Senior point guard Tyler Beard looking to jump start recruitment
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Unsigned senior point guard Tyler Beard is looking to jump start his recruitment and the first step was a look in the mirror.
A 6-foot-1 point guard at Chicago (Ill.) Whitney Young, Beard didn't have the spring and summer that he was looking for headed into his senior year and had to do a gut check.
"The summer was tough," Beard told Rivals.com. "It's definitely a gut check. Seeing others do better an get the offers they want over the summer it made me hungry and I wanted come into this year on fire and wrap it up by being better than I was during the summer.
"I didn't play well and I know I didn't. I have to come into the school year and really just ramp it up and play my best basketball."
Re-energized and driven to prove that he's a high level player, Beard feels like he's off to a good individual start to the year but wants to win more.
"The team record doesn't show it but I feel like I've had a good individual game," said Beard. "We need some more wins, that's the real name of the game, getting wins. I don't like the losing."
Beard has toughness, can get to the rim and is comfortable in either an up and down or a halfcourt setting. This year, his jump shot has really opened things up for him.
"That's one of the things that I've really worked on that colleges wanted to see," said Beard. "I've really worked on that and it really opens up driving lanes for me and my teammates. I really wanted to improve that and I have."
Beard took a summer official visit to Purdue but lately Virginia Tech and Florida Atlantic have been the most involved.
Virginia Tech: "I love the coaches they have and the defense first mentality. I love the school, it's a great school with a family atmosphere and I love the way they play."
FAU: "The same thing about Virginia Tech. I also love the way they've recruited me and that they want me and to let me play my game and they don't want to try and change me."
With the second half of his senior season ahead of him, Beard is wide open and looking forward to hearing from more schools. His shooting and steady ball handling should open more doors over the next few months and when it comes to start picking, it's going to be a relationship based decision.
"I want to be close with them and I want them to be close with my family," said Beard. "I'm family oriented and I also want to be able to connect and have a relationship before I even get on campus.