Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/680997
MEN'S BASKETBALL RECRUITING However, exceptions can always be made when a special talent presents it- self. Such is the case with Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga junior Chris Lykes. Listed at just 5-7 and 155 pounds, Lykes was initially evaluated in De- cember 2015 by Notre Dame assistant Rod Balanis at the Chicago Elite Clas- sic. The rest of the staff, including Brey, followed up to see Lykes work out in person at his high school prior to the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C. The diminutive junior's electric skill set impressed enough for the Irish to extend an offer following that March workout. Now, Lykes lists Notre Dame among his yet to be finalized top five that also includes Villanova, Miami, VCU and Georgetown. "I'm closely examining everything," Lykes said. "I had those five schools, and I'm still open to new schools as well. I'm still open to all the schools, but I want to be done with this before my high school season starts. "I want to see the campus and how that is on official visits. And I want to see if there's good camaraderie with the players already, and how the coaches interact with them." Notre Dame wasn't the first major school to offer Lykes, but they were among an earlier group and that could pay off for them down the line. There's also an interesting backcourt dynamic to use as a selling point. A growing trend in college basketball features teams using multiple ball handlers in the lineup at the same time, like the Irish did with Matt Far-