Atlantic 10 Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
3. Nah’Shon Hyland
Hyland was a Top 100 prospect from the class of 2019 who wound up at VCU and made Mike Rhoades a very happy head coach. A 6’3 guard from Wilmington, Delaware, he turned himself into quite the playmaker in his two seasons with the Rams, making major contributions before departing for the NBA in 2021.
As a freshman, Hyland was an important bench piece who worked his way into the starting lineup by the end of the year. His sophomore season saw his breakout, averaging 19.5 points and 4.7 rebounds and leading VCU on another trip to the NCAA Tournament. Hyland had three 30-point performances, all wins for VCU, and unfortunately saw his career end prematurely, as VCU forfeited their Tourney appearance due to COVID in the program.
After leading the conference in points and 3-pointers, it’s no surprise that Hyland was the A-10 Player of the Year after taking a major step forward as a sophomore. He blossomed into one of the best backcourt pieces in the nation, not just in the A-10. He showcased his talents well and turned into a first round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Suffice to say, the man called “Bones” was an efficient playmaker and major weapon at VCU, living up to any and all hype at the high school level.