How Florida Southern basketball, Luke Anderson benefited from offseason trip to Costa Rica
Hitting some tough shots, setting screens, and grabbing defensive boards was the norm for Luke Anderson to showcase his abilities to be even better than he was in the 2022-23 season. Only this time the Lakeland-High-School-turned Florida Southern basketball player found himself doing all of this at St. Francis College in San Vicente, Moravia and San Jose, Costa Rica.
Anderson, who was an all-county Lakeland ballplayer who took his talents to Iowa State before transferring to Division II Florida Southern in 2021, was able to travel with the entire men’s basketball team to travel to Costa Rica for competition over the summer for the first time since 2005 thanks to boosters. On July 27, Florida Southern blew out Costa Rica's U24 national team 111-73 and on July 31 downed the Abogados U24 squad 87-43.
“…It was a really good time because we saw what we can do when we are facing a little bit of adversity; It’s just the fact that we ended up winning by 30-something in the second half,” Anderson said. “…(It showed what) we are capable of.”
Florida Southern last season was capable of going 19-9 after going down in the quarterfinals of the Sunshine State Conference Championships on Feb. 28 ― the Mocs best season record-wise since the 2019-20 campaign when the Mocs went 29-2 and advanced to the regional tournament, which was canceled due to COVID-19.
The Mocs of course have a team goal of doing better record-wise and advancing deeper in the playoffs. Anderson has an individual goal of stepping up his rebounding. Last year, Anderson averaged 14.4 points and 5.6 rebounds.
“…Definitely rebounding was a big thing that I’ve grown on. (And I have) picked it up on the rebounding offensively and defensively,” Anderson said. “Rebounding was a big factor of my game over there.
“The biggest thing for everyone, including me, was everyone being together. For us to get a head start, and practice and play, and have that chemistry (is huge), because it’s not just basketball. It’s great camaraderie. (It’s time) to step up and be leaders.”
That will be key for Anderson, as all-conference player E.J. Dambreville graduated.
“I’m trying to take that next step for our younger guys by being a better leader and not just look at it selfishly, and look at it from a team perspective," Anderson said.
Anderson had plenty of opportunity to develop his leadership characteristics. The first day, Florida Southern stayed at a resort in San Jose — the capital city infused with two million of the country's five million in population.
A five-hour bus ride from San Jose to Tamarindo was the next move. The Mocs stayed there for three days before hightailing back to San Jose.
The resorts were nice but had humid weather. A view saw monkeys in trees, while snakes and goliath bird eaters were the norm.
For ninth-year head coach Mike Donnelly, it was about ensuring the team is connected.
“Having the opportunity to take a summer trip is extremely beneficial to our program in so many ways,” Donnelly said. “We are permitted to have two weeks of practice with our team prior to our trip, and we will play three games in Costa Rica. I have been a Division II head coach for 20 years, and this is the first time we have had the opportunity to conduct summer practices, so it is very exciting. The biggest thing for us this summer is to build team chemistry and to also get a head start with implementing our philosophy and style of play.”
Florida Southern will continue its normal process before the start of 2023-24 basketball campaign.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida Southern, Lakeland's Luke Anderson travel to Costa Rica
