Former Cougar Lyles making a name for herself at Florida Gulf Coast

From the Ft Meyers Newspaper

When Karl Smesko hired Nathan Daume as Florida Gulf Coast University's assistant women's basketball coach, one of his first jobs was to put together a list of top junior college players who the Eagles could sign.

Chelsea Lyles was at the top of Daume's list, but before he could get her commitment, Daume had to find out whether Lyles wanted to play basketball or volleyball. Then he had to wait from the fall signing period to the spring.

Things worked in FGCU's favor. Despite interest from Maryland's volleyball program, Lyles chose basketball, then the Eagles. Daume's recruiting pitch may have helped.

"I told her she could be one of the better players in our league," Daume said.

Lyles has proven him right. She ranks sixth in the Atlantic Sun Conference with 12.4 points per game, 11th in 3-point shooting (33.3 percent), is tied for 14th in blocked shots (0.69) and is 15th in rebounding (5.6) and shooting (40.9 percent).

Tonight, the Eagles (12-4, 5-3 A-Sun) will begin a crucial homestand of five games in 10 days days when they face Jacksonville (10-7, 6-2).

"We'll have one day to prepare for everyone," Lyles said. "We better be ready because I don't think we can lose much more than one game in conference."

A three-sport star at Harrison High in Colorado Springs, Colo., Lyles attended Western Nebraska Community College for two seasons. In her second season, she played volleyball as well as basketball and helped the team win the Junior College National Championship in volleyball.

"It was hard for me," Lyles said. "I didn't play volleyball my freshman year and I missed it so much. My volleyball and basketball coach said, 'You can play both' my sophomore year, but my mom said, 'What are you gonna do? You can't play both.'

"I knew my heart is with basketball. Basketball is more of a passion."

Lyles will consider playing volleyball if she goes to graduate school, but her focus is on basketball. She continues to learn Smesko's system and finds herself being coached constantly.

Such as in improving her screens? "Oh, all year," she said. "It gets frustrating but it makes me better."

Smesko said Lyles is a good leaper and emotional leader who'll be an even better scorer by improving in some areas.

"Consistently running the floor, she can get some put-backs or by cutting hard," he said.

Daume said she also can add to her scoring by improving on her 3-point shooting and becoming a better rebounder.

"There are a lot of junior college elite players," Daume said. "Some don't understand how to play when they get to Division I. But she's been as productive as a lot of junior college players who have come in."