Getting to know 2017 center Tyler Witz
Prior to 2016, no one was really familiar Tyler Witz, the basketball player. The 2017 center has broken out in a big way for Countryside (15-5). Witz, who stands at nearly 6’9″ without shoes and 6’10” with shoes is averaging…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingPrior to 2016, no one was really familiar Tyler Witz, the basketball player.
The 2017 center has broken out in a big way for Countryside (15-5). Witz, who stands at nearly 6’9″ without shoes and 6’10” with shoes is averaging 11.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his first season of basketball.
Witz shed 40 lbs. this summer and is currently at 237 lbs. The senior has totaled 10 or more points in all but seven games this season. In a win over St. Pete, he scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Two nights later, he dropped 24 points with 10 boards in a win over Palm Harbor.
“This off-season I was shooting 3’s well, but being that there are so few players my size I have focused on my inside game more,” Witz said. “I lost over 40 pounds this summer, helping me to play out on the court more.”
I’ve seen Countryside play four times this season. All of those games were wins for the Cougars, who sit in first place in Class 8A-District 10. Most importantly, Witz scored 10 or more points in all of them including an 18-point performance against Armwood last month in the Nature Coast Christmas Tournament.
“I work hard every day to improve my game and to become a better player,” he said. “I’m focusing on shooting and staying healthy. I hope that all my hard work and dedication can take me to the next level so I continue to grow as a player and play the game I love.”
Witz looks like a completely different player from that tournament last month. On Monday night, he scored 12 points in a blowout win at Anclote. His feet has improved down low and he is more confident.
“We started off a little rocky, but as the season has gone along our chemistry as a team has really come together,” he said. “Our goal as a team is to stay focused, win the district title and to continue winning at the next level. For now, we are taking it one game at a time. I have great coaches and a great team.”
Witz says he loves the kind of program Countryside has in place. He believes in time that he’ll be able to defend most power forwards out there.
“Our coaches coach us hard, with an emphasis on teaching and overall IQ,” he said. “I’m told we run schemes that are similar to how colleges play, with multiple ways to attack zones and man defenses and even more ways to defend offenses. I hope to play in a similar system next fall.”
No offers have come for Witz just yet, but he says low Division-I schools have come to his practices.
“My coaches have tried to keep the college coaches away mostly until I get through the full season. At my size, I know I will have lots of offers and I am still 17 years old, so I can get so much better.
“I’m not thinking about the level of the school, I am focused on finding a fit for my academic interests. The Ivy League interests me for sure. But I will begin to think about that more in March.”
Witz is absolutely right. At 6’10”, many schools will come after him simply because of his height. His game has transformed so much and so has his body. Witz has a chance to be a really solid player at the next level. He can attack, shoot from outside and the most underrated part of his game is his hook shot.
This kid is flying under the radar in Clearwater, but making it through a full season and proving his worth will do him wonders to make it to the next level.