Jeremy Tyler, Heartbreaker

Earlier this evening the lead story on the website of the New York Times read:

Prospect Leaving High School for Europe

Jeremy Tyler, whom some consider the best American big man since Greg Oden, said he would play basketball in Europe after initially committing to Louisville.

That's a tough pill for a Louisville fan to swallow, but I think I'm going to be OK.

I love high school basketball as much as anyone, but, when it comes to the hype surrounding supposed high school phenoms, I usually take a backseat and wait for the inevitable disappointment that goes along with unfulfilled expectations. My recent post on the superhuman force that is John Wall notwithstanding, I usually wait for the evidence to accumulate on the collegiate hardwood before I jump on anyone's bandwagon. But I must admit that I fell pretty hard for Jeremy Tyler...and that was before he committed to Louisville. After Tyler inked a contract with Ricky P, the Wizard of Derby City, visions of a potential national championship (perhaps foolishly) danced in my head. (After all, one player does not a program make.)

Those hopes (foolishly) came to a screeching halt after hearing the news late Wednesday that Tyler had decided to forgo his senior year of high school to play professionally in Europe. (After all, one player does not a program make.) My heart broken, I was prepared to put together an angry, sky-is-falling-type post. I thought about writing a scathing critique of Sonny Vaccaro, who preys on young, gifted athletes and who is apparently guiding young Jeremy through this process or an expose on the irrationality of Big Blue Nation as it pertains to recruiting or an article blasting Tyler for making the mistake of a lifetime.

Then, I took a deep breath and realized all is well.

So, after about an hour of rational thought, how do I feel about Tyler's decision? Well, I'm still disappointed. I truly thought Tyler was next year's John Wall. But I realize that, despite the turmoil of the last few weeks surrounding the Louisville program, things have been pretty sweet lately. Even with the Cards' Elite Eight exit at the hands of the Michigan State Spartans, it's hard to complain about the number one overall number one seed and back-to-back Elite Eight appearances. Louisville survived Sebastian Telfair and Amir Johnson jumping to the Association, and, while Tyler would have been special, the Cards will be fine.

But back to Jeremy Tyler...




















At the risk of engaging in Rick Pitino-level hyperbole, the sky is the limit for Tyler. He's a Chris Webber-like talent, but he also reminds me of the great Tim Duncan. And I couldn't be more serious. Whether he's 6-9 240 or 6-11 260 (both measurements have been cited), he plays huge and is great in the open floor. He has a wonderful feel for the game, a pterodactyl's wingspan, and a body that is just going to get better. Not to mention the fact that he has a nice handle, a very good outside jumper, and advanced post skills. For the record, I like him much more than Greg Oden. He's just a far smoother athlete with an incredibly diverse skill-set. Needless to say, I'm impressed.

Ultimately, I'm not sure it makes sense for anyone to skip their senior year of high school. That being said, I'm not going to begrudge anyone the decision to pull in six figures. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports has a pretty interesting take on Tyler's decision. Wetzel refers to Tyler's unprecedented move as "trailblazing yet well-thought-out." The article also makes it clear that Tyler's decision is not the result of financial hardship. In fact, if Wetzel's account is to be believed, Tyler seems to be going into this with eyes wide open, recognizing that the transition won't be easy but that going overseas offers him a chance to develop his game to a degree not possible in the high school ranks or on the AAU circuit.

So, it's time to move on but not before a look back at what could have been.



And one more because it's so hard to say goodbye (and because this one shows off how wet his J is).