Two Gonzaga Backcourt Prospects Now Have UVA Offers

As a coach on the AAU circuit, Steve Turner, who is now head boys varsity basketball coach at Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), coached former University of Virginia standout guard Roger Mason Jr. Might another of Turner’s prospects move on to UVA? Time will tell, but after last Sunday head coach Tony Bennett has now extended scholarship offers to two Gonzaga Purple Eagle prospects.

Last Sunday night, following several days of impressive play at the Nike EYBL in Brooklyn, Gonzaga junior Chris Lykes tweeted that he had received a scholarship offer from the Cavaliers. The 5’7” point guard has been on UVA’s radar for some time, as he attended coach Bennett’s Elite Camp last August.

“Those guys had to do a lot of watching and figuring out what is best for them. They have only one scholarship available [in the class of 2017]. Coach Bennett wanted to make sure he made the right choice,” Turner said. “I think some things Chris did this past weekend must have shown them enough.”

Playing for top AAU program Team Takeover, Lykes averaged 16.3 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game in three games in Brooklyn. This included a 21-point performance in a win over Matt Coleman-led Boo Williams. Lykes averaged 22 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game for Gonzaga this past season, earning Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Washington, DC Gatorade Player of the Year honors. He scored 30 points or more in seven of Gonzaga’s 34 games in 2015/2016, helping the Purple Eagles to a 24-10 record.

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