Liberty Magnet High School
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It’s not often that a sophomore is looked to as one of the leaders on a varsity squad. But Howard Gaskins Jr. has made such a substantial impact in his two years at Liberty Magnet that he’s already commandeering the court for the Patriots.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound point guard didn’t take long to work his way from the freshman squad up to varsity, where he helped lead Liberty Magnet to the No. 1 seed in the Division II playoffs.
“When I came here, the coaches were telling me that they think I could be a key piece to the team,” Gaskins says. “I think I’m a good leader, whether it’s leading by example or being vocal. I think I’m good at play making, getting my teammates the ball and making sure they’re getting their shots.”
Gaskins and his Patriots made a run all the way to the state championship game before coming up just shy in the final against Archbishop Hannan. It was a tough way to end the promising season, but it’s only provided more motivation for Gaskins as he heads into his junior year at Liberty.
“This year, we fell short in state, so I definitely want to get back to the state championship and win,” he says. “My individual goal is to get to college, which is the next level, and hopefully play beyond there. I also just want to see my teammates around me succeed, too. I want to help them get to college.”
Whether in or out of the basketball world, Gaskins is on pace to have a promising future regardless. He currently boasts a 4.2 GPA and is considering a civil engineering major in college.
“My whole life my parents told me work hard and play hard,” Gaskins says. “So I work hard in the classroom and always make sure I finish my work before I do any basketball things. And if I don’t understand something in the classroom, I’m not afraid to ask for help. I think my willingness to learn helps me keep my GPA up.”
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