Stayton center Anundi boosts scoring average from 18 to 29 points per game

STAYTON – The height and talent have always been there for Stayton’s Kaleb Anundi.

Perhaps the only thing missing from his on-court package was an aggressive disposition. You can check that off the list. 

“Coaches have always told me you can be a great guy off the court, but on the court you’ve gotta be an animal,” Anundi said.

Anundi, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound senior center has been a force thus far for the Eagles (7-1), who are No. 2 in the OSAA Class 4A rankings.

It's not as if Anundi has been invisible before now. He was a second-team all-state selection last season after averaging 18.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks.

But through seven games this season, Anundi is averaging 29.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and five blocks, while shooting 54 percent from the field and 74 percent at the foul line.

Anundi's has four 30-plus scoring games, including a 44-point,18-rebound performance Dec. 12 in Stayton’s 83-76 double-overtime victory over Gladstone that broke the school record for most points in one game.

“Everyone keeps feeding me and I keep getting hot,” Anundi said.

Teammates point to a correlation between Anundi’s temperament and his improved play.

“He’s definitely the most aggressive I’ve ever seen him,” said Riley Nichol, a 6-7 senior forward who has known Anundi since fourth grade.

Anundi does most of his scoring inside with a soft left-handed jumper, but there’s been an assortment of rim-rattling dunks this season. He also has 3-point shooting range.

The increased scoring has come within the flow of the game and there’s times when Anundi is surprised by his final numbers.

“I don’t keep track,” Anundi said with a smile. “I’m happy that we’re winning games, that’s the most important thing.”

Colleges have taken notice.

Aundi plans to play college basketball, but he hasn't made a commitment yet. Corban  University, Southwestern Community College, Chico State, Linn Benton, Linfield, George Fox and Alaska Anchorage have expressed interest.

Senior guard Micah Jenkins said Aundi leads by example.

“He doesn’t show it by saying a lot, he shows it by doing a lot,” Jenkins said.

A three-year starter, Anundi has grown about two inches and added 10 pounds since his sophomore season, when he averaged 15.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks.

But don’t be deceived by his lack of bulk. Anundi has learned to fight for position in the paint.

“We’re getting him to go hit bodies and be nasty about it. He’s getting there,” Stayton coach Joe Kiser said. “Sometimes he does it with a smile on his face. We tell him to stop doing that.”

At his core, Aundi is a mild-mannered young man who has considered teaching as a profession.

A member of the National Honor’s Society, Anundi has been part of a program the last two years where Stayton High School students spend a week working as counselors for fifth- and sixth-graders at Stayton Middle School.

“I feel it’s important to impact kid’s lives,” he said.

Anundi is certainly impacting the Stayton basketball program, which is much improved from last season’s 13-13 squad that tied for second in the Oregon West Conference and lost in the second round of the playoffs.

The Eagles have plenty of experience with Anundi, Nichol and senior guards Jordan Butler and Jenkins, and junior guard Logan Classen in the starting five. Stayton defeated defending two-time 4A state champion Seaside 56-49 on its home floor Dec. 15.

“I’ll fire myself if we don’t get to the final eight (of the state tournament),” Kiser said.

Kiser was joking, but he knows the Eagles have the talent and experience to be among the top teams in 4A.

Anundi would love to be on a team that adds another state championship to the school's trophy case. Stayton won AA state titles in 1971 and 1980, and the 3A state championship in 1995.

No one is looking too far ahead.

Four teams in the Oregon West Conference are ranked in the top 10, including No. 7 Woodburn, which has benefited from the addition of senior guard RJ Veliz, a transfer from Blanchet.

“We’re really developing as a team and our chemistry has been really good this year so far,” Anundi said. “I feel like we could do something special if we keep it up.”

ghorowitz@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/ghorowitz