Prospect Spotlight: Ezekiel Lyons (2020)

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Parsons 2020 guard Ezekiel Lyons is putting together a strong juniors season for a Wildcat team that is off to a 9-5 start. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A self described two-way player, Lyons competes at the defensive end of the court as well as the offensive end, can shoot the 3 and has a nice mid-range game as well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He spent the offseason competing with PTB out of Lawrence and has also spent a lot of time over the past few summers and playing and working out with his high school teammates.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I feel like summer prepares you well with conditioning and also just getting used to having the basketball in your hands, along with giving you a platform to improve at scoring at all three levels of the court,” Lyons said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lyons says he has worked hard on his ball handling and getting to the rim and has stepped in to help replace Dariq Williams, a standout 2020 guard who suffered a shoulder injury and missed the Vikings’ first eight games.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I had to run the point guard position and I feel like I did a good job at it, improving my ball handling certainly helped that adjustment, and getting to the rim has gotten easier and easier,” Lyons said. “I am not an iso player that pounds the ball into the ground ,so it’s been more of a mental thing to just trust myself and blow by defenders.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lyons says he is averaging 15 points this season for a Parsons team that, when at full strength, is loaded with talent and has a chance for a deep run in the postseason.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lyons says his parents have had the biggest influence on his basketball career to date.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They have given me every opportunity available and have made so many sacrifices for me,” he says. “They have also always believed in me and led me to believe in myself.”</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">A fan of LeBron James, Lyons says The King has inspired his love for the game. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The way he carries himself on and off the court, and as a business man, he has always been amazing to me,” Lyons saud. “He’s been at the top so long and ain’t never fell off due to his work ethic and him always striving for greatness, shows me to never be satisfied with where I’m at.”</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>