Michael Kinney
MOORE — When Brandon Lucas streaks down the court with a basketball in hand, he’s looking for someone. The Southmoore junior is secretly hoping that the biggest and tallest player on the opposing team will try and get between him and the basket.
In Lucas’ mind, there can be only one outcome when this happens. It’s the moment he has been waiting for as he looks to throw down a ferocious dunk on top of whomever gets in his way.
“That is my favorite part of the game,” Lucas said. “A whole bunch of blood and adrenaline rushes through my body and it somehow makes my senses get a lot better. Makes me want to do it again so I ‘D’ up on my player even harder and force him into another turnover so I can get another dunk.”
That has been Lucas’ signature play this season. He has been the SaberCats’ most exciting and highlight reel player. But even more impressive to his coaches and teammates are the other parts of his game that would not make it on ESPN.
“Brandon is a talented, talented player, and is kind of maturing and growing up,” Southmoore coach Wes Brown said. “He has had a great year. He’s led us in scoring. His overall game I am pretty pleased with the progress that he has made.”
Lucas is posting 15.5 points a game to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. He is also shooting 67 percent from the field.
Brown said Lucas could have been putting up these type of numbers as a sophomore, but he had to grow into his talent level.
“Last year he had the same tools, but mentally he wasn’t mature enough,” Brown said. “He seems to know that he has to work a little harder. He has to play al little harder. Once the light came on, he realized he is pretty hard to stop. He has all the tools. He can jump up over people and finish and rebound. Once the light came on, he has been off to the races and played great ever since.”
It started to click for Lucas last year when he started every game for a team that reached the state tournament but came up short in first round. It changed his mindset.
“I’m attacking the basket a lot more than I was last year,” Lucas said. “I was a little bit timid. But this year my coach wanted me to attack and so that is exactly what I am doing. Been more of a confidence thing. Knowing that I can go out there and do more of the stuff that my coaches and my peers have been telling me I should have been doing a long time ago.
“I have come into my own game. I know my role on the team is to score and attack the basket.”
Once his prep career is done, Lucas wants to expand his role to the collegiate level. He had had several colleges show interest in him already. But he has eyes for only one at this time.
“Some of the goals I want to accomplish is to get a D-1 scholarship for myself so I can move on and go to the next level,” Lucas said. “And I believe I can compete at the highest level. I am getting a lot of looks from Missouri State, Wichita State, Missouri and Texas. Mostly Missouri State and Wichita State are recruiting me harder than all the other ones. But my future goal is to get into the University of Texas.”
Brown sees the aptitude in Lucas to one day play at the next level.
“I think he has enough talent to go play,” Brown said. “We have some colleges contacting us. A lot of factors figure into that. He has to do good in class and be a good person. And he is a great person and he works hard in classroom. Probably some subjects he could bump up a little bit higher. But in basketball he is as good as anybody around. Just a matter of putting it all together and being ready to go.”
Even though he still has another season to refine his game and get even better, it’s still hard for Lucas to imagine that he could be in this position.
“Honestly, I didn’t think that would be possible,” Lucas said. “I never thought I would be the kind of player I am now. I am glad Coach Brown and my friends on the basketball team helped me realize that. They kept pushing me. I have put on more responsibility from last year and that has helped me out as a basketball player and a person.”
