Mark Lyons, Brandon Ashley taking different paths

Different strokes, different folks: In Arizona’s 2013 Sweet 16 loss to Ohio State, senior point guard Mark Lyons, the UA’s best player, scored 23 points. He was not drafted but has excelled in the EuroLeague, leading Maccabi Rishon to the 2016 Israel title, and then leaving as a free agent to take a better contract with Hapoel Tel Aviv, where he leads the league in scoring at 20.2 per game. On the same Arizona 2013 team, freshman Brandon Ashley scored four points in the Sweet 16 loss to Ohio State. Ashley remained in Tucson through his junior season, becoming the 2015 MVP at the Pac-12 Tournament before entering the NBA Draft. He was not selected. He split the 2015-16 season in the NBA D-League and on Germany’s Alba Berlin franchise, where he became snagged in a contract dispute. That dispute forced Ashley to sit out the entire 2016-17 season. Lyons turns 28 in July; Ashley 23. The after-college careers of those who played basketball at Arizona could make a riveting film documentary. 

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