School: Council Rock North
Basketball
Favorite athlete: Todd MacCulloch
Favorite team: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: Watching a teammate score on our own basket.
Music on iPod: J Cole, Jay-Z, Drake, Biggie, Lupe Fiasco
Future plans: Go to college and play basketball
Words to live by: “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” –Winston Churchill
One goal before turning 30: CEO of a Fortune 500 Company
One thing people don’t know about me: I’m a grill master!
Charlie Anastasi has the potential to put up big numbers on the basketball court.
But that has never been a concern for the Council Rock North senior.
“On our team, I think we have four guys, even five, with the capability of scoring in double figures every game and being the leading scorer,” Anastasi said. “Arron Goodman did establish himself as the go-to scorer this year, and from there, almost anyone can do it.
“I have never really concerned myself with points because I knew even from my sophomore year that wasn’t what was giving me playing time. I have to do the other stuff.”
And nobody does the ‘other stuff’ better than Anastasi, a first team all-league player who is described by his coach as the glue that keeps this year’s highly regarded team together.
“I can’t say in words how important he is to us both on and off the floor,” coach Derek Wright said of his 6-6 forward. “In terms of what he does for us on the floor – he’s our best communicator. He knows our system the best, and he is probably the most respected amongst our players for what he does on the floor.
“He’s an excellent rebounder and will probably finish his career as one of the top rebounders in our school’s history. He’s a great passer for his size. Because he’s so tall, he’s able to see things that normally guards on the perimeter can’t see. He’s really developed a good low post game.
“He’s one of those guys – if teams aren’t focused on him, he can put up points, but he’s most concerned about wins and losses. That’s what he is all about.”
A natural leader off the court as well, Anastasi is the president of the Student Executive Committee, Rock North’s student governing body. He is a member of the National Honor Society and French Honor Society and writes for the school newspaper, The Indianite. He is on a short and prestigious list of National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists.
In the classroom, he boasts a 4.0 grade point average and is ranked 11th in his senior class. For good measure, Anastasi had a perfect score (800) in the English portion of the SAT test.
“Studies have always been something that have been important to me and also getting involved in other areas because being a well-rounded student is something my mom always stressed to me,” Anastasi said. “Moving on to college, I’m looking to play basketball, but basketball is going to fill a four-year desire.
“It’s something that’s going to be very transient, and it’s not going to take me (anywhere), but the degree I get is going to carry me the rest of my life.”
Wright has had Anastasi in one of his classes as both a freshman and a senior, most recently in his gifted Philosophy course.
“I’ve been able to see his maturity as a student,” the Indians’ coach said. “He’s a leader in the classroom as well.
“The way the classroom environment goes is as a result of the way he’s going in class. If he’s active and involved in the class, which is most of the time, the classroom environment is a lot better. He’s very bright.
“If he has a question or if he feels something needs to be challenged – an idea or a concept, he brings it up, which is really important. He keeps you on your toes as a teacher. The kids bust his chops a lot about how smart he is, but he takes it in stride.”
Anastasi – a co-captain along with junior Aaron Morgan - is a steadying presence on a Rock North team with its sights set high.
“He has everything in perspective in terms of what’s important,” Wright said. “If you wanted him to be an individual and a star, he could be, but he recognizes we probably wouldn’t be as good as a team.
“I think that’s why he garners so much respect from his teammates. They know he’s really good, and they know if he wanted to get his points and his numbers, he probably could do it, but he recognizes there’s a lot more to the game. He’s a stat sheet guy in terms of all the other things he does that people who aren’t in the program don’t necessarily know about.”
Anastasi is averaging seven points a game, but he is also pulling down an average of eight rebounds and handing out four assists a game.
“What I really try to do is be consistent in terms of being in the right position, making sure everyone knows what the right play is, making sure we know what the right defense is – all the little things that turn good teams into great teams,” he said. “I started doing that last year when I wasn’t a captain, and this year I really do take pride in the fact that I’m trying to be that leader that pushes us over the top.”
Most of Rock North’s varsity players have been together for three years, and they hope the progression that began with a trip to districts two years again and included a National Conference championship last year continues this winter.
“In 10th grade, we lost in the first game of districts to Glen Mills, but I remember that experience so clearly,” Anastasi said. “Getting to play in their gym is really a unique experience because they bring all their fans, and it’s so loud the entire game.
“That was definitely great for all of us. We knew we could play at that level. Last year we definitely moved a step forward, and coming into this year, I think the confidence level is at an all-time high. We really think we can play with anyone.”
Anastasi acknowledged that the Indians have not been short on talent the last several seasons, but that is just part of the equation.
“Last year I think we had talent – maybe not as much as some of the other teams, but we had a lot of talent, but we didn’t necessarily put it to use,” he said. “We talk a lot about focus this year.
“Last year our focus was terrible. We would come out of timeouts, and we would not even know what defense we were in. The first play out of the timeout we would do something wrong. That mental aspect – those one or two possessions when you’re not focused could lose you an entire game if you’re talking about a two or three-point game. The mental part and chemistry is something that’s huge, and I think it’s something we have this year.
“So far, we’ve been playing really well together. Our assist numbers are very high. We’re sharing the ball. I think it’s something we’ve turned around this season, and it’s definitely been showing.”
Anastasi has been playing basketball for as long as he can remember. He played football through ninth grade and played again his junior year.
“Basketball has always been what I loved to play,” he said. “I remember I got a Little Tykes set when I was really young, and Michael Jordan was my guy growing up. It was something I gravitated to.”
Anastasi was the tallest player on his team in his younger years, but in middle school, his classmates caught up to him. As a freshman, Anastasi – listed as 5-10 in the program - found himself playing point guard for Rock North’s jayvee. The following summer, he shot up to 6-4, and his point guard playing days were over.
Anastasi battled a back injury his sophomore year but received considerable varsity playing time.
“We got to know him during his middle school years, and you could just tell he was going to be a great competitor, and he was going to be a good athlete,” Wright said. “When we finally got him up at the high school, we always talked about how we couldn’t wait until he was a senior because we knew he’d be a great player and a great leader.”
The senior co-captain has not disappointed. He has embraced his leadership role and enjoys his team’s involvement with Athletes Helping Athletes.
“That’s something that’s really special for a lot of the players on our team,” Anastasi said. “We know a lot of the kids because we go to school with them, and we have developed good relationships with a lot of them.
“It’s great to know those guys and give back. We go to clinics – it’s really something that makes you value what you have. They look up to us, and it’s really been a great experience for all of us.”
Although he plans to play collegiate basketball, Anastasi has not settled on a college.
“I might walk on to an Ivy League program or go to a smaller D-3 school and play,” he said.
A member of the Future Business Leaders of America, Anastasi plans to major in business management.
For now, his focus is on a season that he hopes will turn into something special
“It’s something we have been talking about all offseason,” Anastasi said. “I think we all know we have the capability to make a really deep run into districts and hopefully into states.
“There’s definitely still a lot of work that needs to be done - we’re not there yet. We’re hoping to take it one game at a time and eventually find ourselves deep in the playoffs.”
If they do, it’s a safe bet Anastasi – whether or not he’s not putting up big numbers - will be the glue that’s keeping the Indians together.
