No longer the little school that could, Lyon County is now the little school that did.
And the Lyons don’t look like they’re finished doing.
With two 2nd Region championships already in the trophy case, Lyon is the clear favorite for a three-peat this season, especially after being ranked No. 1 in the entire state in the Courier-Journal’s preseason poll.
The Lyons will be the only team in the commonwealth to say they possess the state’s all-time leading scorer. Clearly the front-runner for Mr. Basketball this season, Travis Perry headlines what may be Lyon’s best unit yet.
Perry signed earlier this month with the University of Kentucky.
Senior teammate Brady Shoulders has signed with Tennessee Martin.
Senior guard Jack Reddick has scholarship offers from the University of the Cumberlands and Kentucky Christian, among others.
The next big recruit on the Lyon list looks like 6-foot-6 sophomore Lukas Breedlove. Breedlove moved into a starting role last season and already has a college offer from McNeese State.
But any talk of Lyon basketball begins with Perry, who passed the legendary “King” Kelly Coleman as the state’s career scoring leader in the Sweet 16 last season at Rupp Arena.
Perry starts this season with 4,359 points — 1,170 of those coming just last season.
He is also the state’s all-time leader in 3-point shots made with 528.
Perry, son of head coach Ryan Perry, was third in the state in scoring last season at 31.6 points a night, helping the Lyons go 31-6 and reach the quarterfinal round at the state tournament. He was named the Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year following the campaign.
But Perry has help. The 6-6 Shoulders averaged a double-double last year and became a highlight staple with his dunks. Shoulders scored 17.9 points a game while grabbing 11.1 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Reddick was second on the team with a scoring average of 18.8 points a night.
The Lyons appear to have more depth this season, with sophomores Bray Kirk and Carson Collins providing backcourt support. At 6-5, sophomore Isaac Defew brings some additional size to the court. Senior Luke Burchett can play multiple spots.
Senior Jackson Crawford and sophomore Cooper Collins will also vie for playing time.
Lyon shot over 49 percent from the floor last year, largely by beating teams up the court for easy baskets. But the Lyons can also fill it up from long range, making 38 percent of their 3-point attempts. Perry connected on 44.9 percent of his shots from behind the arc while Reddick hit 37.3 percent and Shoulders 35.9 percent.
Lyon will face an intense 2023-24 schedule that includes a visit to the prestigious City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida, along with stops in Columbia, Missouri, and Lexington, Wayland and Bowling Green in Kentucky.
Lyon has won five straight 5th District titles and looks like a strong bet for six in a row.
Top challenges in the region this season should come from Christian County, University Heights Academy, Hopkinsville and Henderson County.
The Lyons tip off the new season Tuesday, Nov. 28, with a home date against Vienna, Illinois.
