Recruiting Report: Tyler Brelsford (2020)
Mount Saint Joseph High School has a long list of players who have gone on to do great things at the next level, especially at the point guard position. Most recently was Daryl Morsell from this past season who is heading to the University of Maryland to play for head coach Mark Turgeon next season. The Gaels will once again be one of the favorites in the MIAA A Conference in 2017-18 headlined by big man Jalen Smith (2018) and scoring wing James Bishop (2019).
Another player who will look to make his mark when opportunity arises is point guard Tyler Brelsford. Brelsford played on the junior varsity team this year, but led the Gaels to a 31-2 overall record that included winning the MIAA A Conference and BCL titles. The 6’1 floor general averaged 17 points per game.
With Morsell leaving, it’ll present a window of opporunity for Brelsford to assert himself at the varsity level. For the spring/summer, Brelsford is playing with Team Melo’s 15U team. He recently helped lead them to a 2-0 showing at the DMVElite Super Team Showcase this past weekend and displayed a bunch of positives within his game.
In the first match up against D.C. Thunder (a 9 a.m. tip), Team Melo got off to a rough start, as did Brelford. But the second half was a different story, as he recorded 15 points that included going 8-for-8 from the charity stripe to help seal the win. Breslford also displayed great patience with the ball initiating the offense. The Thunder would usually pressure him full-court, but Brelsford didn’t panic. He just took his time, utilized change of pace dribbles, and got to his spot to execute the first part of the offense.
He connected on two three’s in the same game in the second half, but even when he misses, you can tell Brelsford has a consistent shot. One minor adjustment he’ll have to make over the next year or so is tucking his shooting elbow in to make his shot automatic, but he can still give opponents nightmares from outside with his current shot.
As for what he is looking to improve on, “I definitely have to get stronger,” Brelsford told PrepHoops. “I also want to get better at defense. Getting into the paint and finishing at the rim is also something I want to improve.”
It doesn’t take long to realize Brelsford has a high ceiling. His control and basketball IQ stick out immediately as the point guard. Although today’s game often features point guards who want to score every time they get the ball, Brelsford is more concerned with getting a good look within the offense whether that means him getting an open shot from outside or dishing to a teammate who is looking to score.
The 2020 guard is garnering interest from BYU, South Florida, Stanford, and Auburn. Brelsford told PrepHoops he has a 3.7 cumulative GPA.
Mount Saint Joseph head coach Pat Clatchey has helped manufacture a ton of Division I stars. Brelsford hopes to be the next on that list when his senior year comes.
(This video was from one year ago. Brelsford has grown substantially since, but it’s a good example for his shooting ability and IQ)