Tucked away in Monroe, North Carolina (a city about an hour east of Charlotte) lies a 3A High School called Piedmont High School. The basketball tradition isn’t necessarily there, but except that to soon change as 6’7” sophomore Hunter Tyson comes through the ranks.
After his performance at the North Carolina Top 80, prep basketball analyst Clint Jackson stated, “We think this rangy 6-7 wing has a future. He’s a shifty ball-handler who has a beautiful jumper and the ability to make plays as a lengthy forward with guard skills. Tyson, only a sophomore, has a pretty game, with balance, some shake and a pure shot. Guys with this skill set generally are recruited at a high level.”
As Clint noted, guys with Tyson’s skill set are generally recruited at a high level. Think along the lines of Chandler Parsons at Florida or Sam Dekker at Wisconsin. He is a lengthy wing, who is still growing. During our Phenom Summer Havoc, in July, Tyson stood around 6’5”. In the 8 months since, Tyson has already grown 2 inches. His dad (who is also the principal at Piedmont High School) stands around 6’8” and his mom is over 6’, so he very well could be in the midst of a growth spurt.
In the games, his production was fluid and almost effortless. He was a walking double double, with what seemed like every rebound falling into his hands. From there he had comfort pushing the break, either finishing in transition or setting the offense in the half court. As a sophomore this past year, Tyson averaged 8 boards and a block per game.
Offensively, Tyson has a full arsenal from the wing. He handles in the half court, gets downhill from the wing, and has range and touch well beyond the arc. This season, Tyson averaged 20 points per game, shooting 45% from the field, and 36% from beyond the arc.
In only a year, Tyson’s development has been exponential. We have no reason to think that growth won’t continue. As a 4.6 student, Tyson is a player that A10 schools should be all over and that Power 5 schools should be taking a very close look at this summer with Pro Skills Basketball.