Robert “Bobby” Anet (August 11, 1917 – July 25, 1981) earned a spot in Oregon’s sporting lore through a standout career at both Astoria High School and the University of Oregon, where he captained the “Tall Firs” team that won the 1939 NCAA title.
Born in 1917, Anet attended Astoria High and helped the Fishermen win state titles in 1934 and ’35. As point guard, Anet triggered an early version of the running game in the era when a center jump followed every basket. Astoria beat Jefferson of Portland 46-26 in the 1935 title game, setting a record for most points in a title game. That record stood until 1943.
In Anet’s junior and senior seasons, Astoria finished a combined 68-8, including 39-4 in 1934-35, a record for wins that will likely never be broken. The 5-foot-8 Anet played with Wally Johansen under coach John Warren, who guided the Fishermen to four titles in six years. Warren’s coaching skill led University of Oregon coach Howard Hobson, hired by the Ducks in 1935, to recruit him as the school’s freshman coach. Warren then recruited Anet and Johansen to Eugene.
At Oregon, Anet continued to develop the fastbreak style that became highly valuable when the center jump was abolished prior to the 1937-38 season. With Anet continuing to lead the offense primarily as a passer and not a scorer, the Ducks won the Pacific Coast Conference title in his senior season with a 14-2 conference record and eventually finished 29-5, including three wins in the first NCAA Tournament. Oregon beat Ohio State 46-33 before 5,000 fans in the title game at Northwestern University with five players from Astoria High on its roster. In addition to scoring 10 points, Anet is also remembered for breaking the championship trophy while diving to save a loose ball in the title game.
Following his career at Oregon, Anet became a successful lumber broker and lived in Lake Oswego. Oregon retired Anet’s number 20 following the 1939 season. Anet was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 1980. He is also a member of the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame.