weeks. It was more like four, and it would have been less than that -- but Anderson had to have a non-invasive appendectomy the Friday before he was due to come back to action.

All told, he missed the majority of nine games (eight full games); his team went 8-1 without him, the only loss coming by two at Louisville to end the regular season.

While Virginia is happy to have him back -- he returned in the ACC Tournament and played 26 minutes over two games -- he didn't look like the same player. He didn't make a field goal or a free throw, and looked like he was handling the ball clumsily with a splint and wrap on his hand.

So that's the issue -- is Anderson, who looked like Virginia's best player before the injury, going to be well enough to make a difference?

He's a bit tired of being asked. When he answers, though, he always responds the same way.

"Everything is great. My finger is good. I can still shoot a little bit. I'm all good," Anderson said.

After the way he looked in Greensboro, that seemed hard to take at face value. But he insisted he was fine. Over and over again. He's fine.

His head coach Tony Bennett tried on the wrap Anderson is wearing, just to see. Bennett, a former sharpshooter who played for the Charlotte Hornets, said he didn't have much trouble shooting it. But passing and handling it were a bit of an issue.

"The shooting not so much, because you shoot with the big three (fingers), at least that's what I was always taught, and you kind of frame it. A little more of your handles and your catching, because you can't spread your pinky when you buddy tape it and put it on," Bennett said.

"The more he gets used to it or practices with it, plays with it, the better you get at adjusting to it. I didn't notice it too much shooting. It was a little more trying to handle it or catch it that seemed like it slid out a little bit."

Anderson has had about a week of practicing with his team since the ACC Tournament loss. He said he had a breakthrough after a few days.

For Anderson, it was less about shooting and scoring -- which he knows might not return reliably the rest of this season, even as he shot the ball very well during Virginia's open practice on Thursday -- and more about his chemistry with his teammates.

"You just have to make sure you fit in. That feeling that I felt in practice -- hitting shots, getting to the basket, dunking on people -- the next step is just to bring it to the game, and I'm not worried about it. I'm not worried about it at all," Anderson said.

"I hope that the expectation is not for me to come out and have 17 points. If it happens, it happens and I'm proud of it. But ultimately what this team worries more about is winning basketball games, and I hope everyone in the country realizes that."

Anderson's splint/wrap combo is going to be a little bit different Friday when the Cavaliers take on Belmont in their NCAA Tournament opener. It's going to wrap around his pinkie and ring fingers still, pairing them together, but it won't wrap around his wrist now.

That adjustment should ease his ball-handling and passing struggles, but there's no telling how he'll shoot in a game setting, or even if some of that rustiness will remain.

"I'm hopeful that he is further along than where he was after those two (ACC Tournament) games and keep building on that, because we obviously know what he can do when he's right," Bennett said.