This year by far has been the best year I’ve had. I’ve grown so much from BYU. I’ve grown as a person and as a basketball player. I can’t thank BYU enough for the atmosphere that I’ve been blessed to live in and play basketball in. It’s been great. – BYU guard Anson Winder
STOCKTON, Calif. — Chuck Winder and Teresa Williams named their son, BYU guard Anson Winder, after actor Anson Williams, who played the role of “Potsie” Webber on the popular 1970s TV show “Happy Days.”
“They were big ‘Happy Days’ fans,” Anson explained.
But Winder’s four years in Provo haven’t always been “Happy Days,” at least in terms of playing time. Winder experienced long stretches where he languished on the bench as he exercised patience and hoped for an opportunity.
Now, as a senior, Winder’s perseverance has paid off. The Las Vegas native is a starter averaging 14.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
“What he means to this team, it’s indescribable, actually, because he has so many roles and he can play them all so well,” said coach Dave Rose. “He can do that because of the experience that he has. He knows not only the positions that he plays, but he knows the urgency of the game, the urgency of possessions, the emotion of a long season, the emotion of the last three or four minutes of a game. He is prepared for all that. That’s what makes him so valuable.”
Going into the Cougars’ game Thursday (9 p.m. MST, ESPNU) at Pacific, Winder has been dealing with a knee injury. While he’s listed as questionable, Winder said he plans to play.
Certainly, BYU needs his experience and talent, not to mention his perspective, after battling his way into a key role on his team. Winder appreciates the journey he’s taken.
“It’s had its ups and downs,” he said. “This year by far has been the best year I’ve had. I’ve grown so much from BYU. I’ve grown as a person and as a basketball player. I can’t thank BYU enough for the atmosphere that I’ve been blessed to live in and play basketball in. It’s been great.”
After playing sparingly as a freshman and sophomore, Winder went through a period where he rarely played as a junior. For example, in an overtime loss at Oregon in December 2013, he played just one minute.
Then, in a big home game against nationally ranked Gonzaga on Feb. 20, Rose inserted Winder into the lineup. Winder responded by scoring a team-high 17 points, including 10-of-10 from the free-throw line, in an upset win over the Zags. Winder averaged 15 points per game the rest of the season (he ended up averaging 6.5 points per game for the year).
Although Winder finished his junior year with a flourish, Rose decided to use Winder in a sixth-man role this season. Despite coming off the bench, Winder scored in double figures in 12 of 14 games, including a season-high 25-point performance against Stanford. He became a starter again on Dec. 29 against Portland.
Winder doesn’t care whether he starts or not.
“You have to embrace whatever role you have,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s about helping our team win. Whatever I can do to help, whatever the team needs, I hope to bring in, whether it’s coming off the bench or starting.”
While Rose was watching third-string quarterback Cardale Jones leading Ohio State to a national championship in football Monday night, he couldn’t help but think of Winder.
“You can put a lot of comparisons to Anson,” he said. “Maybe the time frame was a little longer and extended, but Anson had a lot of options of things he could have done after not being one of the top guys the first couple of years. It used to be the norm that guys would wait for their turn. Now it seems to be the exception.”
When asked about the accomplishment he’s most proud of at BYU, Winder said, “Just persevering. A lot of guys in this situation would have left BYU and ventured off trying to look for a better situation. I knew if I was patient and kept working hard, my time would come and coach wouldn’t forget about me and would use me in whatever aspect the team needs. He knows I’m a team guy. Overall, I’ve tried to give BYU everything I have everyday. I hope they’re proud of me because I’ve worked hard and tried to help us win games the best that I can.”
Winder said he never seriously considered transferring.
“The grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” he explained. “I knew the situation I had here could always be better. At the same time, it wasn’t bad. I knew things would get better. I never really thought about leaving. It was staying positive and waiting my next opportunity.
“It’s definitely hard, especially when you come here from high school, where everyone was the best player on their team,” continued Winder, who led Bishop Gorman High to back-to-back Nevada 4A state titles. “To come here and to take a backseat to that and work my way up, it just helped me to develop a better sense of patience. My parents were always talking to me and telling me to stay positive and get better. It doesn’t help if you just sit and sulk and do nothing. I worked hard to get better, and I waited for my number to be called. A big thing with patience is being ready. This year and last year when my number was called, I was ready to step up.”
Off the court, things are going well for Winder, too. He has been dating BYU women’s volleyball star Alexa Gray for two years. He thoroughly enjoyed cheering for Gray, who was the West Coast Conference player of the year, and the Cougars as they advanced to the national championship game in December.
At January’s halfway mark, Winder is hoping to help lead BYU to a strong finish to the season and a big postseason.
Yes, thanks to his patience and perseverance, these are “Happy Days” for Anson Winder.