In his first season as a full-time starter, Sidwell Friends (DC) 2025 guard Acaden Lewis has thrived.

The 6-foot-3, 182 pounder is currently averaging 14.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for a Quakers squad that is in the midst of another strong campaign, sitting at 21-4 overall and 11-0 in the Mid-Atlantic Conference heading into their regular-season finale with St. James (Md.) on Friday.

His recruitment has taken off over the past year, with Lewis currently holding scholarship offers from Brown, Bryant, Florida State, Georgetown, George Mason, George Washington, Georgia, Howard, Maryland, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Providence, St. John's, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Virginia Tech, among others.

I recently caught up with Lewis to discuss his progression, recruitment, his off court interests and more:

WHAT HAS BEEN THE KEY TO YOUR EMERGENCE?

“I think just staying in the gym. Even when I wasn’t very good - which is actually most of my life, leading up until the past couple of years - I’ve just always been in the gym a lot. I’ve got a good system around me, and I trust them. I’m pretty good - at least I would say - at taking criticism, and usually turning it into something I can motivate myself with, so I think my being in the gym and having trust in people allows me to get better at my weaknesses and that builds comfortability. And as of right now, I’m playing pretty comfortable.”

WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE STRENGTHS OF YOUR GAME?

“I think I’m really good with the ball screen and in the open floor. I’ve been probing really well this year and reading defenses, and I’ve been really manipulative with the ball. I’m shooting the ball at a really efficient clip right now as well, so I think the game is just kind of slowing down for me, and I’m using that to get my teammates involved and pick my spots.”

WHAT WAS THE TRANSITION TO SIDWELL LIKE FOR YOU? [Lewis spent his freshman year at St. John’s]

“I didn’t play a ton at St. John’s, but I played pretty well in some big games, and that was kind of like the story of my career up until I really got to Sidwell. The transition wasn’t seamless, to be honest. I got to Sidwell and we played in DC Live and I actually didn’t play very much when I first got there. I spent last year as, like, the 6th Man and kind of like a spark off the bench. I had to earn the trust of Coach [Eric] Singletary and my teammates, which I’ve done now. But I think it helps that I’ve been through all situations: I’ve been the guy that doesn’t play, I’ve been the 6th/7th man, I've been a starter, I’ve been the guy on the team. So when you can get a bunch of different perspectives on play styles and stuff like that, it’s always helpful.”

HOW HAVE THOSE EXPERIENCES HELPED YOU EVOLVE AS A LEADER?

“I think it helps me relate to people. I think relatability is one of the best things that people can have, and I feel like I can relate to anyone, whether it's a guy that doesn’t play too much or a guy that’s in that weird role where sometimes they play 20 minutes and sometimes they play 5. I can just talk to them and tell them I’ve been in the same situation and give them tips that maybe helped me when I was in the same situation like that. And it helps me stay humble, because I can think back to two years ago, where I was still dreaming about getting offers and playing on the big stage and wanting to be ranked and stuff like that.”

IS IT SURREAL TO BE IN THAT PLACE NOW?

“I used to have a problem with getting really high and low. I would play well and I’d be high, and I’d play bad and I’d go back down. So I think since I’ve gotten offers, it’s actually made me more comfortable, just in myself and in my play. Like, I’m not really much of a stat chaser and stuff like that, because I just want to win. I’ve provided for myself, and so now my goal is to provide for my team and be categorized as a winner. I think it helped me a lot, actually. I think it made me more comfortable in working hard, and it also showed me that hard work does pay off, so it makes me want to keep going.”

DID YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS GROWING UP?

“Growing up I was actually pretty good at soccer. I was actually really good at soccer - I was a striker, midfield sometimes and I dabbled in goalie. I just got bored of soccer; I think it was maybe third or fourth grade, I dropped it, like cold turkey. I just quit one day because I was like, ‘This isn’t fun.’ So I quit and got into basketball.”

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BASKETBALL?

“Just the thrill of it. And I think it's one of the sports that you really, like, get what you give to it. Like, if you’re in a gym and you're just outworking guys - that’s what I did, you know? I wasn’t regarded as one of the better players in the DMV, so it was like I was chasing something. I was always chasing somebody or I was chasing playing time. There’s always something you can get a lot better at, and there’s so many ways to be good at basketball. So when you’re trying to master your craft, there’s so many things you can work on. So I think I just like the grind. I just like being in the gym.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE BASKETBALL MEMORY?

“I want to say fourth grade. We ended up losing the game, but I hit, like, a corner 3. I grew up in Northeast DC, and I played for Trinidad Recreation Center - I actually still live over there now. I hit, like, this crazy shot and the gym was packed and I remember everybody went crazy. Then the kid came down and hit, like, a halfcourt shot and we lost. But that was probably my biggest memory - I remember that one vividly, I don’t know why.”

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OFF THE COURT?

“I just like to be around my friends, so whatever my friends are doing I’m doing, usually. I like to ride bikes as well, but it's winter right now, so I'm not really doing too much. And then my Mom’s a DJ, so I’m really into music. I’m a music guy - anything that interests me, I’m kind of all over the place. And sometimes just going outside and walking around.”

AS FAR AS COLLEGE RECRUITMENT, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A SCHOOL?

“Number one would definitely be constant communication. I definitely want to talk to the school, and any school that wants me, I’d appreciate it if they reached out a good amount. Another thing is just their play style: I want to go somewhere where I think I’d fit in. And then obviously who they have coming back; I’d rather not be on a team with a bunch of freshmen and sophomores and guys that are the same age as me. [Also] how the coach treats their players and talks to their players. I look at that when I go on visits, to see how he treats his last guy on the bench compared to his first guy, because everyone treats their [best] guy good, but you don’t always treat your last player good.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIMETABLE FOR MAKING A DECISION?

“Yeah, I do. I don’t really have a month, but I think I want to drop, like, maybe a Top 7 or something around June because that’s after the third session of EYBL and I think at that point if a school hasn’t really reached out, they’ll be joining the party really late since it’s been a while. So I think around June I’ll be interested in dropping a Top 5, 7 or whatever.”

ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’D LIKE TO STUDY?

“I don’t really know. Economics or anything with money management, I think maybe that would be smart for the position I’ll be in, especially having NIL and everything that’s trending. Psychology is cool too, just knowing how the human mind works. And then maybe Sports medicine would be helpful as well, just for, like, general knowledge of the body. So one of those three things, probably.”