Byerly impressed with his passing ability and overall feel for the game. Whether he was operating on the block or playing from the wing, he consistently showed the ability to move the basketball and make the right read. His vision stood out for a player with his size, and he demonstrated an understanding of how to create opportunities for teammates from different areas of the floor. He showed touch around the rim and the athleticism needed to convert plays in traffic. He is also a threat from the dunker spot, where his athletic pop allows him to finish quickly and take advantage of defensive breakdowns. I was impressed with his timing when contesting shots. Moving forward, I would like to see Byerly continue to get stronger physically and develop a more consistent motor. He grabbed a few rebounds, but for a player with his size and tools, I thought he could have been more assertive on the glass and imposed his will more frequently.

Jonathan Alder has a nice mix of 2028 talent and upperclassmen ready to lead the team to contention in Division IV. Playing some tough teams on Saturday, Jonathan Alder got pushed to the limit heading into the season. I liked what I saw from Byerly as a playmaker out of the post, making some nice passes with his back to the basket and beating double teams by finding cutters. Also used as a screen setter, when Byerly puts on more weight it’ll be even tougher for defenses to get around him either on pin down or pick and roll actions. The next step for Byerly will be to consistently score in the paint with a smaller defender on him, if he can use his size to score at the rim he will be a dominant force at the high school level.

One of the tallest players in the 2028 class across the state, Byerly got a cup of coffee at the varsity level as a freshman and could be set for a breakout sophomore season with Jonathan Alder. Byerly impressed me with the Ohio Buckets due to his ability to stand tall in the paint, get rebounds on both ends and make a couple contested finishes. Most bigs take a little longer to develop and reach their potential compared to guards and I think Byerly is in a good position to start to turn the corner and make an impact at the varsity level.