Chris Lykes Player Profile

The 5’7” dynamic sophomore point guard flashed his bag of tricks last season as a true freshman. Chris Lykes became an entire highlight reel during some games by breaking the ankles of opponents, launching beyond NBA range three-pointers, and driving into the lane to finish acrobatic layups. In his freshman campaign, Lykes averaged 9.6 points and 2.3 assists while shooting 40% from the field, 34.5% beyond the arc, and 72% from the charity stripe.

For most of the season, Lykes was a spark off the bench for Coach L’s team, but started 10 games in part to an injury to Bruce Brown Jr. In those 10 starts, Lykes averaged 12.1 points and would lead the team in scoring during Brown’s 12-game absence to end the season.

Lykes became an instant fan favorite as his nasty crossovers became a routinely event. Lykes’ crossover helps him a ton when being defended by much larger guards, but his quickness with the dribble allows him to blow past them and get into the lane.

The Canes will turn to Lykes as the primary ballhandler this season as they lose their top three guards from last season in JaQuan Newton, Lonnie Walker IV, and Bruce Brown Jr. Lykes will need every trick in his bag to break down opposing defenses that will try to double team him on the perimeter to force bad passes or over-dribbling.

Lykes’ role this season will largely impact the Canes as he will be expected to score at a higher clip, and more importantly, improve upon his 2.3 assist average per game while limiting his turnovers. Lykes averaged 1.8 turnovers per game last season, essentially posting a 1:1 assist to turnover ratio. This will be his biggest challenge as teams will try to use his size against him to turn the ball over.

Expect Lykes to average double figure points this season and maybe even lead the team while continuing to put on a show around defenders trying to defend him on the perimeter.