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Baize overcomes size with big help

Lecanto guard's father coached him to play

quick and smart.

LECANTO - The coach never cut Landon Baize any slack.

Day after day, year after year in youth league games, he always faced the other team's best player - even though Baize usually was the smallest kid around. The unrelenting and nonsympathetic coach was Baize's father, Mike.

"It didn't matter whether (the other player) was 6-feet tall or whatever," Baize said. "That's who I covered because he wanted me to get better. If I wanted to be the best, I had to play the best. He pushed me by all means."

From the time Baize began to play at age 4, Mike was there to help. And when he realized his son never would be incredibly tall, he trained Landon to become a thinking man's player.

"He kept telling me, "You've got to be quicker, you've got to think, you've got to be smarter,' " Baize said. "It got frustrating at times, but it made me the player I am today and I thank him for that."

The 5-8 Baize, a Division III LaGrange College oral commitment, is a three-year Lecanto starter at point guard. The shifty and savvy player who shines on both ends of the court was a first-team Times All-Citrus/Hernando selection last season after averaging 8.3 points and 6.5 assists. The steady ball-handler and composed floor leader had an assist-to-turnover ratio better than 2-1.

Now, even more is expected.

"How the team functions has a lot to do with his play," Panthers coach Chris Nichols said. "He is so important to what we do. His decisions are big. A lot of what we do is going to run through him. Landon makes everybody else look a little bit better."

Baize, arguably the county's most unselfish player, prefers the pass over the shot. He had a combined 23 assists in two preseason wins.

"I'd rather get other people involved," Baize said. "That makes us look good as a team, and it makes me feel good about what I'm doing."

Since Baize can't beat opponents with his size, he tries to with his brain. Early on, his father coached him to anticipate the moves of the opposing player. On offense, it allows Baize to go where the opponent isn't and make unexpected passes that often lead to easy Lecanto baskets. On defense, Baize has quick hands and was relentless enough to rank among the area steal leaders last season.

"I try to think what (the opponent) would think so I can feel what's going to happen next," he said.

Now Baize hopes to be more of a scoring threat. Because he concentrated so much on passing, he said he neglected his shot at times. So in addition to improving his strength and agility during the offseason, Baize started shooting more. Once again, his dad was there to help. "He said, "You have to retrain yourself to shoot because they know you're going to pass,' " Baize said. "My shooting is a whole lot better now."

- Keith Niebuhr can be reached at 860-7337 or online at niebuhr@sptimes.com

AGE: 17.

GPA: 3.7.

FAVORITE PLAYER: Pete Maravich.

LAST BOOK READ: Rabbit Run.

FAVORITE MOVIE: The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend. The movie is about the life of Maravich. "I watch it daily," Baize said.

WORDS TO LIVE BY: "Dynamite comes in small packages."