Matt Haryasz is a player that we haven't discussed much recently. It is well past time, given his recent stretch of impressive production. Despite being his team's only post option and only real go-to scorer, Haryasz had reeled off 6 straight games of 22 or more points and come up with 4 double-doubles during that stretch, before an errant Oregon State elbow sent him to the sidelines early and broke the streak. Not surprisingly, Stanford won 5 of those 6 games, and is now right in the thick of things in the Pac-10.
Last season, Haryasz played the role of a high-post, finesse type PF, as
Rob Little was the space eater in the middle. Haryasz added significant bulk in the offseason, and is now strong enough to compete with college-level bigs in the paint. He has good size, decent athleticism, and a nice array of post moves to work with. His best attribute at the moment would be his rebounding, as he really understands how to get position in the paint.
While Haryasz is far from a sure thing in the NBA, there is a lot to like about his game. He probably isn't strong enough to play center in the NBA, but still can add more strength to his frame. He projects to be a complementary big man at the next level, using his perimeter skill to draw defenders away from the basket, while contributing on the glass. The injury issues are troublesome, especially the nagging foot problems he has been dealing with for some time. Nonetheless, if
Matt Haryasz continues his recent standout production and leads the Cardinal to an unlikely NCAA tournament appearance, a second round selection is very possible.
Comments