Buzz Williams is hoping to tap into the fertile recruiting territory of North Carolina with 2015 target Alonzo "Lonzia" Tyson.
The 6'8", 190-pound forward plays for Trinity Christian Academy in Fayetteville, North Carolina. As a junior, Tyson averaged 9.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He plays AAU ball for the Karolina Diamonds and just visited Tech's campus with a number of his AAU teammates, reportedly receiving a scholarship offer on the trip.
Virginia Tech had Kwe Parker, Lonzia Tyson, Diondre Overton & Ty Graves on campus today, per @coreyevans_10.
— Alex Kline (@TheRecruitScoop) June 29, 2014
Lonzia Tyson has been offered by Virginia Tech, per a source.
— Jack LeGwin (@jacklegwin) June 29, 2014
This is an interesting prospect in part because the Hokies are the first program from a major conference to offer a scholarship joining UNC-Wilmington and High Point on the list.
Alonzo appears to be a bit lanky and reminds me quite a bit of Shane Henry and even Trevor Thompson before he blossomed into a seven-footer. If Tyson adds some bulk and maybe grows another inch or two during his senior season of high school, you'll start to see him get attention from bigger programs.
It's hard to judge a lot based on the highlights I've found, but he finishes well and seems "bouncy". His dunks seem very casual and athleticism appears to come easy to him. He's quite active on the boards and has a nice mini-hook with range, albeit over smaller players in the video up top.
The Hokies are in a great spot early and it's important for Buzz Williams to continue to pull recruits from North Carolina. It's tough to go up against the various high major programs there, but the Hokies have a strong track record of bringing in key contributors from the Tarheel state like Dorenzo Hudson, J.T. Thompson, and Jarell Eddie.
Of note, Tyson's Trinity Christian team played consensus No. 1 overall recruit Thon Maker of Carlisle in the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Tournament last season. Maker dominated and led Carlisle to a 72-66 victory, but Tyson held his own with 12 points, four rebounds and a blocked shot.
We've seen lots of highly ranked talents recruited early in Buzz Williams' tenure at Virginia Tech, but this is one of the first under the radar kids not nationally known. It will be interesting to follow his development and see just what kind of an eye for talent this coaching staff has for kids that aren't immediately obvious recruiting targets.
Alonzo's clip starts just before the two minute mark in this video, but you can also see some highlights from 2016 prospects Kwe Parker and Ty Graves.