It lost half of its 'dynamic duo.' But here's why York High hoops still has hope

Juelz Tucker was heartbroken.

He loved playing basketball alongside Daveyon Lydner for York High. The two guards were similar and put up nearly identical scoring numbers this past season, but were different enough that they could complement each other. Tucker was looking forward to the pair taking another step forward together next winter.

A few weeks ago, he logged on to Facebook and learned that wouldn't be the case.

A rising junior and potential top-tier Division I recruit, Lydner had announced he would be transferring to Westtown School, a prep institution in West Chester.

"I felt like I lost a piece of me," Tucker said. "We were the dynamic duo. We're so close.

"I'm proud of him and where he got to. But now I've got to be the man."

While York High's championship potential has certainly taken a hit with the departure of Lydner, the Bearcats do have reasons to be optimistic. And the biggest is perhaps the presence of Tucker, who is now a Division I recruit himself.

The rising senior earned his first scholarship offer from Rider University at the end of June. Located in Lawrenceville, N.J., Rider is coming off a 16-14 season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Ruben Rodriguez, who was named the PIAA Class 6A Player of the Year and led Reading High School to a state title, will be playing college basketball there.

A combo guard who can play on or off the ball, Tucker plays bigger than his 6-foot frame. He's dominant in transition and getting to the rim, and he's improved his outside shooting (28 3-pointers last season). He averaged 16 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists and shot 54% from the field last season.

"I thought this would happen sooner," York High head coach Clovis Gallon said about Tucker getting a scholarship offer. "Juelz is one of those kids who can lead a team. He can distribute the ball and he's a phenomenal passer. He has great anticipation skills. He sees the floor very well but he can also score the ball."

York High boys' basketball team is one of the most iconic athletics programs in York County. The Bearcats played for a state title in 2009 and won three District 3 titles over the next decade.

But York High posted back-to-back losing seasons in 2021 and 2022. Gallon said the Bearcats struggled to get players to try out for the team during the COVID-19 pandemic — something the program never struggled with in the past.

But last season, he hopes, marked a turning point. The Bearcats went 20-8 and reached the YAIAA title game. Even with the departure of Lydner, Tucker is determined to keep the Bearcats on an upward trajectory next season.

"My sophomore year, we missed the playoffs. Last year, I made sure we were past that," Tucker said. "We're going to go further this year. We've got something to do. I've let the guys know that."

Why Lydner left York High

When Lydner received his first Division I offer from Rutgers in early May, he spoke about using the opportunity to be a "difference maker for kids in the city."

He said he was inspired by his late uncle, Collin "C.J." Smith, who was a 1,000-point scorer for the Bearcats over a decade ago.

While Lydner said those things are still true, he's decided he'll be better served playing with other national-level players in a college-like environment. A boarding school that competes outside of the PIAA, Westtown has produced a number of top tier Division I recruits in recent years, including recent Dallas Mavericks first round pick Dereck Lively II.

"My dad was telling me I don't have to stay in one place to inspire kids," Lydner said. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to be away from family this soon, but if I'm going to take basketball seriously and reach my goals, I might as well do it now."

More on Lydner: He's winning on the court. And in school. And the memory of his uncle drives him to do more

A number of York-Adams standouts have left their public schools for prep schools in recent years — the most notable being recent Indiana Pacers draftee Jarace Walker, who attended Susquehannock Middle School but went to high school at Florida's IMG Academy. New Oxford's Tommy Haugh (University of Florida) and Gettysburg's Quadir Copeland (Syracuse) also found Power Five opportunities after leaving the YAIAA.

On the flip side, Central York rising junior Ben Rill spent his freshman season at Westtown and decided to return to his home district this past year.

"I care about Daveyon as a person and I made it clear I want the best for him," Gallon said. "He's going to be successful whether he goes there or stays here. I'm going to miss him as a kid and watching him develop and be a part of that process."

Growing up as a player and person

The player everyone calls "JuJu" admits he wasn't always on the right path.

Tucker grew up a "city kid" in York and always wanted to play basketball for the Bearcats. But he said he didn't behave himself, and his parents enrolled him in York Catholic in middle school, hoping a change of scenery would benefit him.

In ninth grade, he transferred back to York High — where he said he felt the most comfortable.

"I realized the older you get the more you can't get away with," Tucker said. "My nephew is 5 and I'm almost 18. If he sees me do something he'll think it's OK for him to do it, too. I want to be a role model."

Learn more about this phenomenon: Basketball stars are leaving for prep schools. Why it's happening and is it worth it?

Tucker has learned to channel his emotion into tenacity on the basketball court. It's common to see him battle bigger players for rebounds or rise up into them for layups. In a recent York High summer league game against West Chester Henderson, he scored a jaw-dropping 47 points.

Coaches from Rider were in attendance and extended him the offer shortly after.

"I'm not the biggest nor the fastest nor the smartest," Tucker said about his playing style. "But I've got that dog mindset."

Tucker said he hopes to get more offers before making a college decision. Regardless, he has plenty of motivation for this coming season. York High went 0-3 against Central York last year in games that determined the league and division titles, and Tucker took those defeats hard. The Bearcats also went 0-3 in the District 3 tournament and missed states.

With promising players such as David Warde and Monford White returning for York High, Tucker hopes the Bearcats can surprise people next winter.

"I think about those moments all the time," he said of York High's disappointing playoff run. "We got embarrassed, but it won't happen again. We've got to go all out."

Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, mallibone@ydr.com or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone. 

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York High boys' basketball's Juelz Tucker earns offer from Rider