NCAA Basketball: Analyzing top 8 teams for four-star 2022 wing Tyrell Ward

The state of Maryland has produced plenty of future NCAA Basketball stars and pro players over the years. They’re set to send the sport one more from the 2022 recruiting class, with Tyrell Ward. A star at DeMatha Catholic High School, Ward has seen his stock rise into consensus top-100 overall status, with 247sportsComposite ranking him No. 52 overall.

At 6’7 and around 190 pounds, Ward is a true small forward that also is a tremendous two-way player. Very capable as an individual and team defender, the four-star prospect is also an effective scorer and shooter from nearly everywhere on the court.

Ward has been impressive for over a year and many power conference programs in the midwest and out on the east coast have been after him. Now, we know which ones have a shot at landing the wing.

While the recruiting process is just getting going for Ward, some of these options look a little better on paper than others. Here’s a look at how he’d fit with each program.

Georgetown Hoyas

Between the miraculous Big East Tournament run and signing a five-star prospect Aminu Mohammed, head coach Patrick Ewing’s job has gotten cooler. But he’ll need to continue winning and this time, in the regular season. If Mohammed is only around for a year, the Hoyas will need more than point guard Dante Harris to be in contention in league play.

The major selling point is the opportunity to play close to home and in the prestigious Big East Conference. There’s also the chance for Ward to come in and have a big role in the offense immediately, rather than waiting a couple of years behind another starting small forward.

Georgia Bulldogs

No team can offer top-100 prospects more potential playing time in 2022-23 than Georgia, who lost nearly all of its production to the transfer portal this offseason. They’ve landed plenty of Junior College and other high potential transfers, led by former top-50 shooting guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim from Virginia. Not only can Ward come in and start as a freshman, but it’s also not out of the question that he becomes the best player for Georgia.

The problem that can’t be answered is whether or not head coach Tom Crean remains a year from now. The current roster is viewed as the worst in the improving SEC and if the Bulldogs end if that happens, it’ll be hard to see how he survives. Going to be hard to convince a top-50 recruit to join an unstable situation.