Post by TinyTimPig on Jun 27, 2022 17:22:53 GMT -5
Matisse Thybulle
SF
6'5
205
23
Washington
A lockdown defender, Matisse Thybulle possesses a 7-foot wingspan despite only standing 6'5. In his four seasons on Montlake, Thybulle gained a reputation as one of college basketball's premier defenders. In his final college season alone, he put up gaudy defensive numbers - 3.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per game - while gaining national recognition as the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and the Lefty Driesel Award winner. Those accolades accompanied his impressive PAC-12 resume, which saw him win PAC-12 DPOY twice and set the conference record for steals, surpassing Gary Payton and becoming the first player ever to record 100 steals in two separate seasons. He wasn't just a master of thievery, either. He became the first player in the TMBNCAA in two decades to record 100 steals and 80 blocks in a single season and only the third player in 20 years to average 2 steals and 2 blocks per game. All of this to say that Thybulle is a wizard on the defensive end and that will absolutely be his calling card at the next level - his only so-so pro athleticism led even college players to find ways around Thybulle only to find their open look transmogrified into a turnover and a break the other way, his instincts and timing are special.
Thybulle's offensive capabilities are a different story. There's a glimmer of hope that he'll be able to add a three-point shot to his repertoire, but he didn't show much consistency there in college, and needs work from the line too. He wasn't efficient against a much worse caliber of defender so there's no reason to think he'll offer much scoring outside of the most open jumpers and easy lay-ins, but has a good sense of his limitations and will keep the ball moving efficiently, rarely turning it over. Even taking his limited athleticism into account, Thybulle's rebounding is surprisingly bad.
Scouts rave about Thybulle's personality off the court and are confident that he'll see some growth despite his age and all of the years he spent in college. Still, his offensive game has a long way to go so it's unlikely his abilities on that end ever match what he'll be able to do on defense.
