One of the more fun things about following Idaho State basketball is watching a player come in as a green freshman and grow into a solid contributor. Geno Luzcando, one of the few returning players in the Bengal program this year, has certainly done that.
As a true freshman, the native of Chile by way of Wasatch High in Utah played 15.6 minutes a game, shot 36 percent from the field, 28 percent from three, 49 percent from the foul line, had 36 steals and averaged 3.1 points a game. Not bad numbers for a true freshman forced into playing before his time, but certainly not a foreshadowing of the player he's become.
This year, Geno, who is the only Bengal to start every game, is playing 29.5 minutes a contest, shooting 51 percent from the floor, almost 40 percent from three, and 70 percent from the free throw line. He is tied with teammate Ethan Telfair for the conference lead (BSC games only) in steals, averaging 2.7 a game, and he's scoring almost 13 points a game. While ET was the star in the win over Weber on Saturday, Luzcando was a huge contributor, scoring 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting, with four steals, two blocks and an assist. A couple of times late in the game, when the Bengal offense was grinding to a halt, Luzcando ignited the fire with a steal and layup. ISU scored 26 points off 17 Weber turnovers, and Geno was a huge part of that production.
I started following Geno's high school career after he committed to ISU, and in watching his video and observing his ridiculous steal numbers (I think he averaged about 8 steals a game his senior year), it was clear he was an excellent athlete who had a real instinct for seeing the court and great anticipation. Judging from the little bit of video I saw, he was playing a lot of 3/4 for Wasatch, which was a 2A (small school) high school, but a school that played a lot of good non-conference competition.
Geno struggled offensively last year, as evidenced by his shooting numbers, as he adjusted to playing the point and the wing against Division 1 competition. But even then you could see he had a real nose for the basketball -- he averaged over a steal a game despite his limited playing time.
Since conference play started this year, Geno's three-point shooting and free throw numbers have declined a bit, and for an 6-3 athletic wing, he needs to be a more productive rebounder (he wasn't credited with a board in the Weber game, although he does average 4.1 per game for the season). But his development as a 30-minute a game, double-figure scorer and constant defensive weapon has been a whole lot of fun to watch. Even though it seems like it will never end, eventually some team is going to shut down ET's scoring explosion, and Geno is going to have to score points for the Bengals to win. His 29-point performance in the win against Northern Colorado a couple of weeks ago shows he's fully capable -- Geno didn't miss a shot in 11 attempts in that game.
Best of all, Geno has two and half seasons left as a Bengal, and a lot of room for continued growth. Really looking forward to watching the continued evolution of Geno Luzcando.
As a true freshman, the native of Chile by way of Wasatch High in Utah played 15.6 minutes a game, shot 36 percent from the field, 28 percent from three, 49 percent from the foul line, had 36 steals and averaged 3.1 points a game. Not bad numbers for a true freshman forced into playing before his time, but certainly not a foreshadowing of the player he's become.
This year, Geno, who is the only Bengal to start every game, is playing 29.5 minutes a contest, shooting 51 percent from the floor, almost 40 percent from three, and 70 percent from the free throw line. He is tied with teammate Ethan Telfair for the conference lead (BSC games only) in steals, averaging 2.7 a game, and he's scoring almost 13 points a game. While ET was the star in the win over Weber on Saturday, Luzcando was a huge contributor, scoring 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting, with four steals, two blocks and an assist. A couple of times late in the game, when the Bengal offense was grinding to a halt, Luzcando ignited the fire with a steal and layup. ISU scored 26 points off 17 Weber turnovers, and Geno was a huge part of that production.
I started following Geno's high school career after he committed to ISU, and in watching his video and observing his ridiculous steal numbers (I think he averaged about 8 steals a game his senior year), it was clear he was an excellent athlete who had a real instinct for seeing the court and great anticipation. Judging from the little bit of video I saw, he was playing a lot of 3/4 for Wasatch, which was a 2A (small school) high school, but a school that played a lot of good non-conference competition.
Geno struggled offensively last year, as evidenced by his shooting numbers, as he adjusted to playing the point and the wing against Division 1 competition. But even then you could see he had a real nose for the basketball -- he averaged over a steal a game despite his limited playing time.
Since conference play started this year, Geno's three-point shooting and free throw numbers have declined a bit, and for an 6-3 athletic wing, he needs to be a more productive rebounder (he wasn't credited with a board in the Weber game, although he does average 4.1 per game for the season). But his development as a 30-minute a game, double-figure scorer and constant defensive weapon has been a whole lot of fun to watch. Even though it seems like it will never end, eventually some team is going to shut down ET's scoring explosion, and Geno is going to have to score points for the Bengals to win. His 29-point performance in the win against Northern Colorado a couple of weeks ago shows he's fully capable -- Geno didn't miss a shot in 11 attempts in that game.
Best of all, Geno has two and half seasons left as a Bengal, and a lot of room for continued growth. Really looking forward to watching the continued evolution of Geno Luzcando.