Commitment breakdown: LSU pulls upset, lands Tyrell Ward
LSU pulled off a major recruiting upset on Saturday, when it landed five-star wing Tyrell Ward. The former Xavier commit looked almost certainly headed to Georgetown not long ago, but has now found a new home in the SEC. Below, Rivals.com has a look at what the Tigers are getting in the 6-foot-7 wing as well as what adding Ward means for first-year LSU coach Matt McMahon.
WHAT LSU IS GETTING
An aggressive downhill wing, Ward’s defining traits are his length and ability to get out and run. His jumper has improved over the last year and he’s become a more active defender as well. His 6-foot-6 fame allows him to guard 1-3 relatively easily, even if he still needs to add muscle. Ward handles the ball decently for his size and has proven an ability to create for himself off the dribble, whether that’s scoring at the basket or knocking down a pull-up jumper. He has the frame to add size and become a more effective rebounder. Ward has shown the ability to totally take over games from a scoring standpoint and also flashes some potential as a high-level playmaker. His well-rounded nature is the reason for his five-star ranking. Few players in the class impact games as effortlessly.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE TIGERS
Make no mistake, this is a statement recruiting victory for McMahon and the Tigers. LSU overcame a late start and the fact that one of Ward’s former coaches is on staff at Georgetown to knock off the Hoyas and steal an important commitment that once seemed unlikely to say the least. There’s no one factor to point to in a discussion about how the momentum turned, but a recent in-home visit with the entire LSU staff seems to have done wonders to seal the deal down the stretch. LSU needed something like this to help restock its depleted talent pool following the program’s abrupt dismissal of Will Wade, and McMahon made it happen in short order. Landing Ward should go a long way in proving the new LSU head coach can recruit at the highest levels of the sport.