SEC Basketball: 5 transfer guards that could be game changers in 2021-22
Chris Lykes | Guard | 5’7″ | Graduate transfer
Transferred from Miami to Arkansas
2020-21 stats (only appeared in two games due to injury): 15.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game
Yes, Miami standout guard, Chris Lykes, was only a participant in two games last season due to an ankle injury that sidelined him for 25 games, but the 5’7″ guard has proven throughout his career that he can hang with the best of them at the highest level of college basketball. After averaging 9.6 points as a freshman on a Miami team that reached the NCAA Tournament, Lykes took a major step forward as a sophomore and saw a 6.6 PPG increase in 2018-19 (16.2 PPG).
Although Lykes’ PPG average decreased slightly in 2019-20 (15.4 PPG), he did experience a 2.6% leap in his field goal percentage (40.6% to 43.2%) and a 6.3% leap in his three-point shooting percentage (31.8% to 38.1%). Lykes’ 4th season of college basketball was nothing like I expected it be, but it is still important to note that he started off his senior campaign notching 31 points, racking up 11 assists, and coming away with 4 steals in two contests.
With Jalen Tate playing his final season of collegiate basketball in 2020-21, it’s reasonable to assume that Lykes will start at the point guard position for Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks in 2021-22. So, what does Lykes bring to Arkansas you ask? Well, I’ll begin by pointing out that if you are defending Lykes and elect to rise up out of your stance at any given time, you will discover that you are only giving him an opportunity to get low to the ground, make one final blow-by dribble move, and stroll into the paint with no problem whatsoever.
You see, Lykes is a momentum ball-handler/dribbler, which means that he excels when he is making moves at a rapid speed while moving toward the basket. Similar to former Baylor guard, Davion Mitchell, Lykes can easily slither past his defenders by utilizing a nimble between the legs dribble move that is difficult to defend if you are flat-footed or unprepared defensively.
As a pick-and-roll operator, I think that Lykes is able to separate himself from many other guards in the country because of his ability to frequently free himself up for open pull-up jumpers. As soon as he pins his defenders on his backside, he loves to flow into a crisp in-and-out dribble move that enables him to instantly spring up off the hardwood and fire jump shots in the mid-range area.
Oh, and if Lykes begins to lower his head as he is gliding effortlessly down the floor, you should know that he is tricking his defenders into thinking that he is going to explode to the basket, when he is really planning to watch them backpedal while he pulls up and launches lightly contested triples. I wouldn’t disregard Lykes’ abilities on the defensive end either, mainly because he understands how to position his body and use his ultra-quick feet to make his opponents fumble with the ball during possessions.
As it relates to fighting over ball screens, Lykes frequently performs a textbook technique that works perfectly when he wants to stay attached to a ball-handler that doesn’t like to leave a ton of space between himself and the screener. Essentially, if Lykes is looking to propel himself over a ball screen, he puts a hand on the screener’s outside leg and lowers his center of gravity in order to avoid running into the chest of the screener, which isn’t an easy technique to pull off if you don’t practice it on a regular basis.
In short, there is a lot to like about Lykes’ overall game and if he manages to stay healthy and score the basketball at a high level in 2021-22, the Razorbacks could be in for another special season.