Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

On New Year’s Eve, 2020, Luke Paragon made the 25-minute drive from his house in Cicero, New York, to a YMCA in Fayetteville. It was snowing, but Paragon wanted to get some shots up before the new year.

Paragon contacted his high school coach, Kyle Martin, asking if they could workout like they had since Martin took over at Cicero-North Syracuse High School in 2020. They ended up taking over 500 shots.

“I’m not saying he deserved it, nor does he feel that way, but he’s earned it,” said Peter Paragon, Luke’s father.

Paragon and Martin trained together for five to six days a week as Paragon started his second season for Cicero-North’s varsity basketball team. He played above his age group for most of his life, featuring on C-NS’ freshmen squad as an eighth grader and then varsity as a sophomore. Paragon’s ascent helped him land a spot on Blair Academy’s (NJ) team this upcoming season, and he’s set to attend Brown next fall. 

In eighth grade, Paragon was mostly on the bench. But he savored every moment, and said his lack of minutes as a younger player motivated him. 

“I always wanted to be better than them,” Paragon said. “It was playing with them and being able to practice with them that made me better, but it also made me way more competitive.”

The next year, Paragon started with the JV team as a ninth grader. He retained that role the following year and was named captain for the next three seasons. 

Paragon was always someone who could shoot the ball at a high level from deep, serving mainly as a catch and shoot guy for the Northstars. His role changed when Martin arrived before his junior season.

“Right away, we worked on getting to the basket and changing up the way he scored just to give him something extra,” Martin said. “He really became good at attacking the rim and getting in the paint.” 

Paragon went from the player patiently waiting at the 3-point arch for his shot to someone who always had the ball in his hands. He developed the ability to beat defenders off the dribble and shoot over them from mid-range using his size.

Megan Thompson | Digital Design Director

He knocked down 31 three pointers in 20 games during his sophomore season, averaging 12.7 points per game despite C-NS finishing with a 2-18 record. Paragon increased his average to over 17 points his junior season, hitting 22 threes while the team finished 8-4 in a COVID-shortened season. 

This past year, the Northstars finished 16-6, their best record in over a decade and fifth-best in school history. Paragon averaged just under 20 points and hit 26 threes as C-NS made the New York Section 3 Class AA Quarterfinals. He also scored inside, racking up 110 2-point baskets, more than double his total from the past two seasons combined. 

Paragon also played with the New York Jayhawks, an AAU team based out of New York City. Each weekend from April through July, Paragon and his family drove down to the city for practices. 

Paragon got exposure to more college coaches on the AAU circuit, and after solid showings in tournaments in Alabama and South Carolina, he received multiple Division I offers. He showed off his shooting ability, but also showed his versatility by using his size to crash the offensive glass and playing stellar defense at the guard position.

Both Patriot and Ivy League schools pursued Paragon, but he ultimately picked Brown, just one week after taking an unofficial visit to the school. 

Paragon became the first D-I basketball player from C-NS in 30 years — the first since Michael Brown committed to play at Providence in 1992 — providing an example for those who have the same aspiration of becoming a college basketball player.

“It’s pretty crazy, because I mean, I don’t really think about that without other people telling me,” Paragon said. “I kind of just think about myself, so when he (Martin) tells me these things … that’s really awesome.”

Published on September 6, 2022 at 11:24 pm

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22