After spending his freshman year at Huntington University, high-flying guard Trevor Lucas transferred to AU and has captivated Raven fans with his athleticism and skill set ever since.
Lucas was named first-team All-HCAC and third-team All-Great Lakes Region for his efforts in the 2016-2017 season. He scored 21.1 points per game, hauled in six rebounds per and added three assists a game.
Lucas, now a senior, is set for possibly his greatest season in a Raven uniform yet. DIII News named Lucas honorable mention on the preseason All-American team.
“It was cool to get this recognition,” Lucas said. “It’s a testament to how hard I’ve worked to get to this point. It’s only a preseason award, but it’s still pretty neat.”
When Lucas came in as a sophomore, he was handed the keys to the ignition and hasn’t looked back. He started all 25 games, played 30 minutes a game and attempted 327 shots. He started 26 games last year and attempted 382 field goals. He believes that he found a great fit at AU that has enabled him to excel.
“Coach Handy gave me the opportunity to play,” he explained. “His coaching philosophy speeds up the tempo of the game.
“That suits my style of play perfectly. I love to push the ball and control the tempo of the game.”
Donning the number zero, it comes as no coincidence that Lucas’ play style resembles reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook.
“If I could model my game after anybody, it would be him,” Lucas said. “He can be a dominant scorer, but also makes his teammates better with unmatched levels of energy and intensity on a nightly basis.”
Lucas’ aggression and energy can be seen when he soars above the other nine players on the floor to haul in a rebound. The Ravens’ leading rebounder, and sixth best statistically in the HCAC, Lucas often begins the fast break after cleaning the glass.
“Rebounding is a very important part of the game,” he said. “It’s a collective effort, but I try my best to help the team finish every defensive possession with a rebound.”
Once he has secured the board and began racing up the floor, the guard is nearly impossible to stop. Lucas has a tremendous offensive arsenal at his disposal: the ability to finish with both hands, stop on a dime and knock down a pull-up jump shot, step back for a transition three or kick to any of his talented teammates. His knack for attacking in transition is a huge reason as to why the Ravens scored 86.6 points per game last season, tops in the conference.
“Trev has had a huge impact on the team since he transferred here,” said fellow senior Cory Krieger. “His athleticism and skill level aren’t things that just anybody can bring you. He’s a very special player.”
Maybe the most impressive aspect of Lucas’ offensive outpouring is the efficiency with which he scored. Lucas often scores off of a steady diet of pull-up jumpers and moves off the dribble, some of the more difficult shots in basketball. During the conference season last year, Lucas was able to join the elusive “50/40/90 Club,” meaning he shot at or above 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the free throw line. This is incredibly impressive when analyzing the degree of difficulty of many of the shots he takes. Only seven players in NBA history have managed such a feat, putting into perspective how impressive his junior season was.
“I want to be in the 50/40/90 club for the full season,” he said. If Lucas does this, he knows how difficult his team will be to stop, but more than individual milestones, Lucas wants the team to succeed.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about winning,” he explained. “Whatever I average doesn’t matter. I just want to help the team win games in any way that I can so that we can win conference.”
He recognizes how talented and experienced this team is, and has high hopes for his final season in the black and orange.
“If we commit to taking care of the things that matter and we defend with consistency,” he said, “the sky is the limit. We have so much talent. We just have to focus, execute each possession and let the results take care of themselves.”
With such a high ceiling for this team, Lucas has really stepped up as a leader on the team. Fellow team captain Mike Peters raved about Lucas’ work in practice.
“Trevor is obviously a very talented basketball player,” he said. “He’s also begun to take a leadership role where he demands the best out of each player each day.
“When our best player demands that work ethic from everyone on our team, it opens the door for us to have a special season.”