Maryland based small forward Tyrell Ward made one of the first of what should be many class of 2022 list cuts by IU targets in the coming months.
Indiana is joined by LSU, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Miami (Fla.), Maryland, Xavier and Georgetown on Ward’s list of his top eight schools that he posted on his Twitter page on Friday afternoon.
The 6-foot-7 Ward is a top-60 national recruit and a 4-star according to the 247Sports Composite. That service lists him as the No. 13 small forward in the 2022 class and the top player in the state of Maryland.
Indiana offered Ward when Archie Miller was still the head coach, and it was recently reported by Jake Weingarten of StockRisers that new head coach Mike Woodson reaffirmed the offer with Ward.
“He talked about me being an impact player from the start and also bringing the NBA style with him and using me as a positionless player, and helping me develop my body right away to adjust to the Big Ten,” Ward told Weingarten of his conversation with Woodson.
Indiana assistant coach Kenya Hunter, who has strong ties to the Washington D.C. metro area and is a holdover from the Miller tenure, is the lead recruiter for the Hoosiers.
Ward’s high school coach at DeMatha Catholic, Mike Jones, recently took an assistant coaching position at Virginia Tech.
At least one national analyst at Rivals believes that contributes to Virginia Tech being the frontrunner in Ward’s recruitment.
“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,” Rivals’ national basketball recruiting director Rob Cassidy wrote earlier this week. “What happens on that front will certainly have an effect on his recruitment. For the time being, Virginia Tech looks to be the frontrunner.”
Before heading to Virginia Tech, Jones talked to the The Daily Hoosier about Ward.
“He’s a legit 6-7, long lanky limbs,” Jones said of Ward. “I don’t know what his wingspan is, but it’s huge. He affects every part of the game. He scores, he rebounds. He blocks shots. He steals the ball. He does a little bit of everything.
“He’s a throwback in terms of the way he plays,” Jones said. “He makes jump shots. He’s shooting very well from the 3 so far this year. We tease him because he’s got a lot of finesse. The finger rolls. The finishing around the rim. He’s got good touch with his right and his left hand. He’s good. He’s really good. He’s developed into what I believe to be one of the top players in his class around the country.”
Ward is a high school teammate of another Indiana class of 2022 recruiting target, shooting guard Rodney Rice.
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