SE: Connection with Coaching Staff, Chicago Roots Brings Lewis Home to K-State
Aug 05, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Seryee Lewis was getting ready for his first visit to Manhattan when "they shut the world down."
"Everything stopped. This was back in March, so the coaching staff thought maybe I could visit in May and then it got worse, so they had to cancel everything," he said. "My parents and I decided to look at our options and weigh everything out."
For a Chicago kid like Lewis, those options included schools in every corner of the basketball world.
He had offers from Yale, Brown and Columbia, or schools back home like UIC and Southern Illinois. St. John's in New York City, Georgetown in D.C. and Oklahoma all offered him.
But when Lewis signed with Kansas State in April, a big part of his decision came down to another guy from Chicago.
"My relationship with DaJuan [Gordon] and having him promote the program to me, how I could get better here and that this would be a perfect fit, that made my family and I feel very confident in my decision," Lewis said.
For the Wildcats, adding Lewis to a seven-man recruiting class in 2020 gives Bruce Weber and his coaching staff another forward with all the tools to compete in the Big 12.
It's easy to watch his high school tape and picture the 6-foot-9 Lewis holding his own against some of the tougher defensive assignments that will roll through Bramlage Coliseum this season, but both Lewis and his coach pointed to the mental side of his game as a potential X- factor.
Weber said that when he watched Lewis in his Compass Prep days, he saw a player with a high basketball IQ.
"You could just tell watching him throughout the year how much improvement he had as the season went on," Weber said when Lewis signed with the Wildcats in April. "It was really tough for him leaving Chicago and going to Arizona, but he will tell you that it was big step for him growing as a man and as a basketball player."
Playing in the structure of a prep basketball powerhouse like Compass Prep provided a boost to Lewis as he continued to develop into a college prospect with high-major talent.
Even as he juggled recruiting visits and the reality that he would have to decide on his college future during this challenging summer, Lewis could draw on his experience leaving Chicago to continue his high school basketball career at a school thousands of miles from home.
Lewis said that he became a better player and a more mature student in Arizona, developing into a scoring threat on the wing.
"Playing people from all over the country in Arizona, I started facing guys who were taller than me and more physically built than me," he said. "I had to start developing my true skills."
A walking double-double at Compass Prep, Lewis averaged 13.2 points and 10.1 rebounds on a Dragons teams that went 24-6 during his senior season.
He didn't take his foot off the gas on the AAU circuit, playing for the Mac Irvin Fire in the Nike EYBL last summer.
But when it came time to make his college decision, with offers throughout the country, Lewis kept coming back to the coaching staff at K-State and his friendship with Gordon.
"Me and him played against each other and knew each other before all of this," Lewis said. "He's always teaching me things on the court and ways that I can get better."
While Lewis is no stranger to living in different parts of the country, he admitted that Manhattan is a dramatic change from his basketball roots on the south side of Chicago.
Having a contingent of Chicagoland players – Cymone Goodrich and Jada Thorpe on the K-State women's basketball team – along with Gordon, has helped Lewis get settled in the Little Apple.
"Sometimes you've got to drive to Junction City or sometimes you've got to drive to Topeka, even Kansas City," he said. "I've never done more online shopping in my life than I do now."
Arriving on campus and spending a few weeks in quarantine has finally given way to practice for Lewis, who has been able to return to the court and begin preparing for the 2020-21 season.
Even in the middle of an uncertain time, it's provided Lewis with something familiar as the freshman looks ahead to his K-State career.
"It feels good. I'm just ready to go out and play and actually get to experience basketball again," Lewis said. "I haven't felt that since March when the pandemic started. Just to get that feeling and play the sport I love, that's what I'm most excited about."
Seryee Lewis was getting ready for his first visit to Manhattan when "they shut the world down."
"Everything stopped. This was back in March, so the coaching staff thought maybe I could visit in May and then it got worse, so they had to cancel everything," he said. "My parents and I decided to look at our options and weigh everything out."
For a Chicago kid like Lewis, those options included schools in every corner of the basketball world.
He had offers from Yale, Brown and Columbia, or schools back home like UIC and Southern Illinois. St. John's in New York City, Georgetown in D.C. and Oklahoma all offered him.
But when Lewis signed with Kansas State in April, a big part of his decision came down to another guy from Chicago.
"My relationship with DaJuan [Gordon] and having him promote the program to me, how I could get better here and that this would be a perfect fit, that made my family and I feel very confident in my decision," Lewis said.
For the Wildcats, adding Lewis to a seven-man recruiting class in 2020 gives Bruce Weber and his coaching staff another forward with all the tools to compete in the Big 12.
It's easy to watch his high school tape and picture the 6-foot-9 Lewis holding his own against some of the tougher defensive assignments that will roll through Bramlage Coliseum this season, but both Lewis and his coach pointed to the mental side of his game as a potential X- factor.
Weber said that when he watched Lewis in his Compass Prep days, he saw a player with a high basketball IQ.
"You could just tell watching him throughout the year how much improvement he had as the season went on," Weber said when Lewis signed with the Wildcats in April. "It was really tough for him leaving Chicago and going to Arizona, but he will tell you that it was big step for him growing as a man and as a basketball player."
Playing in the structure of a prep basketball powerhouse like Compass Prep provided a boost to Lewis as he continued to develop into a college prospect with high-major talent.
Even as he juggled recruiting visits and the reality that he would have to decide on his college future during this challenging summer, Lewis could draw on his experience leaving Chicago to continue his high school basketball career at a school thousands of miles from home.
Lewis said that he became a better player and a more mature student in Arizona, developing into a scoring threat on the wing.
"Playing people from all over the country in Arizona, I started facing guys who were taller than me and more physically built than me," he said. "I had to start developing my true skills."
A walking double-double at Compass Prep, Lewis averaged 13.2 points and 10.1 rebounds on a Dragons teams that went 24-6 during his senior season.
He didn't take his foot off the gas on the AAU circuit, playing for the Mac Irvin Fire in the Nike EYBL last summer.
Seryee Lewis just melted my face 😱 @Seryee2020 @themacirvinfire @nikeeyb pic.twitter.com/KETLrXoB5I
— BallerTV (@BallerTV) April 28, 2019
But when it came time to make his college decision, with offers throughout the country, Lewis kept coming back to the coaching staff at K-State and his friendship with Gordon.
"Me and him played against each other and knew each other before all of this," Lewis said. "He's always teaching me things on the court and ways that I can get better."
While Lewis is no stranger to living in different parts of the country, he admitted that Manhattan is a dramatic change from his basketball roots on the south side of Chicago.
Having a contingent of Chicagoland players – Cymone Goodrich and Jada Thorpe on the K-State women's basketball team – along with Gordon, has helped Lewis get settled in the Little Apple.
"Sometimes you've got to drive to Junction City or sometimes you've got to drive to Topeka, even Kansas City," he said. "I've never done more online shopping in my life than I do now."
Arriving on campus and spending a few weeks in quarantine has finally given way to practice for Lewis, who has been able to return to the court and begin preparing for the 2020-21 season.
Even in the middle of an uncertain time, it's provided Lewis with something familiar as the freshman looks ahead to his K-State career.
"It feels good. I'm just ready to go out and play and actually get to experience basketball again," Lewis said. "I haven't felt that since March when the pandemic started. Just to get that feeling and play the sport I love, that's what I'm most excited about."
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