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Provo • Even BYU basketball coach Dave Rose admits it.
A lot of players in guard Anson Winder's position would have left the program a long time ago. But Winder is obviously not like a lot of players.
The senior from Las Vegas is intensely loyal to the program and his teammates, and he has finally been rewarded this season with playing time, and a lot of it.
"That's just kinda the way I am," said Winder, an easy-going, soft-spoken, non-LDS playmaker who is flourishing this season for the 6-2 Cougars. The friendly, affable Winder is as popular as any player on the team among his teammates, who marvel at the way he has accepted his ever-changing roles in his five years in the program.
All the while with a smile on his face.
"Everybody loves Ans," said sophomore center Luke Worthington.
Winder still hasn't started this season, instead emerging as the sixth man and providing a spark off the bench. He's getting starter's minutes, 25.1 per game, however, and making the most of them.
Winder probably won't start on Saturday when the Cougars meet Hawaii (7-2) at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City (4 p.m. MST, BYUtv), but given fellow shooting guard Chase Fischer's struggles in Tuesday's 91-81 win over Utah State, could see plenty of time again.
"It doesn't surprise me when seniors have great seasons," Rose said. "It is hard for a player to be patient to get to that senior year. If guys are maybe not having the success they want, or the minutes aren't adding up, they tend to leave early.
"And with Anson, I am really happy for him, because he's been through a lot. We have had really good seasons the past four years, and he has been a part of all of them. But this season has kinda turned out to be his time, and he's taken advantage of it."
Taken advantage of it big-time, actually.
Winder is averaging 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game off the bench, more than doubling his scoring and rebounding averages from last year, when he was at 6.5 points and 1.8 rebounds while averaging 16.7 minutes per game. As a sophomore, he got just 8.1 minutes per game and averaged just 2.1 points.
It's been quite a turnaround, Winder acknowledged on Monday. But he saw it coming when Rose took all five seniors aside and told them their roles would be increased and he would need them to help the younger guys and transfers grow up quickly against a tough non-conference schedule in December that includes Utah on Wednesday in the Marriott Center along with a trip to Weber State and home games against Stanford and UMass.
Rose "told us that he would need all of us to lead this team, and be coaches on the floor," Winder said. "I took that to heart, and am doing all I can to lead on the floor and help the team win."
Winder said it was tough on him to see his best friend on the team last year, Matt Carlino, transfer to Marquette. But Winder is getting a lot of the minutes that Carlino would probably have gotten, with positive results.
"Just the love of playing [enabled him to recover well from the disappointment of seeing Carlino leave]," Winder said. "I feel like through the love of basketball I can adapt to each position. Even in high school, I played a lot of different positions. So coming here, it wasn't like adjusting to something new. It was something I had done in the past, so I was able to adapt."
He's excelled off the court as well, earning a degree in public administration last summer.
Twitter: @drewjay —
Bigger role
BYU guard Anson Winder's per-game production:
Year Pts Reb Ast Min
Freshman 4.3 1.6 1.7 16.2
Sophomore 2.1 1.0 0.5 8.1
Junior 6.5 1.8 1.3 16.7
Senior 14.6 4.1 1.6 25.7 —
BYU vs. Hawaii
P At EnergySolutions Arena
Saturday, 4 p.m.
TV • BYUtv