On the basketball court, Lydell Cardwell can flat out score. He averaged 32 points per game this past season for Mid-Peninsula High in the Private School Athletic League (PSAL) that garnered him All-Daily News second team honors by the Mercury News. For his senior season, Cardwell wants to be recognized as a legitimate college prospect on an individual level while the team goal is to win league and progress far into the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) basketball tournament.
At 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, Cardwell is a shooting guard who has a good outside shot, consistent mid-range game, and can take the ball to the paint. He compares his game to 2008 NBA Rookie of the Year, Kevin Durant, but Cardwell also plays a similar style comparable to his former NBA cousin, Stacey Augmon.
Cardwell started playing organized basketball in 8th grade and considers his basketball strengths to be his ability to shoot and to score from anywhere on the court. Curtis Haggins, his high school coach, says, "Lydell has a natural ability to score the basketball. He's a gym rat and he's always playing basketball. He wants to be a good player."
During this summer, Cardwell is playing for his San Jose based summer club, Roadrunners, where he will be working to improve his defense, rebounding, and strength. In the inaugural NCAA-sanctioned Nor Cal Summer Tip Off at City College of San Francisco, Cardwell was one of the top scorers for his team. In these games, Cardwell was quite fluid with his play. He would calmly drain a three point shot and then take the next possession into the paint with ease. Paraphrasing what one NCAA level coach says about Cardwell, "He has a good midrange game and is able to drive the ball."
Cardwell is still in the beginning stages of his recruiting but does not have any geographic restrictions, but has Cal as his favorite destination. He has received a call from Fresno State and Pacific but has not received any scholarships offers nor has he taken any official visits. Cardwell wants to attend a college program that has a winning attitude and plays a fast pace.
At the Nor Cal Summer Tip Off, Cardwell comes off as a well-mannered and overall good kid. Coach Haggins says, "Off the court, Lydell is a fun kid to be around. He's respectful and he has tons of charisma. He is a charming young man and a good kid all in all. He's also a good student but I want him to be a great student because he has that kind of ability."
Cardwell has a 2.70 GPA and 1350/910 SAT score, which makes him NCAA eligible from an academic standpoint. He would like to major in Sport Science/Medicine in college as his favorite subjects are Math and Basketball/PE, which would lead him to a career as an athletic trainer. Cardwell picked up the nickname, "Dragon Slayer," from a local newspaper. Ironically, his high school's mascot is a dragon. Smith enjoys rap music and cooking during his downtime. Look for this well-mannered, multi-faceted scorer in his PSAL games this upcoming season.
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