Prospects from the class of 2025 have officially been placed on recruiting boards and Virginia recently had a visitor from that group on Grounds.
Nyk Lewis, a point guard from Washington (DC) powerhouse Gonzaga, spent some time learning more about the program recently and came away impressed with what he saw.
Lewis also plays for the prestigious Team Takeover program on the Nike EYBL Circuit where he helped his team win the 16-under Peach Jam Championship a couple of months back.
“This summer went really well,” Lewis told CavsCorner. “I got to bond with my teammates and I think playing with Team Takeover and helping them win the 16-under Peach Jam Championship really helped my overall game. Winning that championship was the icing on the cake to a great summer.”
Being a starting point guard in the WCAC which is no easy task and a big ask for a sophomore in high school. However, playing against that kind of competition has a way of preparing you for the next level. Gonzaga has had many players end up at high major programs in its history and Lewis is one of the next up.
He believes he’s up to the challenge of being a starting point guard in the WCAC.
“I am going to be the guy on the ball leading this team,” he said. “I am going to be the guy bringing the ball up, getting my teammates involved and leading my teammates and I will have to try and keep them together in a very tough conference.”
Having had coaches from UVa watch a number of his games this summer, he was excited to finally get the chance recently to take a trip to Charlottesville.
“The visit to UVa was a great experience,” Lewis explained. “I really liked the campus and I got to go to the football game. The people around the campus were nice and all of the coaches were nice. I had learned a lot about the facilities before and how nice they were and that is definitely the case, they are really nice.”
Before his visit, Lewis knew a little about the school but really learned more throughout his time with the staff.
“I knew all of the coaches at UVa are really good coaches,” he said. “I know the system has a lot of sets in it where they have to pass the ball a lot.
“I learned about the culture and I was able to learn about what the students really do everyday so it was cool to learn about the student life,” Lewis added. “I also learned about the basketball life and how many times a week they work out and how supportive the student body is for the basketball team. Overall I learned a lot of new things about the school and program.”
In addition, Lewis got a sneak preview of how he would possibly be used in Tony Bennett’s system if he were to pledge to the Wahoos.
“They really like how I get up the floor and how I handle the ball,” he said. “If I were to go there they would like to see me play with the ball in my hands a lot. They think I take really good shots which I could do well in their system.”
Time after time prospects that visit Virginia always rave about the facilities and Lewis was no different.
“The arena and locker room really stood out,” he said. “The locker room just felt like home. The practice court is really nice and I like how everything is really spread out. The workout gym is really nice and I can just tell everything is really up to date which makes it a really nice campus that a lot of people care about.”
This past weekend, Lewis was in Colorado Springs as a participant in the USA Junior Team minicamp.
“I feel like it was a really good experience and I learned a lot of stuff,” he said. “I learned how important it is to always be in good communication with your team and always be locked in with your teammates so it was a really good experience. I felt like I represented the country really well, my hometown and Gonzaga.”
Along with Virginia, Lewis has recently visited Maryland and is planning on taking an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech this upcoming weekend