Recruiting Report: Lu’Cye Patterson (2020)
One of the best playmakers living inside the Minnesota borders right now is Lu’Cye Patterson of Minnesota Prep Academy. After a year of playing at the prep school level Patterson spoke with Prep Hoops about his experience. “The competition on…
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Continue ReadingOne of the best playmakers living inside the Minnesota borders right now is Lu’Cye Patterson of Minnesota Prep Academy. After a year of playing at the prep school level Patterson spoke with Prep Hoops about his experience.
“The competition on our schedule has made me a better player,” Patterson said about playing for Minnesota Prep Academy. “I’m playing against ten division one players every night on the Grind Session.
“On the Grind Session everybody has people from the EYBL, Under Armour, basically everybody from shoe teams all on one team. So every night was tough. I think that made me a better playing facing others players from around the country, other than just Minnesota talent.”
The Grind Session says “The Grind Session is more than just great games: it’s an opportunity to prepare for the next chapter of your basketball career” on the front page of the website. Facing some of the best teams on that circuit Patterson agrees.
“This year we played a game against Prolific Prep and lost by nine,” Patterson said. “Prolific Prep has Nimari Burnett (5 star talent) and a couple other kids, and I think they have Jalen Green coming in. They were probably the toughest team we faced, them or Spire who had Rocket Watts and Isaiah Jackson.
“Going at players like that – like Rocket going to Michigan State – guarding him and going against him is really getting me ready for the next level because those are the type of guards I am going to see. Those are two of the best games I played too. I had 26 on Spire and I had 33 against Prolific Prep when we played them in DC.”
Playing with Minnesota Prep Academy is of course a different daily experience than when Lu’Cye played at Brooklyn Center. Games are of course multiple states away. The ability to travel has it’s advantages.
“Traveling made our team chemistry way better,” Patterson explained. “You get to talk on the road, you get to go to different states and see what they eat and how they move, and how people are in terms of how they talk and how they live. You also get to see what some of the other people have to go through in life and see how they live.”
Lu’Cye said that Minnesota Prep went to Tennessee, Washington DC, Mississippi, and Kentucky among other places. So, seeing all the players from different locations, who gave Lu’Cye the toughest game?
“I played against a whole bunch of good players but the best was likely Nimari Burnett, or Rocket Watts.”
And now that Patterson has a year of prep school play under his belt he’s getting ready for his second season with MPA.
“I need to get more explosive, probably get a little faster. I also need to keep shooting, stay in the gym and get my jumper right for next season. I’m really working on my foot quickness and being more explosive.”
Patterson averaged ten points, 3.5 rebounds, and three assists a game this spring playing in eight EYBL contests.
“Since the Indy session I’ve just been in the gym. I’m looking to play for another team on one of the shoe deals but really I’m just continually working in the gym. I want to continue to grind and get out here and keep competing.”
Lu’Cye received his initial scholarship offer from Idaho State last summer or fall. He mentioned some other programs that he continues to connect with: “I’ve been hearing from Creighton, Marquette, Ball State, and Iowa State, I think I am going up to Marquette as I have been invited to several team camps.”
Patterson is the son of Luke Patterson, the coach at MPA and a former big number scorer at Augsburg with his jumpshot. How does Lu’Cye compare to his father as a player?
“We have similarities as we have the same mindset on the court. We have the same mentality and all my friends and all the people that I’ve played with since we were little have all adopted that,” Patterson said. “I got some of that low post game from him when I post up littler guards.”
“He was more, he don’t care about you, he just wanted to score on you as he was a scorer, so he always tells me I’m too nice. He was a mean player when he played.”
And who would in a shooting contest between father and son? Lu’Cye answered that question with the fastest “me” that’s ever been spoken.