Lucas Lesko will always cherish the driveway battles with his father Mark, a Muhlenberg College basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

Those have helped shape him into Northampton’s growing dominant presence in the post. With the Leskos, it is a family affair with cousins and teammates Issac and Isaiah Harris.

His mother, the former Amanda Spengler was a member of Northampton’s 1996 state finalist team, and his sister, Grace is a sophomore post player with the girls’ team.

“My dad is a pretty big dude at 6-10, and he roughs me up in the post,” said Lesko about his driveway battles. “Not having summer league was tough, but my mom, dad, and sister get together and we play two-on-two.

“Issac and Isaiah (Harris) come over and we can have a three-on-three. It’s all about love. We’re all preparing each other for the best we can be.”

An early-season game against Nazareth helped to pave the way for Lesko this season, helping to lead the Kids to within a game of the District 11 finals.

“It definitely gave me a lot of confidence,” said Lesko.

“There are some games where Issac (Harris) has trouble scoring because of the defense, and I know I have to pick it up. We try to play a two-man game between ourselves.”

Harris, a junior and the team’s leading scorer averaging roughly 20 points per game, can see his cousin’s development.

“Lucas [became] the player we all know he can be,” said Harris. “He is a very solid player all around and is a big threat.

“Teams [needed] to be aware of him or he will hurt them from the three and the post.”

The 6-5 Lesko noted a recent growth spurt also has improved his game.

“I grew a lot in the past few years,” he said. “It has helped my big game get better. But I do like shooting threes. We have a team saying that threes are better than twos. Shooting threes adds an unexpected part of my game. Players won’t always expect me to step out and shoot.

“I always was a tall kid for my age, but I didn’t have a growth spurt like other kids. I remember playing with kids at the Eastside Youth Center, and seeing them grow. I always wondered why I couldn’t have that.

“I am happy where I am at right now.”

Head coach Coy Stampone has begun to realize Lesko’s potential.

“We have been high on Lucas since we saw him last year,” said Stampone. “He can be a dominant player in the post for us. His footwork is better and he can do a good job on the boards.

“He knows now that he can be a threat at any time.”

Lesko credited his progress last year to his AAU play during the summer. He saw limited time last year due to a senior-heavy roster, and understood his new role this season.

“Playing at that level, the refs don’t make as many calls as they would,” noted Lesko. “It really helped me playing against big guys because I had to hold my own. Playing against kids from all over Pennsylvania and New Jersey made me realize what I had to do

“I didn’t get a lot of playing time last season because we had a lot of seniors. Stamp (Stampone) and Scholl (assistant coach Matt) told me that I had to step it up this year. I had to come out and play my game.”

Lesko’s game also rose on the defensive side of the ball.

“I had to play a tough, big guy from Easton, and it helped me,” said Lesko. “I am seeing what I can do, and I am working on blocking shots. There are a lot of big guys in the league. I am feeling better each game with my play, and I know I have to be a constant force down there.”

Lesko helped the Kids become a major factor in the East Penn Conference race as well as the District 11 Class 6A bracket.