Flyin’ Lion is ready for liftoff in Grade 12
Dazzling dunker Vanderhooft on-court leader with Luther College High School
The Luther Lions’ Andy Vanderhooft is a polite, modest young man who carries himself without any airs.
But he gets plenty of airtime on the basketball court.
Vanderhooft’s varied on-court repertoire typically includes an array of dazzling dunks — and not just during Regina Intercollegiate Basketball League games.
“We were in Edmonton at a tournament last year,” Lions senior boys basketball coach Tanner Brightman recalls.
“There was a dunk contest and it was relatively early in the morning, so the whole gym was packed and there were kids from all over.
“Andy was kind of hesitant about going in it, but he ended up winning the dunk contest relatively effortlessly and then, just for kicks, goes between his legs and dunks.
“It was electric. I haven’t seen kids that excited at nine in the morning, ever.”
There is plenty of excitement surrounding Vanderhooft and the Lions — who are first in the RIBL’S pre-season senior boys rankings — as the 2018-19 season looms.
Vanderhooft, for his part, is entering his third season with the senior boys squad. While continuing to hone his skills, he is also assuming an increased leadership role now that he is one of the older players on the team.
“This year, there are only three guys on the team who I have ever played with before, so it has been a new experience,” says Vanderhooft, 17.
His experiences with basketball date back to when he was in Grade 3 at St. Gabriel School. During recess one day, he took some shots — with a dodge ball — on the school’s outdoor net and says he was instantly taken with the sport.
“Then I went home and told my mom that I wanted to go play,’’ says Vanderhooft, who soon signed up for the Regina Community Basketball Association.
In addition to possessing natural ability and a passion for developing his skills, he benefited from a growth spurt. He was “5-7 or 5-8” when Grade 5 began and, by the end of that academic year, he was 6-2.
After playing in the RCBA and with the Junior Cougars club team, he enrolled at Luther College High School — where his older brothers, Michael and Jacob, also attended.
Vanderhooft attended the prestigious Luther Invitational Tournament as a youngster and was therefore well-acquainted with the atmosphere at the school. He introduced himself to Luther’s basketball court in Grade 9 while dunking for the first time.
“I was super-excited about it,” he says with a smile. “I was wearing my Junior Cougars jersey when I did that and after I dunked, I went back to the change room and someone asked if I was on the men’s Cougars basketball team. That was pretty exciting that they thought that I was that good at that time.”
Now there is a steady stream of accolades, considering Vanderhooft’s potential and array of skills.
“He’s in the top three or four players in the province, for sure,” Brightman says. “We’re lucky he’s a Lion.”
Which uniform will he wear next season?
“I think he’s playing post-secondary, for sure,” Brightman says. “Where? I’m not sure. Because he is such a good student and an ambassador for the school, I think he’s going to have quite a few options.”
Vanderhooft’s aspirations extend beyond basketball.
He would like to go into finance and emulate his father, Robert Vanderhooft, who is the chief executive officer and chief investment officer with Greystone Managed Investments.
In the meantime, Andy Vanderhooft is focusing on his final year at Luther, the priorities being to excel academically and athletically.
“I have been fortunate enough to know Andy for the last five seasons and his game has really expanded to the point where he’s not just a good athlete,” says Brightman, whose coaching resume includes involvement with provincial teams.
“Now he can create his own shots or he’ll guard the best player on the other team. He’s got that competitive kind of drive, whereas in Grade 8 or Grade 9 he was kind of searching for himself. He was a bigger kid who’s athletic, and now he’s really got the desire to compete and get after it each time we’re out.
“It’s great to see. He’s a great kid.”
Because he is such a good student and an ambassador for the school. I think he’s going to have quite a few (post-secondary) options.