FOLLOWING the Usain Bolt-led invasion on the track and field world, another talented young Jamaican has placed the Caribbean island on top of the planet once again.

Sixteen-year-old national netball starlet, Marvadene Anderson, who presently stands at six feet, 11 inches tall, has been declared the world’s tallest teenaged girl in a December 20 article published in the New York Post.

The former Edwin Allen High School student who hails from the quiet district of Prospect in Clarendon, earned herself a basketball scholarship to Rutgers Prep in Somerset where she has already grabbed the attention of Americans.

Anderson’s towering figure, which stands well above the likes of Bolt (6′ 5″), Michael Jordan (6′ 6″), Peter Crouch (6′ 7″) and LeBron James (6′ 8″), has obviously caught the eyes of everyone, just like she did back in her homeland when playing for the young Sunshine Girls.

But while the lenses have zoomed in on this young “baby giant”, her exploits on the court at Rutgers are being well noted as she adapts to life as a basketball player.

The New York Post reports that Anderson, apart from her massive height advantage, was a standout during a recent practice session.

The young Jamaican, who plays centre, uses her 210lbs size to intimidate her opponents, block shots and make easy lay-ups, reports the NY Post.

In her debut game for the Rutgers Argonauts recently, Anderson scored six points and is already tipped by coach Mary Coyle-Klinger as a star in the making.

“Of course she is going to be a star,” Coyle-Klinger was quoted as saying. “She’s a natural. She’s only been playing

two months and it’s amazing how well she’s adapted.”

And although she is still learning the nuances of the game, Anderson sits atop the top 50 list of girls on the horizon for the 2009-2010 basketball season in New Jersey.

A report on high school sports for New Jersey noted that Anderson’s immediate impact is likely to be defensively, simply to due to her huge frame standing in the lane, which should be a major deterrent for opponents who like venturing inside.

She certainly made her presence felt defensively, despite making her debut in a losing (35-45) cause against Pennington, recording 11 rebounds and six block shots.

Writing for The Trentonian, George O’Gorman, who watched Anderson play her first game, said when she is polished, she could become the female version of Bolt.

Since Anderson’s arrival at Rutgers, her progress has improved 1000 per cent, according to reports, and will only get better under the tutelage of her coach Coyle-Klinger — who is regarded as one of the best in America — and her sister, Patty Coyle, a former coach of WNBA team New York Liberty.

Anderson’s progress will be closely followed as many high school scouts were in attendance to see her and made copious notes as stardom awaits yet another Jamaican.