Video: Early Contenders - La LumiereMaxPreps 2015-16 High School Basketball Early Contenders, Presented by Dick's Sporting Goods and Under Armour
Head coach: Shane Heirman (second season)
2014-15 record: 23-2
State association: Independent
Enrollment: 200 (9-12)
2015-16 La Lumiere Lakers basketball team
Photo by Patrick Gorski
Players to Watch
James Banks (6-10, Sr., F/C) … Committed to Texas
Brian Bowen (6-7, Jr., G/F) … MaxPreps Sophomore All-American in 2014-15
Tyger Campbell (6-0, Fr., G) … Played varsity basketball as eighth grader in Tennessee
Isaiah Coleman-Lands (6-0, Jr., G) … Younger brother of Illinois freshman guard Jalen Coleman-Lands
Brandon Cyrus (6-4, Sr., G) … Offers from Arizona State, California and UNLV
Algevon Eichelberger (6-6, Sr., F) … Committed to DePaul
Joey St. Pierre (6-9, Sr., F/C) … Recruitment picking up steam
Jeremiah Tilmon (6-9, Jr., F/C) … Late addition is Top 20 2017 prospect
Guard/forward Brian Bowen was a 2014-15 MaxPreps Sophomore All-American.
Photo by Patrick Gorski
Key Dates
Nov. 24-28 – Coventry Health Tournament of Champions
Dec. 18-22 – Iolani Classic
Dec. 29 – vs.
St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) at Slam Dunk to the Beach
Jan. 2 – vs.
Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) at Cancer Research Classic
Jan. 17 – vs.
The Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) at Spalding Hoophall Classic
Jan. 24 – vs.
Garfield Heights (Ohio) at Dunk 4 Diabetes
Guard Brandon Cyrus
Photo by Patrick Gorski
Laker Storylines
* Heirman had a very good first season as head coach at La Lumiere, but the resume wasn't quite good enough to get the Lakers into the field for Dick's Nationals. The former Tulsa standout beefed up the 2015-16 schedule in order to give his team more opportunities for quality wins. The northern Indiana school is already 3-0 this season.
* Bowen and Eichelberger are both natives of Saginaw, Michigan — a city rich with basketball tradition. Former Saginaw hoops stars include Draymond Green, Darvin Ham, Mark Macon, Kenyon Martin, Jason Richardson and Anthony Roberson.
* The Lakers are blessed with a bevy of bigs, but Tilmon may hold the most promise. He averaged 9.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season for a 20-win East St. Louis squad.
View gallery from preseason Early Contenders photo shoot with La Lumiere
