Christian Anderson is officially off to the pros, heading to Charlotte after the Texas Tech basketball star was taken 18th overall by the Hornets in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Anderson’s time as a Red Raider was shorter than expected but brought much success as he improved his game each step of the way, taking on much more responsibility as sophomore where he became an All-American and one of the best shooters in the country.
What does Anderson bring to the Charlotte Hornets? Here’s a look at his profile.
College stats for Charlotte Hornets draft pick Christian Anderson out of Texas Tech basketball
2025-26: 18.5 points, 7.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 turnovers, 38.4 minutes, 47.2% FG, 41.5% 3-point FG, 80.5% FT; single-season assist record holder (244); second in single-season made 3-pointers (108).
2024-25: 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 turnovers, 30.5 minutes, 42.9% FG, 38.0% 3-point FG, 80.2% FT
Strengths, weaknesses for Charlotte Hornets draft pick Christian Anderson out of Texas Tech basketball
The first shot Christian Anderson ever made in a Texas Tech uniform was a 3-pointer. He continued that trend for two years and established himself as one of the best shooters in the country, hitting at least 38% of his 3s each year. Anderson also brought great playmaking ability, moving effectively in the pick-and-roll with guys like JT Toppin, which is sure to be another strength in the NBA.
Anderson isn’t the biggest, strongest or quickest guard in this year’s draft class. Texas Tech listed him as 6-foot-3, but he measured 6-1 at the NBA Draft combine and weighed 180 pounds.
He often settled for 3-pointers and refused to seek out contact going to the rim. Some of that was likely self-preservation as he was playing 38 minutes per night and needed to stay on the floor for Texas Tech to win games. He’ll need to get quicker and tougher, but even with those areas of concern, he was able to manipulate defenses with body movement and defining the angles around screens.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech basketball’s Christian Anderson taken by Charlotte Hornets in NBA Draft
