By Gary Van Cleave 

SPEARVILLE - The Ian Melendez Revenge Tour has begun and he wants to personally see his Spearville Lancers receive the rewards.

 

“Last year I missed the game winner to keep us going in the playoffs for our team,” Melendez said. “I had a pretty bad game that game only scoring six points. So that kinda just motivated me to be better.”

 

He went to work this past summer. He upped his game - literally - from a 38-inch vertical as a sophomore to present day 41 inches as a junior. And with a little step, he tops out at 44.5 inches.

 

He spent every moment in the Lancer gym this offseason, putting up 300-500 shots per night.

 

“It was a lot of nights alone in the gym working on my shot and my hops,” said Melendez, who has replayed the missed shot “about a million times.”

 

“Ian has been playing great for us,” senior Danny Alcala said. “He put in a ton of work over the summer practicing his shot and his game which he is really showing right now.”

 

His last second 3 to beat Hodgeman County missed that started a more focused Melendez.

 

“I have to do better, I have to be a leader,” Melendez said. “I felt so bad for the seniors, so I had to make sure I didn’t do that again.”

 

“He wants to be great and he is starting to understand what that takes,” Lancer coach Justin Heeke said. “He made a decision to focus on basketball and track this year and not play football. He spent a lot of time in the gym this offseason and that work is paying off on the court. He has improved a lot, but he is just scratching the surface of what he could become. I love coaching him and consider myself lucky to have a front row seat in watching him grow.”

 

His scoring has gone from 12 points a game as a sophomore to 22.3 through six games of his junior campaign.

 

“I was ready for the season, because I didn’t play football because of my injury last year as a sophomore,” Melendez said. “Tore my knee up really bad and so I decided to just take it off this year and focus on basketball and I think it is working for me so far.”

 

“He’s been playing well,” junior Layson Wheaton said. “He has put in the work in the offseason and it’s paying off.”

 

Melendez’ offseason also included time with the future of Spearville basketball.

 

“I think the most important thing people need to know about Ian is that he is a better person than he is an athlete,” Heeke said. “He is kind to everyone and is extremely humble. He works at the elementary school in the offseason and kids adore him.”

 

“It was a fun time for me and the kids, getting them involved with the game when they are young so hopefully they realize how beautiful the sport can be,” the 6-foot Melendez said.

 

Heeke said it speaks volumes about his character. 

 

“And ultimately character is what matters the most,” Heeke said. “But it also brings me a lot of joy and pride knowing that a player kids are looking up to for his abilities are also looking up to him because he is a good human. He is someone they want to be around. He is the kind of leader I want in our program. It’s good for our culture and it’s good for the future of our program.”

 

Melendez has loved working with the future Lancer stars.

 

“That they know and look up to me, and I need to be the best example possible,” he said.

 

That example that can dunk despite his size.

 

“He’s more consistent and can dunk but that’s saying a lot,” sophomore Gunner Hines said.

 

“He had two great dunks against Bucklin and it really sparked the team,” Rynerson said. “He is a bad dude.”

 

He’s shooting 56% from the field and enters the 2025 portion with 501 career points.

 

“I have a bunch of great teammates that help me succeed and are happy for me,” Melendez said. “They are great players as well.”

 

“He has upped his game by working on his three ball and driving and taking it to the rim making it difficult for people to guard,” Alcala said. “Because they can’t guard too high on him because he can just drive by but giving him a bit of space is a bad idea.”