How a move to point guard has made La Vergne basketball’s Landon Bryant even better

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La Vergne boys basketball coach Tony Rutland didn’t hesitate when asked if Wolverine senior Landon Bryant is someone whose name should be in the mix for the TSSAA Class 4A Mr. Basketball award.

“Yes, he is,” said an emphatic Rutland, who won his share of big awards in high school and in college at Wake Forest. “He’s been able to change his position from (No. 2 guard) to (point guard) and he’s doing a great job. He’s doing a lot.”

One thing the 6-foot-3 point guard has done is put La Vergne back among the top teams in Class 4A. He’s been on fire of late, and so have the Wolverines.

How La Vergne basketball has turned its season around

Bryant scored 24 points in a 57-56 win over rival Smyrna in a key league game Friday night. The Wolverines (13-7, 6-0 District 7-4A), who reached the TSSAA Class 4A state tournament last season for the first time in program history, have won nine in a row after a slow start.

“We’ve turned it up on defense,” Bryant said. “Everybody has figured out their role and our bigs (A.J. Wright, Cam Samuel, Tarskil Jones) have really picked it up from last year to now. They’ve had a big jump in their game. They’re key pieces for us.”

While others are settling into roles to fill voids left by graduation, Bryant has been the key cog after moving to point guard, a role in which Xialin Lenoir excelled last season.

The move hasn’t hurt Bryant’s scoring. In fact it’s up from his sophomore season (14.4 points), when he earned the player of the year award on the DNJ’s all-area team, and last season (18).

He entered Friday’s game averaging 20 points, six rebounds and five assists per game. He’s averaging 22 points per game during the current winning streak.

What Landon Bryant’s move to point guard has meant to La Vergne basketball

“For Landon, going to point guard was a lot,” Samuel said. “I didn’t know how it was going to go. He was our main scorer (the last two seasons). Point guards normally dish the ball. I didn’t know how he was going to score and dish. I feel…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/move-point-guard-made-la-110129281.html

Author : The Daily News Journal

Publish date : 2025-02-03 11:01:00

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