Inspirational Lancer
Luciano leads Lawrence with power, intelligence
Don’t let his impressive transcript fool you. Obbie Luciano can still get physical on the court.
The Lawrence High senior captain is an ace student with a 4.6 grade point average and plans to attended a computer science program at MIT or another top technical school. He’s been taking and acing classes at Merrimack College since his sophomore year, and will likely be the Class of 2024 Valedictorian.
According to Lawrence coach Jesus Moore, the 6-foot3-inch senior wing is also one of the hardest workers in practices, a valuable two-way player, who is strong as an ox, and the first guy to hit the floor for a loose ball, often playing through bumps and bruises while giving it all for the team.
“The other players watch [Luciano] diligently get it done, and he leads by example,” said Moore. “He guards the other teams’ best player. He’ll dive on the ground. There was one time this summer he lost some of his teeth, and just picked them up and kept playing.”
“He’s one of those kids where the sky’s the limit, and with all that he has on his plate, he doesn’t really stress about stuff. He might have three hours of homework to do, but he still shows up every day and gives maximum effort in practice.”
In addition to Luciano, the Lancers have several seniors with great grades, including 6-9 forward Igor Gonzalez, point guard Joendy Rosario, and 6-2 forward Jaiden Peguero.
“The things [Luciano] strives for are the same things we want,” said Peguero, who owns a 4.0 GPA with plans to attend and UMass Lowell or Salem State and become a physical therapist.
“He’s someone we can all look up to. And the younger guys should see this varsity group and know that if you work hard in basketball, and in school, you can do a lot.”
The Lancers often run youth clinics at the local Boys & Girls club, where Luciano first fell in love with the game of basketball in fourth grade.
Competition was always fierce in a city full of great players, but when he finally got a taste of varsity action after his freshman season was called off due to the pandemic, Luciano said he was immediately struck by the nuances involved in playing at a higher level.
“It’s much more of a mental game,” said Luciano. “Growing up, basketball was just fun for the most part. Now you have to be mentally ready to execute. Everyone at the varsity level can play. To win, you need a lot more than just physical skill. I learned that early on.”
For Luciano, the motivation to work hard in the classroom stems from a desire to put his family in a stable financial situation.
His parents work multiple jobs and he has three siblings that he hopes to remain in close contact with by attending MIT, or one of the Ivy League schools in New England to which he might also apply.
By getting a degree at a prestigious university and starting a career in cyber security, he hopes to accomplish those goals, while also maintaining his basketball career at the next level.
“It can be difficult at times, but I try to keep my head grounded and tell myself it’s all going to benefit me down the road,” Luciano said about playing hoops year round on top of his course workload.
“I try to keep myself motivated. I tell myself this will not only benefit me, but my team, and my family, and I try to find as many ways as possible to enjoy the grind.”
The success of this senior class should benefit the boys’ basketball program and greater academic community in Lawrence public schools, something Moore is familiar with as a Lawrence native and physical education teacher at Oliver Middle School.
“Lawrence has a reputation of not having the best academics,” said Moore, the reigning Merrimack Valley Coach of the Year. “But I think there’s a lot of hidden gems in this city and [Luciano is] one of them. He can help change the perspective for our players.
“There’s not a lot of kids coming in that have the confidence they can go to elite colleges. And when they see a kid who doesn’t come from much — just a blue-collar, hard-working kid — when they see he can do it, they know they can do it too.”
Courtside chatter
R A NFHS key rule change will impact MIAA basketball games this season. Teams will be in the double bonus when the opposition commits five fouls in a quarter, meaning they will shoot two free throws for each subsequent foul. The foul count resets at the start of each quarter. This is closer aligned to NBA rules vs. the previous NCAA-style bonus rules, which awarded three “one-and-one” free throws when a team committed over six fouls in a half, then moved to double bonus on the 10th foul of the half.
R There was a plethora of local talent on display this weekend at the Scholar Roundball Classic, a three-day prep showcase held Friday in Quincy and Saturday and Sunday in Dedham. Brookline’s Ryan Altman and Andrew Alekseyenko combined for 32 points and 20 rebounds, helping Rivers improve to 4-0 with an 8563 win over Williston Northampton. Tabor guard Daithi Quinn, a 2022 Globe All-Scholastic at North Quincy, averaged 27 points and four rebounds in wins over Berkshire and Winchendon, while The MacDuffie School backcourt featuring former Worcester North star Tahlan Pettway and Newton South’s Jake Lemelman combined for 35 points in a 66-58 win over Polaris Prep. Philips Exeter forward Ryder Frost, a two-time All-Scholastic at Beverly, had 32 points and nine rebounds in a 79-36 win over Avon Old Farms. Lynn’s Warren Keel Jr. was another top performer over the weekend, averaging 16 points for Bradford Christian across a pair of wins.