By CHARLIE PARENT
INDIANAPOLIS — Bryce Heard, a four-star rising senior, is leading Mac Irvin Fire AAU during this spring’s Nike EYBL session, averaging 14.9 points, 2.4 boards and 1.8 assists per game.
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard continued his momentum in last weekend’s live period, where college coaches could attend games for the first time this offseason.
“It’s cool,” he told ZAGSBLOG. “We didn’t have many live periods this year so it’s good to see all the coaches that came out, see who was at the games and who’s interested this weekend.”
New USC head man Eric Musselman was in for Heard this weekend, along with Andy Enfield of SMU, Michigan, Villanova, Boston College and N.C. State.
Heard gave an update on his recrutiment, which has seen slight turnover with the chaotic offseason coaching changes.
“Recruitment is good,” he said “Not everybody gets to go through this process, so I’m just enjoying every second of this process and blessed to be in this position.”
“Who’s been there since day one is important to me,” he concluded. “The schools that have always been believing in me since Day one, that’s really important and it goes a long way.”
He has his eyes set on Michigan, USC, Villanova and N.C. State for visits during either the summer or early fall, while committing after that.
Heard broke down his options to ZAGSBLOG:
Michigan: “Coach Mike Boynton was at Oklahoma State and now is at Michigan. Michigan was one of my favorite schools growing up, I was a big football fan so that was exciting. They have a good history, I like the Fab 5, that’s really inspirational to me. It’s really cool that they had five freshman starting at one time, that’s always a big thing and the coaching there is good too.”
USC: “Coach Muss was the first coach to ever contact me. Right when 12 o’clock hit [on] June 15th [NCAA Contact day], he was the first one to contact. He’s always been thourough, always texts me and always checks up on me, so it feels good to have a coach that always has your back like that.”
Villanova: “Villanova came out to watch me play high school ball twice. They have a good staff; coach [Kyle] Neptune always texts me and checks up on me, too, so there’s a good connection there.”
N.C. State: “That [run] was cool. They had both DJs, so they were rolling this year. Coach was letting them play free this year, so it was good to see that.”
In terms of playstyle, the young guard is heralded for his scoring ability while showing a well-rounded game on top.
“I take what the defense gives me. I’m a three-level scorer, I can get to the basketball, get to the mid range and shoot the three. I believe in my three-ball and I’m really confident on the court. I try to get rebounds, get back on defense and pickup. I’m a confident player on the court that always tries to bring up my teammates too, be loud and be vocal.”
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