When Vander is locked in and has the mismatch, he’s a nightmare on the block as he’s so big, and he can easily back defenders down. He has solid size, a strong base, and good footwork on the block, and you want to see him just go down there and score 3-4 plays in a row instead of settling for turnarounds and such. Vander cannot be stopped down low when he’s attacking, and we saw that when he kept getting fouled and scored efficiently. Not many teams in the state have the bodies to slow down their twin-tower attack, and he should be able to progress in every single category this season, with how we saw him stand out at moments. 

Vander is a player with high upside who we feel he did have a difficult time adapting to being alongside other talented bigs, but started to come into his own as the season progressed. He’s such a big body and physical interior prospect who runs the floor and powers up with tough finishes in traffic, he finishes with either hand on hook shots and counters down low, and uses his body to back defenders down. We want to see more of that. Vander averaged 11.7 points and 4.5 rebounds a game and was a nightmare matchup for teams when he got going. The consistency, motor, and physical attributes could put him as one of the top prospects in the entire state, and this will be a big summer for him to prove himself. He makes a rise in the rankings, and we still can’t wait to see what the finished product looks like. 

Vander is new to the state but has made it a point to make a mark in as many events as possible since he’s gotten here. We do not have many bigs in the state like Vander, and I am sure that every team that Fossil Ridge faces this year will see that. We’ve seen him in a few settings this summer, but in the matchup with arguably the state’s best bigs, Vander looked his best. He’s a strong big with a back-to-the-basket game, he’s high IQ on the post and finishes over or through smaller defenders. He also has deep range and a smooth shooting stroke at 6’8 and that only separates him. We’ve seen a mean streak from him and that is when he’s at his best, and when he consistently shows that, is when he will really take over. He’s one of the best players in the state and easily makes the rankings this go round. 

I feel like we will be hearing a lot about Vander this coming season. Tremendous footwork in the post. Has strong hands catches the ball in traffic and finishes. Has great range at 6”8 he is able to step out and stretch the floor with consistency.