Monsignor Martin League Player Spotlight Series: Lukas Benchley
Western New York is an underrated basketball hotspot chockful of promising, talented recruits. The 2019-2020 Monsignor Martin League (Buffalo NY) was highly competitive and produced many memorable moments for both teams and individuals alike. This series will focus on the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWestern New York is an underrated basketball hotspot chockful of promising, talented recruits. The 2019-2020 Monsignor Martin League (Buffalo NY) was highly competitive and produced many memorable moments for both teams and individuals alike. This series will focus on the individual members of the 2020-2021 Nichols Vikings.
Lukas Benchley – Forward – Class of 2021
Lukas Benchley is a Senior who figures to be a key cog for the Nichols Vikings in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, he appeared in 24 games, posting 1.9 points per game, 1.3 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game. I don’t feel that Benchley’s numbers quite convey the impact he can have on a game, however; he is the rare type of player who can be counted on to provide constant energy each time he sees the floor.
Benchley impressed saving his best basketball for last in 2019-2020. In his last 5 games, Benchley scored 18 points, nearly doubling his season average over the stretch. Even more impressive is the fact that Benchley began to shoot three pointers with remarkable consistency near the end of the year. In that same 5 game run, he sunk a trey in each contest. Nichols would be well-served to create more offensive opportunities for Benchley in 2020-2021.
One area that Benchley can, and should, improve upon is his ability to stay in front of driving defenders. Often, he finds himself a step slow when an opponent drives on him. In 2019-2020, this led to compromising situations for his help defenders to try and cover up for Benchley’s shortcomings. Benchley would be well-served to work on his lateral quickness and his technique of opening his hips and shading his opponents into an advantageous position for Nichols.
If Benchley does not start, I peg him as one of the first players to come off the bench for the 2020-2021 Vikings. Again, he brought much-needed “juice” for Nichols in the majority of last season’s opportunities. At 6’2”, he is one of the team’s taller players. Naturally, he will be relied upon heavily to help the team rebound. Benchley will be counted on to provide consistency on both sides of the floor this season.
**All Stats Come From Maxpreps.com. All Analysis Is My Own.