10 BEST: Vanguard vs. Lakeland

<strong>STORY </strong>In this Kingdom of the Sun Tournament matchup, Vanguard used some sharp-shooting and powerful attacks to the bucket to beat Lakeland, 61-47. Lakeland was led in scoring by sophomore Luke Anderson with 20 points. Vanguard senior Quez Clayton posted 17 on the night. <strong>MVP: Quez Clayton (Vanguard)</strong> The senior rose to occasion, particularly in the second half. 12 of his 17 points came in the final two periods thanks to some aggressive dives to the cup. Some were laid in, others resulted in foul line trips where he shot six of eight. His presence was felt on the defensive tip, as well. Having one steal on the night made Lakeland double-check where he was on the floor the entire game. <strong>BEST OFFENSE: Tae Bynes (Vanguard)</strong> This senior has one of the smoothest three-ball forms in the area. Of his 14 points, 12 came by way of four long-balls between the second, third and final periods. He has a hotspot between the wing and center areas of the three-point line. If he has a clear look, expect him to knock it down. <strong>BEST DEFENSE: Mahmoud Andesha (Lakeland)</strong> Andesha didn't start the ball game, but he played like you want him on the court. Scrappy, challenging, definitely a guy you can throw in to rattle ball-handlers. He led both teams in steals with two on the night. Not the tallest piece at 5’8”, but he makes up for it in effort. <strong>BEST RESERVE: Trevor Tucker (Vanguard)</strong> Tucker did his best to make the most of his minutes coming off the bench. Though he only scored four points, he led both teams in reserve points. He also made some noise on the defensive side, posting a steal in the first half. <strong>BEST SHOES: The Lakeland Coaching Staff </strong>Though they didn't come out on top in the game at hand, their shoe game is definitely winning. Between the Air Jordan “Oreo” Retro 4’s, “Bred” Retro 8’s and a pair of purple &amp; orange Nike Foamposites, their coaches definitely took the loss in style. But in all seriousness, despite being down most of the game, the staff did their best to continue to motivate the team, teach on the fly and send a message that they wouldn't go down without a fight. That’s exactly what I want to see out of a coaching staff. <strong>BEST RADAR: Luke Anderson (Lakeland) </strong>This sophomore reads 6’6” on paper, but looks like there’s an extra inch somewhere due to his lankiness. The bright side, he has two years and some change to fill out his frame—and that frame didn't stop him from posting 20 points and two blocks in the loss. Three of his four treys came in the second half. Luke’s also very efficient at the free-throw line, going four of five in this game, alone. Did I mention him having 12 rebounds? Check out Luke’s performance at the 2016 FAHRO Statewide Tourney, filmed by R.A.W.E. Recruits: <a href="https://youtu.be/h50rsneYUHM">https://youtu.be/h50rsneYUHM</a>. <strong>BEST ASPECT: Vanguard’s Lightboard</strong> One of the coolest things I’ve seen in a gym is having a meter on the wall which shows more and more colors as the crowd/game noise heightens. It’s almost like people WANT to see it go off, so they get more into the game to see it happening. Provides a great atmosphere, while reading “We Are Vanguard” at the top of the board. <strong>BEST QUOTE: Tae Bynes (Vanguard)</strong> “I had to bring the energy tonight. Phil (Ortiz) went down, and I felt like I had to step up to the stage.” - Bynes on rising to the occasion after Vanguard starting point guard Phil Ortiz left with an ankle injury in the first quarter. <strong>BEST ENERGY-MAN: Mahmoud Andesha (Lakeland)</strong> I can’t lie and say he wasn't a hustler every time his feet hit the floor. Andesha, or “Shrimp” as the team says, forced a first quarter steal against Vanguard’s Tae Bynes which led to his own transition bucket. Next Vanguard possession, he’s blocking a layup coming from the weak-side. First possession for Vanguard in the second half resulted in a turnover forced by this junior’s defense. <strong>BEST STORY TO WATCH: Leonard Manuel (Vanguard)</strong> He’s 6’5”, 205 pounds. Only a freshman. He already plays in one of the better AAU programs in Florida in “Thunderstruck”, so the development is on the way. Look for him to grow into an athletic force in North Central Florida. If he can keep his grades better than average like I know he’s capable of, more than a few school will look his way in 2020.