EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Regarded as perhaps a taller version of Bosse superstar Mekhi Lairy, Khristian Lander appears to be a can’t miss prospect. The 6-foot Reitz High School freshman already is blessed with great genes.

“I think he is a really special,” said Reitz boys’ basketball coach Michael Adams. “He can shoot the deep 3 and get to the rim. He is so quick. He can even score in the post. He is explosive and athletic. You can see his potential.

“He reminds me a lot of Mekhi Lairy. There have been some really good freshmen in our league.”

Bound for Miami (Ohio), Lairy was the second successive Southern Indiana Athletic Conference player to finish second in the Mr. Basketball voting. He lifted Bosse to two trips to the Class 3A state championship game in the past three years.

Jack Nunge, who was Mr. Basketball runner-up in 2017 after leading Castle to the 4A semistate, recently completed his freshman year at Iowa.

Lander, who recently received a scholarship offer from IUPUI, also is getting looks from high-profile schools such as Indiana University, Michigan, Purdue, Butler, Xavier and Nebraska.

Lander, a left-hander, like Lairy, is ranked as Indiana’s No. 2 point guard in the class of 2021 behind Jalen Blackmon of Marion, according to Prep Hoops. He is the son of Harrison grad Keith Lander, who played defensive back for Western Kentucky University’s football team.

Khristian is a cousin of Vicki Lander, a former Bosse girls’ standout who was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in April. He’s also a cousin of Matt Lander, another Bosse product who played basketball for Western Illinois.

“He told me to keep working hard and to stay humble,” Khristian said.

Read the rest of the story in the Evansville Courier & Press