Justin Vander Baan
'It’s good to be back, ' says former Whitinsville Christian star Justin Vander Baan after lifting Lafayette past Holy Cross Published 5:06 a.m. ET Feb. 7, 2023 WORCESTER — The Lafayette men’s basketball team arrived here Sunday, and before Monday’s game at Holy Cross, Leopards sophomore center Justin Vander Baan had a great night’s sleep in his own bed at his family’s home in Northbridge. “It’s good to be back,” Vander Baan said. Vander Baan, a 7-footer who was a three-star recruit coming out of Whitinsville Christian, where he averaged 24.2 points his senior year, spent the last two seasons at Boston College. Vander Baan played limited minutes for the Eagles. Seeking a bigger role, Vander Baan entered the transfer portal last March and committed to Lafayette, HC’s Patriot League foe, over the summer. “Everything is going well,” Vander Baan said. “It was a smooth adjustment. I like the team and everything has been good.” From right behind the Lafayette bench Monday night, Vander Baan’s parents, Jeffrey and Laurie, his grandparents, and his older brother, Josh, who was his two-year high school teammate, led his fan group, and he was excited to have his family there. “It’s nice to have him back on home turf,” Laurie said. Vander Baan’s cheering section likely would have been even larger, but Whitinsville Christian had a home game against Valley Tech Monday night. Jennifer Toland Telegram & Gazette Vander Baan posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs, and helped Lafayette beat Holy Cross, 72-58. In the Leopards’ 62-48 win over HC on Jan. 14, Vander Baan had 2 points, 3 assists and 2 blocks. “Lately, he’s been a very good addition,” Lafayette coach Mike Jordan said. “It took a little bit of time for him to adjust to our style of play and what I expect from him. Hopefully, now he’s figured it out and he just keeps going.” Vander Baan’s cousin, Alex Vander Baan, played for Holy Cross from 2005-09. Lafayette, which has the PL’s top scoring defense, held HC senior forward Gerrale Gates, the league’s leading scorer, to three points, all from the free throw line. Gates, who had scored in double figures in every game this season, was 0-7 from the field. HC freshman Will Batchelder, who is in the mix for PL Rookie of the Year honors, scored a career-high 28 points and set a single-game program record with eight made 3-pointers. “The first half I thought we came out with right mindset,” HC coach Brett Nelson said. “Will carried us with the way he was making shots because we were having trouble scoring. They’re the No. 1 defense in the Patriot League and they showed that tonight. We have to bounce back; we have to get back to work.” Former BC coach Jim Christian and his staff recruited Vander Baan out of Whitinsville Christian. Earl Grant replaced Christian before the start of last season. In two years at Boston College, Vander Baan played in 21 games and averaged 4.9 minutes off the bench. As a freshman, he blocked two shots against Virginia and scored five points against Duke in the ACC Tournament. “I don’t know if it was the coaching change (that prompted the decision to transfer),” Vander Baan said. “I just never really got the opportunity I wanted (at BC). Who knows what would have happened if I stayed, but I thought it was just the right decision to leave after last year and hopefully find a better opportunity, but I definitely enjoyed my time there.” At Lafayette this season, Vander Baan has played in all 26 games with 13 starts. He is averaging 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds. He ranks among the PL leaders with 24 blocked shots.
“I’m trying to get more consistent in my play,” said Vander Baan, who scored in double figures in both of Lafayette’s games last week while making 9 of 13 shots and averaging eight rebounds. “I think I’ve done better on an individual level the past two games.” Vander Baan entered the game against Holy Cross less than five minutes in, made 5 of his first 6 field goal attempts, and scored 13 in the first half to better his previous career high, set last week against Navy, by a point. Vander Baan’s seventh made 3-pointer of the season, from the top of the arc, tied the game at 20-20. HC led by as many as nine. Another Vander Baan 3, from around the same spot, gave the Leopards their first lead, 24-23, with 5:41 left before the break. Vander Baan’s previous career high for rebounds in a game was eight. “We definitely need an inside presence for how we want to play, inside out,” Jordan said, “so hopefully he’s more consistent and gets more comfortable with what we’re doing. He’s been playing a lot more consistent. He’s rebounding, he’s blocking shots, and those are the things we knew he could do when we took him. You can’t teach size, and it’s nice to have a guy back there that can protect the rim.” Height certainly runs in Vander Baan’s family. His dad is 6-7, his mom is 5-9, and his brother is 6-5. Vander Baan was 6 feet tall by the time he was in sixth grade. “I’ve always been the tallest kid in the class,” said Vander Baan, who was the tallest player on either roster Monday night. “It was kind of continuous, not one big growth spurt.” With the victory, Lafayette (8-18, 6-7) moved a game ahead of Holy Cross (8-18, 5-8) in the PL standings. “The Patriot League is a competitive league,” Vander Baan said, “but it is wide open. Colgate (which suffered its first league loss last week at American) has been the best team, but hopefully we’re just trying to finish in the top half of the league. That’s a doable goal.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTolandTG.
'It’s good to be back,' says former Whitinsville Christian star Justin Vander Baan after lifting Lafayette past Holy Cross
Transfer from Boston College posts career-highs 14 points, 10 rebounds to lift Leopards
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'It’s good to be back, ' says former Whitinsville Christian star Justin Vander Baan after lifting Lafayette past Holy Cross Published 5:06 a.m. ET Feb. 7, 2023 WORCESTER — The Lafayette men’s basketball team arrived here Sunday, and before Monday’s game at Holy Cross, Leopards sophomore center Justin Vander Baan had a great night’s sleep in his own bed at his family’s home in Northbridge. “It’s good to be back,” Vander Baan said. Vander Baan, a 7-footer who was a three-star recruit coming out of Whitinsville Christian, where he averaged 24.2 points his senior year, spent the last two seasons at Boston College. Vander Baan played limited minutes for the Eagles. Seeking a bigger role, Vander Baan entered the transfer portal last March and committed to Lafayette, HC’s Patriot League foe, over the summer. “Everything is going well,” Vander Baan said. “It was a smooth adjustment. I like the team and everything has been good.” From right behind the Lafayette bench Monday night, Vander Baan’s parents, Jeffrey and Laurie, his grandparents, and his older brother, Josh, who was his two-year high school teammate, led his fan group, and he was excited to have his family there. “It’s nice to have him back on home turf,” Laurie said. Vander Baan’s cheering section likely would have been even larger, but Whitinsville Christian had a home game against Valley Tech Monday night. Jennifer Toland Telegram & Gazette Vander Baan posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs, and helped Lafayette beat Holy Cross, 72-58. In the Leopards’ 62-48 win over HC on Jan. 14, Vander Baan had 2 points, 3 assists and 2 blocks. “Lately, he’s been a very good addition,” Lafayette coach Mike Jordan said. “It took a little bit of time for him to adjust to our style of play and what I expect from him. Hopefully, now he’s figured it out and he just keeps going.” Vander Baan’s cousin, Alex Vander Baan, played for Holy Cross from 2005-09. Lafayette, which has the PL’s top scoring defense, held HC senior forward Gerrale Gates, the league’s leading scorer, to three points, all from the free throw line. Gates, who had scored in double figures in every game this season, was 0-7 from the field. HC freshman Will Batchelder, who is in the mix for PL Rookie of the Year honors, scored a career-high 28 points and set a single-game program record with eight made 3-pointers. “The first half I thought we came out with right mindset,” HC coach Brett Nelson said. “Will carried us with the way he was making shots because we were having trouble scoring. They’re the No. 1 defense in the Patriot League and they showed that tonight. We have to bounce back; we have to get back to work.” Former BC coach Jim Christian and his staff recruited Vander Baan out of Whitinsville Christian. Earl Grant replaced Christian before the start of last season. In two years at Boston College, Vander Baan played in 21 games and averaged 4.9 minutes off the bench. As a freshman, he blocked two shots against Virginia and scored five points against Duke in the ACC Tournament. “I don’t know if it was the coaching change (that prompted the decision to transfer),” Vander Baan said. “I just never really got the opportunity I wanted (at BC). Who knows what would have happened if I stayed, but I thought it was just the right decision to leave after last year and hopefully find a better opportunity, but I definitely enjoyed my time there.” At Lafayette this season, Vander Baan has played in all 26 games with 13 starts. He is averaging 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds. He ranks among the PL leaders with 24 blocked shots.
“I’m trying to get more consistent in my play,” said Vander Baan, who scored in double figures in both of Lafayette’s games last week while making 9 of 13 shots and averaging eight rebounds. “I think I’ve done better on an individual level the past two games.” Vander Baan entered the game against Holy Cross less than five minutes in, made 5 of his first 6 field goal attempts, and scored 13 in the first half to better his previous career high, set last week against Navy, by a point. Vander Baan’s seventh made 3-pointer of the season, from the top of the arc, tied the game at 20-20. HC led by as many as nine. Another Vander Baan 3, from around the same spot, gave the Leopards their first lead, 24-23, with 5:41 left before the break. Vander Baan’s previous career high for rebounds in a game was eight. “We definitely need an inside presence for how we want to play, inside out,” Jordan said, “so hopefully he’s more consistent and gets more comfortable with what we’re doing. He’s been playing a lot more consistent. He’s rebounding, he’s blocking shots, and those are the things we knew he could do when we took him. You can’t teach size, and it’s nice to have a guy back there that can protect the rim.” Height certainly runs in Vander Baan’s family. His dad is 6-7, his mom is 5-9, and his brother is 6-5. Vander Baan was 6 feet tall by the time he was in sixth grade. “I’ve always been the tallest kid in the class,” said Vander Baan, who was the tallest player on either roster Monday night. “It was kind of continuous, not one big growth spurt.” With the victory, Lafayette (8-18, 6-7) moved a game ahead of Holy Cross (8-18, 5-8) in the PL standings. “The Patriot League is a competitive league,” Vander Baan said, “but it is wide open. Colgate (which suffered its first league loss last week at American) has been the best team, but hopefully we’re just trying to finish in the top half of the league. That’s a doable goal.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTolandTG.
