- February 26, 2026
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Someone had just landed a punch to the back of Johnny Lackaff’s left leg. At least, that’s what it felt like.
He extended his body to make a play late in the third quarter of Sarasota’s game Dec. 29 against Suncoast — its fourth and final contest at the Kingdom of the Sun boys basketball tournament.
A sudden pain washed over the junior guard. He initially assumed an opposing player had made contact with him from behind.
“I looked back,” Lackaff said. “And no one was there.”
For the time being, it wasn’t enough to sideline him. He helped the Sailors to a 51-50 victory and was ultimately named to the all-tournament team.
But that one moment would soon change the entire complexion of the month afterward.
Lackaff had suffered a left calf strain. Unlike a common strain, though, it also caused a hematoma, where blood pools someplace under the skin.
That extended his recovery time from two weeks to four, and in turn, left Sarasota without its leading scorer for a nine-game stretch from Jan. 2-23. He returned to action Jan. 29 against Booker and dropped a season-high 35 points.
He’s had the green light ever since. The No. 1-seeded Sailors are 23-6 on the season and will battle No. 3 seed Plant — also 23-6 — in the FHSAA Class 7A-Region 3 final at 7 p.m. Feb. 28, seeking a second straight appearance in the state semifinals.
“He handled it really well. He’s a very mature kid,” said coach BJ Ivey. “He’s one of the best competitors I’ve been around, so not playing was really, really hard on him.”
With both hands on the wheel, Lackaff has steered the Sailors’ ship. He’s averaged 23.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 2025-26, per MaxPreps.
His shooting profile consists of 57.2% from the field, 48.8% from beyond the arc and 85.5% at the charity stripe. In 14 of 20 games played, the 6-foot-3 guard has put up 20-plus points.
All those numbers were removed from the team’s winning formula during his nine-game absence. His impact became strictly spoken — through verbal support on the bench.
Lackaff was forced to step away from the court just as Sarasota returned from holiday tournament play and began its push for the postseason. Rather than panicking about how the team’s performance might decline, he sensed an opportunity for depth to shine.
“Guys had to step up, and that’s what we were really needing in that stretch,” Lackaff said. “At a time, if I didn’t play well or if I didn’t have 25 (points), it was going to be tough for us to win.”
The Sailors went 6-3 without him at the forefront. Losses came to Santa Fe Catholic, Parrish Community and Coatesville of Pennsylvania, which as of Feb. 23, are 22-7, 26-3 and 21-5, respectively. Both of those in-state opponents are currently regional finalists.
Also during that span, Sarasota featured three different leading scorers. Senior forward David Young topped the list in six games, junior guard/forward Isaiah Jenkins in three and sophomore guard Greg Dauer in one. Young and Jenkins were co-leading scorers Jan. 2 against Lakewood.
Lackaff offered his support to each and every one of them when he wasn’t spending time on stationary ball-handling or pool and bike workouts.
“He turned into a quasi-assistant coach and did a really good job of (encouraging) his teammates,” Ivey said. “At the same time, I felt like he was incredibly disciplined and diligent about his recovery and what he needed to do to get healthy.”
The junior’s obsession with the game was his ever-flowing source of motivation.
His father, John Lackaff, was a guard for Miami (OH) during the 1997-98 season. He hears from him on an almost-daily basis about this season’s RedHawks, which as of Feb. 23, are the only undefeated squad in NCAA Division I men’s basketball.
But his collegiate athletic career didn’t end as a basketball player. John Lackaff switched to baseball, and played for the school in the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons. The Chicago White Sox selected him in the 15th round of the 2000 MLB Draft at pick No. 442 overall.
He played three seasons in the minors, and as Johnny Lackaff grew up, passed down his passion for both sports.
“I eventually fell in love with basketball, probably more than baseball, because of the flow of the game and how fast it plays,” Lackaff said. “If you get out, you’re not up to bat for another 30 minutes. If I miss a shot, I’m right back on defense.”
The three-star recruit, per Rivals, was also a starter in 2024-25 and 2023-24. Last season was particularly triumphant for the Sailors, who erased over 50 years of shortcomings to reach the state semifinals for the first time since 1968.
Lackaff has tried to set the bar similarly high this time around — both for himself and his teammates. He doesn’t hold back when it comes to expectations.
The bar didn’t lower during his time on the sidelines, and with Sarasota three victories away from a state title, it won’t now.
“I do believe I’m a competitor,” Lackaff said. “I will do whatever it takes to win.”
