At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, hundreds of players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and underrated, and today's edition will highlight Joshua Tyler of H.A. Prep Durham and Full Court.
We've seen Tyler numerous times in every possible setting, including during the high school season with H.A. Prep, where we stated, 'There were many strong contributors for H.A. Prep, but Tyler was arguably their leader, especially on offense. He's a long, active, unselfish guard prospect with an excellent perimeter jumper and the ability to initiate an offense when necessary. Tyler can mix up his scoring approach with relative ease and displays toughness when attacking the basket or fighting for extra possessions. He can create his own shot or set up others.' Which was later followed by, 'We saw Tyler countless times with Full Court over the summer, where he could be found leading the charge and setting the tone on both ends of the floor. He's a reliable shot-creator with excellent perimeter shooting and quality playmaking skills. Tyler can run a team or place emphasis on being a scoring threat, simply based on team need. He makes smart decisions with the ball in his hands, pushes the break at every opportunity, and contains his assignment quite well defensively.'
It’s actually quite perplexing to try and figure out the lack of action surrounding Tyler's overall recruitment. On one hand, folks would naturally think his production and translatable array of skills would appeal to various next-level programs. It seems like college coaches are still waiting for something else, yet they still regularly ask about his commitment status and availability to advance to the next level. Tyler is more than capable of being a contributor for a variety of college programs, given his IQ, efficient three-level scoring, and capabilities as an all-around leader. He carried the load for H.A. Prep Durham and was undeniably impressive with Full Court, so coaches would be wise to secure Tyler while they still can.
