Joel Anthony

Joel Vincent Anthony (pronounced Jo-EL; born August 9, 1982) is a Canadian professional basketball player. He plays for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a member of the Canadian national basketball team.

College career

After attending Selwyn House School and Dawson College in the Montreal, Quebec area, Anthony was recruited by Pensacola Junior College in Pensacola, Florida, United States. After two years, he transferred to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He led the team in blocks in his junior season in 2004–05; fourth overall in the Mountain West Conference, but redshirted the next season and did not play.

Returning to help lead the Runnin' Rebels to a 30–7 season his senior year (2006–07), he was named Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year after finishing second in the NCAA's Division I in blocks-per-40-minutes (6.77), and first in the conference in blocked shots, blocks per game, and defensive win shares. (The D–I leader, Mickell Gladness, later became Anthony's Miami Heat teammate.) The highlight in Anthony's senior year was his only double-double of the season, a season-high 13-block, 11-rebound effort versus Texas Christian on February 7, 2007.