Prospect Spotlight: Tyler Chatman (2020)
It’s typical nowadays to find a combo guard that either can’t shoot well enough to be a two guard or doesn’t make good enough decisions to be a point guard, but when you find one that can play both guard positions because he can do both it’s something that coaches, and myself, really like.
That’s the case with Nansemond River’s rising junior guard Tyler Chatman who has had a solid summer and has been an important piece to Boo Williams 16U group. The 6’2” guard is a guy who can play on or off the basketball because he’s a big and strong guard who doesn’t get sped up due to pressure, and he’s also a guy who can move off the ball and knock down shots from deep off the catch.
When I caught up with Chatman, it was pretty much that same stuff that he told me.
“I feel like I make good decisions, I’m big for a guard, I can make plays off of screens, I’m a good teammates and I can make shots,” Chatman said about his strengths.
The son of a coach, Chatman has that fundamental understanding of the game and the skill set to play it at a high level. Defensively he has the same feel and understanding which allows him to guard both backcourt positions, and he’s always one step ahead of guys when he’s reading the floor.
While he has the skill set, he said he needs to continue to improve as an athlete and just continue to get as many reps in as he can.
“I need to work on my explosiveness and quickness for sure, and I need to become more consistent, that’s a big thing. I need to make more shots and make better decisions regularly.”
While he’s had a solid summer on a good team, Chatman is still relatively unknown by college coaches. When I asked him who he had heard from, he listed Lafayette and Hampton as the schools that were showing interest.
Being underrated isn’t a bad thing according to him, as it’s left him with a lot of desire to prove people wrong.
“A big goal of mine is to make First Team All Conference, because I didn’t make it last year and that’s really put a chip on my shoulder.”
As for why schools should recruit him, Chatman hinted that it’s as much about his character as it is about what he does on the court.
“I bring energy, I can make shots and I work hard both on the court and with my academics.”
For coaches that are looking for a sleeper to get a head start on for the 2020 class, I would recommend taking a look down in Suffolk at Nansemond River this winter.