Tyrell Ward Player Evaluation

Excellent length with a thin build
What he lacks in physical strength, he makes up for in overall athleticism
- Will benefit from an increase in upper body strength for the next level
- Has the body type that will allow him to add muscle without hindering his athleticism
Outstanding second jump
Tremendous body control
Exceptional agility
Owns a nice stride and can really get out and run when sprinting the floor
Active; plays with anticipation
Superior balance
Good hand-eye coordination, and fast-twitch fibers

Other Offensive Qualities

Offensive Qualities

His progression from his sophomore year to where he is now has been tremendous
Has worked to transform himself from a young, run-and-jump prospect into a potent offensive talent who is capable of consistently scoring from all 3 levels, while also adding to the other areas of his game
What may be most exciting is that, despite the enormous growth in his skill set, a vast amount of potential still remains
Scoring comes easy to him, as he puts the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. Let’s take a look at his offensive versatility:
- Excels as a catch and shooter, especially from 3-point distance

Accuracy from all around the arc contributes greatly to spreading the floor and creating offensive advantages for his team
Will thrive playing alongside playmakers (for more than just skill, as you will read)

Continually upgrading 3-point shooter off the bounce. Lots of growth here.

Attacks the rim hard, but with smoothness and control

Maintains very good body control in route to the goal and then, again, in the air
- Being under control helps him to feel the defense better on the drive; he then uses his instincts and skill set to counter what he feels and sees

Sound footwork on the drive, using euro steps, jump stops, and side steps to avoid defenders and would-be charges

Exciting in the open court; runs the floor/fills the lane and converts at a high percentage in transition

Always seems to be in the right place on the break
- Recognizes opportunities and sprints to take advantage, then allows his skills and athleticism to take over

Continues to take big strides as a mid-range jump shooter
- His willingness to shoot the mid-range paired with his growing effectiveness is an important addition to his shot creation and playmaking
- Not limited to forcing the drive or settling for contested threes
- Shoots a nice pull-up in transition/semi-transition

Gets to his spots off the dribble, and is capable of doing so with an efficient use of his dribbles

Understands when he is able to elevate overtop of the defense

Improving as a creator and playmaker
- Again, he is capable of generating space with his dribble moves to get to his spots, where he can rise up over the contester; or he can get to the rim, where he uses his athleticism and soft touch to finish.
- Likes to drive hard left and flatten out with the dribble to pull up for 17 footers
- Will use a change of pace together with a hang rhythm dribble, then accelerate with a long stride
- Drives hard left or right and uses a quick change of direction with a behind the back move to create the space to pull up
  - Will use this move to set up his mid-range or his 3

See additional dribble moves in the “Dribbling” section

Creation efforts are not just limited to getting himself looks. Advanced in making plays for his teammates off the bounce, in transition, and out of the pick-and-roll.
- As a contributor to the defensive board, he can push it himself and create plays for others as the decision-maker

Overall, he has really enhanced his iso game

Progressed as the ball handler in pick-and-roll action
- Prefers to start with his dribble still available
  - More comfortable going left off the screen (from the right wing)
- If there is no hard hedge or a bit of drop coverage, he will take his time and survey the floor
  - Mature reads in the action. Doesn’t force the issue, just makes the simple play.

Can come off and hit from 3, especially going left, so it’s not advisable to go under the screen

Can turn the corner and get to the rim

Knows how to do the work without the ball to set himself up for quality looks upon receipt
- Capitalizes on his touches
- Growing understanding of moving/cutting without the ball
Operates nicely from both wings; more active off the dribble from the right side of the floor
- More comfortable overall on the right side of the floor
Does a nice job of getting open on the wing by putting his hip/bottom into the defender and reaching those long arm(s) out to show the target
Has developed a nice floor game; brings balance to the floor
- Impacts the game outside of scoring the ball
Finishing – creative finisher with a variety of shot types. Still possesses a lot of potential to be even better around the rim as his body matures and adds strength.
- High riser who regularly finishes above the rim
  - Terrific finisher in the open court

Combines athleticism and length with finesse and touch

Extremely skilled left-hand finisher (love his left hand)

Good lob catcher
Has a tendency to try to finish through contact with one hand instead of two
Prefers to maneuver around the contest than create/absorb the contact
Will benefit greatly from adding upper body strength to improve finishing through contact. Yet, he’s still capable of taking the contact in mid-air, hanging, and getting a quality shot up.

Solid offensive rebounder – his second jump shines brightly here

Shooting

Most likely his greatest area of improvement. Shot the ball with impressive accuracy.
- Shot 52.2% from the field on 14.4 attempts per game (8 games charted)
- Shot 41.7% from three on 4.5 attempts per game (8 games charted)
Continually enhancing shot making ability
Possesses a pillow-soft touch on nearly every attempt
- Touch is evident around the rim, as well
Excellent catch and shooter from 3
- Preps well before the shot

Gets into his rhythm and doesn’t let the defender disturb it
- Catches the pass on the hop and goes right into the shot

Likes the corner three, and shoots it well

Also shoots it well from both wings and from around the top of the key

Steadily extending his range

Made great strides shooting the 3 off the dribble

Again, an effective mid-range shooter

Increasing percentages off the dribble

Passing

Cut down on his shooting motion a bit, which also cut down on the amount of time from catch to release
Maintains terrific focus on the rim
- As long as he is somewhat in rhythm, he is a good shooter against a contest
Gets great elevation on his jumper
- He is a true jump shooter from mid-range and from distance
Form/mechanics – consistent from shot-to-shot
- Maintains near-perfect verticality on his; straight up and straight down
- Compact form
  - Shooting elbow is tucked and moves straight up through the shot
- About the release: guide hand is on top of the ball, so there is a slight exchange that takes place at the top of his shot where he cocks his wrist back to use it as the lever and slides the guide hand off the top of the ball.
  - Creates some side spin
  - Tends to slow the release down a split second
  - Releases at the top of his jump
- Shoots up, giving the ball plenty of air, contributing to his soft touch
- Finishes with a consistent follow-through
For the most part, he displays an intelligent shot selection
- He tends to allow the game to come to him, but can also be more aggressive and attack
  - Can show a real willingness to be patient and wait for the best look
- Balanced shot selection between the primary 3 levels

Improved passer, especially in the open court
Capable of running the break and making good decisions

Expanded court vision; he is seeing the open shooters well

Consistently makes the right pass/simple play
- Willing passer
- Sound judgment; doesn’t try to force tough passes
Nice touch on the pass with a small tendency to put too much air and enough zip on it
Can struggle with accuracy on his one-handed passes off the live dribble
Head up
Makes the extra pass
Showed an improved playmaking ability to draw and kick, operate as a distributor out of the pick-and-roll, and find open shooters off his creation

Understands how to draw the defense and make the pass accordingly

Dribbling

Mainly handles as scorer at the point of attack in the half court
Keeps his eyes up with the ball in his hands, even when he is looking to create for himself
- Displays awareness of his teammates
Prefers to dribble with the right, but is comfortable handling with his left
- Likes to come back to his right to shoot off the dribble
Has added to his arsenal of dribble moves
- Capable of multiple changes of direction, usually with single dribble moves, but sometimes with double dribble moves
  - Effective crossover from right-to-left
  - Will also use a double crossover, going right-to-left and then left-to-right
  - Owns a useful inside out-crossover combo
  - See the “Offensive Qualities” section above for more
- Utilizes a nice rhythm hang dribble to get into creation mode, accelerate to the rim, or go right into the jumper

Has a tendency to leave the ball up and exposed as he is going through his rhythm dribbles or after a change of direction
- Will benefit from staying low and protecting the ball with his off arm/shoulder/body
Adequate control and speed with the ball in transition

Defense

Continuously developing and showing improvements across the board; possesses a lot of potential.
Increasingly active defender who seeks for opportunities to turn defense into offense
- Plays with anticipation

His motor has increased on this end as the year has gone on. You can see his the elevated confidence and intensity.

Uses his length to disrupt passing lanes and contest shots
- Combines his length with quick hands to pilfer ball handlers
- Solid shot blocker against the point of attack or from the help side
  - Blocks shots with either hand
  - Contests jumpers well, thanks to his agility, length, and recovery ability

Excellent potential to deny on the wing

Needs to improve his closeouts on shooters
Sneaky on the help side

Decent balance of focus between his man and the ball, including off-ball action that involves his man
Competes – will take on the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player
On-ball defense
- Possesses a ton of potential and has improved over the year at playing with his feet
- Can find himself back on his heels a bit against the dribble drive
- Has a tendency to pull up when he is beaten off the dribble
Will benefit from increasing upper body strength on this end
- Needs to improve at getting through/around screens
Good defensive rebounder. Finds himself in favorable position and can jump with most to snag boards.
- Will benefit from blocking out more consistently

Basketball IQ

Sound decision-maker who values possessions
Understands the advantages he possesses on the offensive end and how to use them
Displays a strong grasp of his strengths and who he is as a player
Good judgment on his shot selection
Solid basketball instincts that often lead him to be in the right place at the right time
- Possesses timing that can’t be taught
Progressing ability to make reads in various situations
Shows a firm grasp on offensive and defensive game plans

Dispostion/Presence

Disposition/Presence

Active motor on both ends of the court
Plays with a chip on his shoulder
- Extremely competitive; accepts the challenge
  - Can lead to outward shows of frustration with himself
- Tends to complain to the referees too much
- Must be careful not to let his frustration get the best of him
Wants to be great – will be hard on himself after mistakes
Response to mistakes is usually increased effort
Balances aggressiveness between allowing the game to come to him and going out and seeking buckets
Tends to exhibit poor body language towards his teammates when they do something he doesn’t approve of, but is a supportive teammate overall

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