Thybulle makes late rise
For rising senior small forward Matisse Thybulle, it was just a matter of getting more exposure and switching up his style of play. Those two things came together over the summer as he improved his game and launched his recruitment.
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The 6-foot-6 product of Seattle Eastside Catholic had a big summer and proved that he is a high-major prospect and deserving of serious consideration for the Rivals150.
"I changed my mindset and the way I attacked," Thybulle said. "Before I was more laid back and let the game come to me and shot here or attacked there. This last AAU season I realized I needed to make things happen and not wait. I think coaches liked that."
With good size and athleticism, Thybulle certainly has the physical tools. He also showed he has skill as a jump shooter, ball-handler and passer while playing both aggressively and under control. Coaches like what they see now, but there is something else that has them intrigued.
"Right now I think it is my potential," Thybulle said. "I'm a 6-foot-6 forward with a seven-foot wingspan. I'm not sure what my vertical is, but I'm sure it is pretty high. Those things are things that you can't teach, the intangibles. My jump shot is pretty good and I'm good with the ball."
Thybulle has gotten plenty of attention, but four programs are standing out. California, Gonzaga, Oregon and Washington have been doing work. During the summer, Thybulle said Washington and Gonzaga were out front and he doesn't back down from that. However, he offers a qualifier.
"From the standpoint that I know the most about those schools, I think that is true," Thybulle said when asked if it was fair to say the Huskies and Bulldogs led. "I've seen Gonzaga and I've seen U Dub and I've gotten to talk to those coaches a lot and I know them. But who knows once I go visit Cal and Oregon what I might think when I get to know them."
Thybulle was most recently on the Washington campus a few weeks ago and says he hopes to have dates for official visits set by early September. He's doing his best to keep an open mind down the stretch and has a few things that will be most important to him in making a pick.
"I think it would be playing style and I want to be comfortable with how the coach views me and how I view myself," Thybulle said. "I want to make sure those things align. That's the biggest part. I don't want to go to school where I see myself as a two or a three and they want to bulk me up to play the four. I want to be on the same page as my coach with my capabilities and what they see me doing in their system."
Eric Bossi is the national basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.
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