Mark Lyons lands at Arizona
Few transfers this offseason were considered of higher value than Xavier's Mark Lyons. Sean Miller's Arizona program won the sweepstakes Sunday, as Lyons made the leap to play with the Wildcats next season.
Lyons will be a fifth-year senior, and he's taking advantage of a rule that states any graduate of a four-year school can transfer to another university for one final year of play without having to sit a season (a normal transfer rule), so long as the new destination offers a graduate program that isn't available at the player's former school.
Lyons confirmed the move on his Twitter account Sunday afternoon.
At 6-foot-1, Lyons, whose reputation is a bit tarnished after being involved in that brouhaha with Cincinnati last December, is a big talent. Arizona fills a need in some ways, as former freshman guard Josiah Turner left the program recently (transferring to SMU), and although Lyons is more of a 2 than a 1, he helps Miller fills some holes in the backcourt.
The arrival of Lyons in addition to boasting the No. 1 overall class of 2012 means U of A will be considered by many a borderline preseason top 10 team after missing last season's NCAA tournament.
Lyons' Arizona choice makes sense when you consider he signed with Xavier back when Miller coached Xavier in 2008. In 2009, Miller left X for 'Zona.
Xavier went to the Sweet 16 with a sporadic 23-13 record last season, and a large portion of the team's success was due to Lyons' 15.5-points-per-game effort, as well as the 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 dimes per contest.
Lyons will be a fifth-year senior, and he's taking advantage of a rule that states any graduate of a four-year school can transfer to another university for one final year of play without having to sit a season (a normal transfer rule), so long as the new destination offers a graduate program that isn't available at the player's former school.
Lyons confirmed the move on his Twitter account Sunday afternoon.
I excited to be a wildcat!!!!!!
— Mark mooga Lyons (@Mooga_Mark) May 6, 2012
I love the Xavier blue and white so I gotta keep it going!!
— Mark mooga Lyons (@Mooga_Mark) May 6, 2012
But I had to add some #red in it!
— Mark mooga Lyons (@Mooga_Mark) May 6, 2012
At 6-foot-1, Lyons, whose reputation is a bit tarnished after being involved in that brouhaha with Cincinnati last December, is a big talent. Arizona fills a need in some ways, as former freshman guard Josiah Turner left the program recently (transferring to SMU), and although Lyons is more of a 2 than a 1, he helps Miller fills some holes in the backcourt.
The arrival of Lyons in addition to boasting the No. 1 overall class of 2012 means U of A will be considered by many a borderline preseason top 10 team after missing last season's NCAA tournament.
Lyons' Arizona choice makes sense when you consider he signed with Xavier back when Miller coached Xavier in 2008. In 2009, Miller left X for 'Zona.
Xavier went to the Sweet 16 with a sporadic 23-13 record last season, and a large portion of the team's success was due to Lyons' 15.5-points-per-game effort, as well as the 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 dimes per contest.
