Johnson's DeAndre Lyons is Ready to Play at the College Level

By Emily Iannaconi

When senior DeAndre Lyons found out that he would receive a full four-year scholarship to play basketball at Lincoln College, he cried tears of joy.

"My heart just dropped," Lyons said.

Lyons has been a standout player for Johnson College Prep during his three years with the team. As the team captain, he led the Pumas to a 21-7 overall record and 11-3 conference mark. He is a member of the graduating class of 13 seniors who will be missed both on and off the court for Johnson next year. Since he started playing basketball in fourth grade, Lyons has dreamed of playing at the college level.

He said that he believes that dream started with his dad who played basketball at Phillips. Seeing his father motivated Lyons to get to work. As the youngest of 11 in his family (nine boys, two girls), Lyons said that he always wanted to break the cycle of not attending college. "My mom and my pops are the people I really do it for," Lyons said. "They've gone down a tough road, being on the streets for almost seven years. Having this opportunity really makes me feel happy and blessed."

Lyons' success did not come right away. When he joined the team sophomore year, he could not play because of his grades. The principal told him that he had to improve his GPA to a 2.6 or 2.8. Instead, Lyons bumped his GPA up to a 3.0. The experience taught him that academics always come first. "I told coach that 'I'm going to be dedicated and I'm going to be successful,'" Lyons said.

Head basketball coach Keelan Donald preaches the importance of academics to his players. Donald said he is learning along with his players. "If I'm going to be with you all year, I have to be able to be comfortable in your space," Donald told his players. "I am always trying to teach life lessons through basketball."



As the basketball coach at Johnson for the past three years, Donald has watched Lyons grow. Donald said that Lyons has become a more confident shooter and has developed a short-term memory. One of his favorite memories with Lyons is when Lyons qualified for the IHSA three-point showdown as a sophomore. The whole team took a bus to Peoria to support Lyons as he faced the top-tier teams in the city and had the chance to play on a college court. "I'm sure that the team appreciated that a sophomore made it down to state, because they hadn't seen it before," Donald said.

Donald also remembers the playoff game against the Bulls Prep this past season. After a family member passed away, Lyons had a funeral to attend the day of the semifinal game and was not expected to play. But Lyons ended up walking from home to the school, arriving at the game and playing one of the best games of his high school career. "I had a lot of stuff brewing inside me and I just needed to let it out," Lyons said. "I was telling coach, 'I need to play today.' I just left it all out on the court. That moment when I was hugging coach [at the end of the game], I wanted to cry." Moments like these taught Lyons that he had found a safe space on the basketball court.

Lyons was not the only one who got emotional upon learning about the college scholarship. Donald said that he also broke down crying. "This opportunity (going to college), that tops having a championship," Donald said. "I'll say that a million times. I know it will be life changing for him. It will open up more eyes for the Noble Network and he's giving the younger students something to look forward to."

Donald is excited for Lyons to develop as a player at the college level. Though Lyons is a strong shooter now, he does not know what it feels like to take 100 shots. At Johnson, the team has 54 minutes to practice a day and they often share the court with the girls and JV teams. "He's not able to work out when he wants to now. I'm excited about him being on campus and going back to the same place every night. I hope basketball brings that stability," Donald said.

Lyons is looking forward to getting in shape, but he said that he will never forget the family he has found amongst his teammates at Johnson. "I will miss the staff who allows me the opportunity to feel free around the school and on the court," Lyons said. "And being on the court with my brothers."