Kyle Neddenriep

LCJ

When Trey Lyles had an opportunity to help design a special game jersey prior to his high school senior season at Indianapolis Arsenal Tech, the University of Kentucky signee's first thought was pink. Not only was it a way to honor a number of players' family members impacted by cancer, but it was a fashionable alternative to the Titans' traditional forest green uniforms.

"We wanted to show we're supporters of those with any type of cancer," Lyles said. "And a lot of guys like to wear pink."

It also carried deep personal meaning for Lyles. His uncle, Darrell, a longtime smoker, died from lung cancer in October of 2010, a month before Trey played his first varsity game as a freshman. Trey was close with his uncle and the pair shared many of the same interests and attributes. When Trey would mock the way Darrell would fall asleep on the couch watching television, his uncle would give it back to him.

So when Trey pulled on the pink jersey for a few game this season, he felt like Darrell was with him again, at least in spirit.

"I was hoping that he'd be able to be around for at least one game," Lyles said. "I wrote his name on my shoes and wore pink shoes for that reason, but it hurt. I wish he could have been there."

Darrell would have taken great pride in his nephew's accomplishments, which now includes 2014 IndyStar Mr. Basketball. The 6-10 Lyles pulled down the award in a three-player race over Park Tudor's Trevon Bluiett and Marion's James Blackmon Jr.

Lyles, who led Tech to its first state championship, was named on 117 ballots cast by media and coaches, while Bluiett (108) and Blackmon Jr. (95) followed closely behind. Greensburg's Bryant McIntosh and Lake Central's Tyler Wideman each received seven of the 344 total votes.

The Mr. Basketball award caps an incredible run for Lyles, who was named a McDonald's All-American, the state's Gatorade Player of the Year and the Class 4A Trester Mental Attitude Award winner following Tech's 63-59 win over Lake Central in the state title game.

Lyles is Tech's second Mr. Basketball winner, following Joe Sexson in 1952, and the first from an Indianapolis Public School since Washington's George McGinnis in 1969.

"I'm proud and honored to be a part of such a special group of players who won it before me," he said. "I think it'll take a while for it to sink in."

It may have seemed predestined for Lyles five years ago. As a 6-7 eighth grader at Decatur Middle School, his talent was obvious. Indiana coach Tom Crean and Purdue coach Matt Painter were among those who came to watch him as a middle schooler. Just a few months later, prior to his freshman year at Tech, Lyles committed to Crean and Indiana.

Unlike his close friend, Blackmon Jr., who also committed prior to his freshman year, Lyles didn't sign with Indiana. After opening up his recruitment prior to his junior season, Lyles pledged to Kentucky a year later.

Though he insisted at the time that the negative backlash on social media to his decision to pull the commitment from Indiana had little impact, Tech coach Jason Delaney said there was a noticeable difference in his demeanor as a senior.

"I saw him smile more this year than I have in three years," said Delaney, who took over as Tech's coach prior to Lyles' sophomore season. "He had fun. He played and worked and made his teammates better. We preach family all the time, but they truly were a family. That was the most fun part of this year for me was seeing them have fun playing together."

Perhaps the biggest upset of all was that Lyles, ranked as one of the top prospects nationally in his class from his freshman year on, stayed at Tech for four years and didn't transfer to a prep school like many of his peers.

And there were opportunities. A couple of prep schools were particularly persistent, Lyles said. Delaney would hear rumors and check in with Tom Lyles, Trey's father and Tech assistant coach. The elder Lyles would occasionally, jokingly, make Delaney sweat. But there was never any intention of transferring from Tech.

"Those schools would call a lot," Tom Lyles said. "But you never know for sure what's on the other side. There were a lot of things Trey wanted to accomplish at Tech. And he wanted to finish it with the guys he started with. He never really gave it a second thought."

The common goal was to lead Tech to a state title. After a 7-13 season in Lyles' freshman season, the Titans improved to 16-5 the following year and 21-5 in 2012-13. But tournament success eluded Tech. Lyles injured his knee and was unable to play in the final game of his junior season, a 66-50 loss to nemesis Cathedral.

The tears flowed freely following that game. From the outside, there were those who questioned Lyles' toughness. The feeling after that game added to his sense of urgency.

"I never wanted myself or my teammates to feel like that again," he said. "The rest of the school year was pretty much a downer because of how we finished. I thought back to that before every game this year. It kept running through my mind to push us to get a better result this year."

Armed with a talented and experienced roster, Tech left little doubt this season. Playing the toughest schedule Delaney and athletic director Victor Bush could put together, the Titans defeated nationally-ranked teams like Huntington Prep (twice) and La Lumiere. The only hiccups were a four-point November loss to Bowman Academy and a six-point loss to Hamilton Southeastern in February that came two days after the City tournament championship.

Lyles, a willing passer and perimeter threat, simply parked himself on the block in some games and forced teams to foul him or give up dunks. In a 95-88 overtime win over Park Tudor on Jan. 4, he scored 45 points on 27-for-33 free-throw shooting (Bluiett scored 51). He averaged more than 10 free throw attempts per game, making 74 percent (218-for-275).

"That's something we talked about before the season," Lyles said. "Me going down on the block was going to give us the best chance to win."

Tech broke down barriers, winning the program's first sectional and regional titles since the Landon Turner days of 1978. The Titans survived a furious comeback by Bloomington North for their first semistate title since 1966 and then defeated Lake Central for its first win in a state championship game in five tries.

Time marches on. Lyles wants to come back to Indianapolis for the Final Four next year and win a national championship in his hometown with Kentucky. After college, he has hopes of an NBA career. But in the aftermath of the state title, that journey alone seemed like one worth celebrating.

"Hopefully," Lyles said, "we'll be remembered for a long time."

Call Indianapolis Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.