As one of just a handful of returning players from last year, Frederick Douglass-PG (Md.) 2019 guard Kaylen Vines knew he’d be counted on to carry a much larger role this season - both scoring and leadership-wise.

So far, he’s excelling in both areas. Vines’ talent was on display in a 72-71 win over Wise in the inaugural PG Challenge at Eleanor Roosevelt High School last week, as he posted a game-high 27 points and also dished out 10 assists.

“[The key was] Really just getting to the rim,” Vines said. “I saw that I had a mismatch, so I was just attacking and looking for my big man or people cutting to the basket after I got by my person.”

After the game, the 6-foot-1 Vines discussed the season, his game, favorite basketball memory and more:

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HOW THE SEASON HAS GONE?

“I feel pretty good about the season. I feel like we can do more and be more aggressive on both sides of the ball, but I feel like we’re having a great season.”

HOW IS IT BEING A SENIOR LEADER NOW?

“”It’s pretty good; I’d rather be a leader on the team. It just feels good to have people look up to me and respect me, you know?”

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE STRENGTH OF YOUR GAME?

“My high motor and the way I attack. I think I can work on my shot a little bit more, and just view the court a little better. And defense.”

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A SCHOOL?

“”Mostly academics and my major, and if people get jobs after they graduate, mostly. I think I want to be an accountant.”

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OFF THE COURT?

“I like to play video games and I like to watch basketball a lot. That’s about it. I play a lot of 2K and Madden, stuff like that.”

WHAT BASKETBALL GAMES DO YOU WATCH?

“I like college basketball more than NBA basketball; it seems like they’re more hungry on the court to me. My favorite team is UNC.”

DID YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS GROWING UP?

“I started playing football and I was going to play in 9th grade, but I thought I was going to tryout for varsity [basketball] my 9th grade year, so I cut football out.”

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR FAVORITE BASKETBALL MEMORY?

“Last year when we played Friendship Tech. We were down by 8 with 35 seconds to go, and we came all the way back and won in overtime.”