Standout performance here from Word as he was the most productive player on the floor and showcased his well-rounded scoring ability and soft touch on his jumper. Whether he was attacking gaps himself to get to his midrange spots, spot ups from deep or operating around the rim, Word understands how to put the ball in the bucket at an efficient clip. The joy of his game is that nothing is forced. He gets or creates his opportunities within the flow and does a great job of quickly taking advantage of mismatches when a smaller guard or slower-footed big is defending him.

-Word carved out a nice role for him this season for the Gaels as a plug n play wing that contribute in a few different areas. He serves as a good passing/DHO hub at the top of the key, can attack his matchup downhill, and can play both spots in PnR schemes. Word is especially adept at snagging offensive rebounds around the rim and using a good set of step through/pivot moves to create high-percentage finishing angles around the basket. If he can prove to be a consistent pick n pop threat from the perimeter and defend on an island outside the arc— he should make some waves at a national level with Team Melo this summer.

It doesn’t take long to see the feel and IQ that Word brings to the floor even as a freshman. What I liked most about Word this season is that even in a limited role off the bench, he never came into the game and tried to force situations as a scorer to make himself feel involved. Instead, he guarded his position effectively, did his due diligence on the glass and showed good understanding of spacing/movement on the offensive end. In other words, he allowed the game to come to him. Now if there were open opportunities for him to make his impact in the scoring column with timely cuts or popping out to the three-point line and confidently lacing a catch-and-shoot jumper, Word proved he was capable of being efficient in that as well. The Gaels should keep much of their roster in tact, but lose a significant amount of production from the seniors

-The physical wing prospect has carved out a nice niche in the MSJ rotation in the early part of the season as a high-IQ connector that gives his team some nice roster flexibility. Word can knock down open shots and is a great passer from the wings/high post that shows a nice inherent feel for where the ball needs to go. His footwork and positional size allow him to score at a higher level in the paint than most freshman because of how well he uses his upper body to carve out space around the basket. Improvements to his conditioning and footspeed to allow him to play for longer stretches at both ends of the floor will go a long way in helping him reach his ceiling. But carving out a role this big and this consistent for a Coach Clatchey MSJ system speaks volumes to his upside, as it is no cake walk to break through that usually-deep rotation as a young prospect.

While his production was limited in a condensed role off the bench, Word showed promising glimpses of what he offers as a long-term prospect. He impressed as a versatile scoring threat, both as a spacer from the perimeter and a physical downhill driver. He doesn’t play like a freshman in terms of his pace and ability to use his body on both ends of the floor, particularly standing out with his ability to defend bigger than his height. It will be interesting to see how his body develops in the coming years but the skill and feel are there in spades to portend long-term D1 potential at this early stage.

-Dynamic off guard/wing prospect that continues the Word legacy at MSJ on the same varsity group with his older brother Chauncey. Ciar uses his burst and frame to attack his matchup off the bounce and bully his way to the rim with a size advantage that he has over most of the guards that he faces. He has a nose for the basketball and wins most of his 50/50 balls while showing a good feel for the angle that missed shots are coming off the rim. Really interested in seeing how he is utilized in a MSJ system that emphasizes ball and player movement and a usually-deep bench.