Mustangs forward focused on helping team to playoff victory

The Grapevine boys basketball team advanced to the bi-district round of the postseason last year in the first season in its new division, but one player is not completely satisfied with that outcome.

Andrew Lastinger, who was named a first team all-district selection last season, said he tries to bring a lot to the team, but added that the bottom line for him is winning.

“I try to be an all-around leader,” Lastinger said. “Not just in playing, but in everything else. I try to keep the guys together. Like if we are on a run and score a couple of points and then lose it, I like to be the kind of glue guy that keeps everyone together to keep playing hard and keep fighting. I’ll talk to the guys and keep them motivated.”

Lastinger said that his feelings about this past year are somewhat mixed.

“I think early on, we struggled a little bit to get that cohesive unit going,” Lastinger said. “Then we kind of picked it up in district and especially before the playoffs, but it was kind of disappointing, because we could have gone further in the playoffs.

“It was a disappointing, first round exit. But I think that, even with the loss of a couple of important players who were seniors, I think we have guys that are ready to step up next year and make that next step.”

Lastinger said he has both team and personal goals for this coming season.

“As a team, it’s obviously to bring a playoff win to Grapevine, because it has been something like 30 years,” Lastinger said. “That would be our No. 1 goal, and not just one round, but hopefully several and just see how far we can make it.

“Personally, these last couple of years, I have been averaging about eight or nine points and eight or nine rebounds, so I would like to get up to a double-double on those.”

During the off season, Lastinger is going to work at his perimeter shooting and play inside the post along with other drills, and said in order for Grapevine to have a good playoff run this season, it will take a couple of things.

“I think that all of our guys are going to have to buy in,” Lastinger said. “We can’t let there be anybody who is just there. It’s going to take a group effort this off-season to develop team chemistry, and I think that if we have all bought in by the time that district rolls around, we’ll be OK.”

This story was originally published June 8, 2015 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Mustangs forward focused on helping team to playoff victory."