San Diego Player of the Week : Bucca Walks the Line, Ends Up With 30 Points for Castle Park

When Vince Bucca of Castle Park High School broke the 30-point barrier twice last week, he did much of his scoring the hard way: one point at a time. Friday against Chula Vista, Bucca sank just six shots from the floor, but was 18 for 20 from the free-throw line.

Two nights earlier against Montgomery, Bucca hit 10 baskets from the field and made 11 of 14 free throws for 31 points.

Bucca’s method of scoring may not have been as dazzling as a when a flashy guard gets hot from outside or when a towering center crashes the backboard for slam dunks. In fact, the senior’s offensive performance was so unspectacular that his 30-point game went unnoticed by many in the Castle Park gym--including Bucca himself.

“I didn’t even know I had 30 points until a couple hours after the game when my friend told me,” Bucca said.

Bucca’s personality is as unpretentious as his method of scoring points.

“I’ve been getting a lot easier shots lately because the other players have been getting me the ball on the fast break,” he said. “Most of my shots are just easy layups. My teammates have been great at getting the ball down to me on the transition.”

After a slow start this season, Bucca began to hit his stride two weeks ago in the Rohr-Aztec tournament, which Castle Park won. Bucca was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Last week, in addition to shooting 64% from the floor and 85% from the free-throw line, Bucca grabbed 28 rebounds in the two games.

“He had an outstanding week, especially for a guy who’s not real fast and doesn’t jump real well,” said Forrest Partch, who has been Bucca’s coach since Bucca joined the junior varsity as a freshman. “He’s worked hard on his shooting and he’s improving his defense.”

Bucca’s knack for overcoming physical limitations with hard work and dedication mirrors the personality of the Castle Park team. The Trojans were 26-2 last season despite the fact that Bucca is the team’s tallest player at 6-4. Castle Park began this season 4-4, but has won its last six games.

Bucca is aware of the role he must play if Castle Park is to keep winning and reach the playoffs. And he sets standards for his own play.

“I set myself these goals: to try to be consistent, to shoot 75% from the line or better and to get at least 10 rebounds a game,” he said. “I just try to go into each game in a good mental frame and not worry too much about anything. The scoring will come.”