It was assumed that first year head coach Roger Garfield would undergo a rebuilding job when he took the Loyola Blakefield gig. Haysbert is arguably the biggest piece for both now and the future as the 6-foot-6 forward has strung together a very productive sophomore campaign with his fair share of double-doubles to show for it. The Dons are battling through the growing pains, but the signs that Haysbert and others have shown as the season progresses have been optimistic. Loyola is 6-15 overall.

Haysbert is another intriguing prospect that will spend time at both forward spots for his high school team this season. He may even log some minutes at the five to make up for the overall lack of size that Loyola has this season, but all of this should only force Haysbert’s overall game to improve. He’ll have a chance to show his worth in the open floor as a streaker, play out of ball screen actions as the roller, or get some opportunity in face-ups from the mid-post. In our most recent viewing of Haysbert, there were clear indications that he’s becoming more comfortable growing into his body, but there is still a ways to go with any prospect his size and age. The Dons will need as much production as they can get out of the intriguing sophomore, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can answer the call.

Haysbert caught the eye at times this grassroots season with Team Thrill on the UAA circuit but Saturday offered a nice opportunity to see the full scope of his abilities. With somewhat of an old-school, slow-mo approach, the budding faceup forward was effective using footwork, ball skills, and developing strength to take opposing defenders off the bounce for cerebral drives both in the halfcourt and open floor. He flashed a workable jumper out to the perimeter and brought an overall tough-nosed approach that was appreciated especially in a camp setting. While he’s not the most explosive athlete, Haysbert’s blend of size and skill should make him a fixture in the Loyola rotation and place him on D1 radars at some point in the future.