RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2019 Team rankings | 2019 Position rankings
ATLANTA – There are quick guards and then there is Khristian Lander. The pride of Evansville, Ind., Lander was one of the standout performers last weekend at the Underclassmen All-American Camp. Following his time in Atlanta, the five-star sophomore broached such topics as his all-around game, in-state offers and interest from Kentucky.
“I feel like I am an all-around player,” Lander said. “I can pass, shoot, I am a true point guard in my opinion, and I can play defense, too.”
Lander already holds offers from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, IUPUI, Kansas, Kansas State, Ohio State, and Purdue, while Kentucky has kept in close contact.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Indiana: “They are telling me that they want me heavily and they are going to keep watching me and seeing how I develop in the coming years. It is a really, really big deal to me that I got an offer my sophomore year; not too many people get that opportunity. It is a crazy atmosphere there. Anytime they do anything, they can tip a pass, anything, they are going to go crazy for.”
Kansas: “They offered me on my visit. I didn’t think that it was going to happen but they offered me right before I left. It felt amazing there with their history so it was just a really big deal.”
Kentucky: “I went to a game there a couple of months ago. My mentor and trainer have been talking to their assistant coach a lot. They have been looking at me a lot. That is a really good-looking school because that is coach Cal (John Calipari) and the bluebloods, so that is a really big deal for me. That offer would mean that I am doing something right but I am going to keep working, even if I get that offer.”
Purdue: “They just say that they like my game and that they are going to watch my game over the years. Purdue has engineering and has a really good program so that is big for me. I like how their guards can come off a million screens a game, that is what I like, playing downhill.”
RIVALS' REACTION
Lander looks the part of one of the top guard prospects in the 2021 class. His quickness, playmaking ability and willingness to create first for others stand out immediately.
Running with the Indiana Elite squad this spring and summer on the adidas circuit, Lander already sits as a Midwest priority, especially for in-state programs Indiana and Purdue. However, the Kansas offer may have gotten the Jayhawks in the door early, all while the consistent presence of Kentucky seems to have piqued his interest.
