2022 4-star DeMatha wing Tyrell Ward releases top-8
Class of 2022 four-star DeMatha (MD) wing Tyrell Ward released his top-8 on Friday afternoon.
His list consisted of Indiana, LSU, Georgia, Xavier, Virginia Tech, Miami, Maryland and Georgetown.
Ward is ranked No. 48 in the Rivals150 rankings for the 2022 class and the No. 10 small forward.
At DeMatha, Ward is also a high school teammate of another class of 2022 Indiana target, Rodney Rice.
Ward was a target under the previous staff and was made a priority by former head coach Archie Miller.
“Coach (Archie) Miller calls me the most," Ward previously told Rivals. "They have (some) of the best home fans in the country. They tell me how much I fit with their play style.”
Due to Indiana keeping assistant coach Kenya Hunter, and the lead assistant in Ward's recruitment, on staff through the head coaching transition from Miller to Mike Woodson, the relationship between IU and Ward remained intact.
Recently, DeMatha head coach Mike Jones took an assistant coaching position with Virginia Tech. That is something to watch moving forward with Ward's recruitment.
"While Ward is nowhere close to making up his mind at this early juncture, the (Xavier) Musketeers, (Georgetown) Hoyas and (Virginia Tech) Hokies seem like locks to make the cut and to be factors in the four-star’s recruitment until the end," Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy said recently. "Ward is extremely close with new Hokies assistant Mike Jones, for whom he played in high school. Meanwhile, Xavier has an open assistant position that could be filled by a coach with ties to DC and Ward himself. What happens on that front will certainly have an effect on his recruitment. For the time being, Virginia Tech looks to be the frontrunner."
Ward is a much-improved jump shooter who has range that stretches out to the three point line. While he can knock down that shot, it is more off of catch and shoot opportunities than it is off of the dribble and can be a bit of a slower release as well. However, he shoots it with confidence and has good elevation on his jump shot.
Utilizing his length and athleticism, Ward excels in transition and is a terrific rim runner, making him a difficult cover especially when he gets in the paint. He has a great ability to finish above the rim and his finesse around the basket is what takes his game to the next level. He does a tremendous job at finding ways to get his shot up and around defenders.
His wingspan allows him to guard multiple positions on the defensive end. He has the ability to match up with a point guard all the way through a hybrid four position. His good footwork and size make him a very versatile player on that end of the floor.
Rivals national analyst Jamie Shaw recently broke down Ward's game.
"The 6-foot-5 wing out of Dematha Catholic in Hyattsville, Md. is a bouncy and lengthy specimen. In the open floor, he attacks the basket with purpose, in fact, over the last year, Ward’s confidence is probably the thing that has grown the most for him. During the Sweet 16 event, Ward showed an ability to create offense in the half court."
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