Cal MBB Recruiting Scouting Report: Tyson Jolly

We may have missed on Caleb Swanigan, but have signed another recruit. Say Hello to 2015 SG Tyson Jolly.

Tyson Jolly, recently took an official visit to Gonzaga and then to Cal. On his visit at Cal, he decided to pull the trigger and gave Coach Cuanzo Martin his second commit of this cycle. Let's take a look at what he brings to the Golden Bears!

Here is your basic information:

Name: Tyson Jolly

Position: SG/SF

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 200 lbs

High School: Putnam City West

Commitment Status: California (Solid Commit)

Strengths:

• Quick Hands - Tyson is really good at keeping his hands active on both the offensive and defensive end. He uses his length to tip passes in the passing lane, and also keeps his hands up ready to receive a pass at any time. This natural instinct of keeping his hands active allows him to stay a half beat ahead of his opponent at all times. He can definitely create havoc on the defensive side of the ball from this, but on offense he is naturally a great kick out candidate ready to catch-and-shoot or drive-and-dish.
• Elite finishing ability - Tyson Jolly may become the best finisher around the basket on the Cal roster. He has great body control to absorb the contact, but he also has the body strength and awareness to adjust his shot depending on the defense. In his game tape from the Tarkanian Classic, it is easily noticeable that he is confident and fearless when attacking the basket. His self-confidence oozes out when he not hesitant after he takes two steps towards the basket. Even more surprising was that he attacked McDonalds All-American Center Stephen Zimmerman in that game. If he can do that against arguably the most athletic center of the 2015 class, his ability bodes well for college basketball. Having that consistent floater in his offensive repertoire helps his attacking ability as well.
• 3-PT Shooting - Tyson Jolly, has solid shooting mechanics and can easily light it up from behind the arc. He can rise up to shoot over closing defenders and is confident enough to hit them from deep. Naturally being a shooting guard, he is very good at catching and shooting in stride.

Weaknesses:

• 3PT or Lay-up - A big problem with a lot of high school basketball players is that they either shoot the 3 or try to drive all the way to the basket for a dunk/lay-up. Tyson has great finishing ability around the rim, and can shoot from behind the arc as well. The only concern with that is that the defense will start to adjust and take away one facet of his offensive game which puts pressure on him to finish in only one method. This makes his offensive arsenal very limited and predictable, which leads to the next weakness.
• Mid-Range Shooting - His midrange isn't suspect, but more so just invisible. There isn't enough of him shooting from midrange other than floaters and baby-hooks. Its listed as a weakness because there isn't much shown in this aspect in highlight reels, which in turn could mean that he doesn't pullup mid-drive too often. If he does add this to his game, he could be a very finesse oriented offensive player. Power and Athleticism will always make you good, but a saavy and technically sound player can be great.

How he fits with the Bears:

Currently, the Bears are loaded at the wing position. Tyrone Wallace, Jabari Bird, Jordan Mathews, Stephen Domingo, Davon Dillard and, now, Tyson Jolly are all players that can play either wing position. But this bodes well for our rotation and development. It gives Coach Martin options and the ability to mix and match abilities and play styles to keep the opposition on their heels. None of these players are particular divas for playing time, especially with 4 being upper-classmen. The 4 will set the tone for Coach's decisions and also will help instill a team-first mentality. Playing time will need to be managed, but with a good mixture of younger talent and experienced vets, Cal's wing looks great on paper and is in great shape for future seasons as well. Adding a Big Man is now our biggest challenge, and come 7PM Monday night, that question may be answered as well.

California Love!