March 24, 2007
The SEC player of the year used the
NCAA tournament as an opportunity to show scouts what they might have missed out on this year at Vanderbilt, as he has put his complete package of skills on show for everyone in his team’s three games this past week. His combination of size, skill, and passing ability rank will get him drafted this year, and a strong set of workouts could possibly help Byars land a spot late in the first round by the time it is all said and done.
Versus the Hoyas, Byars chose to let the game come to him rather than force the issue, even though Vandy might have been better off if he would have looked to score more when he had the ball in his hands. He did an outstanding job of reading the defense and finding the open man, as shown by his five assists. These assists were not based off of penetration by the Virginia transfer, but rather by his remarkably heady play and ability to work the ball around the perimeter. His solid fundamentals were on display, exhibited on his beautiful backdoor cut and reverse layup with his left hand in the first half. He came through in the clutch when his team needed him most, drilling a three pointer over
Roy Hibbert around the 9 minute mark, only to then foul Hibbert out at approximately the 4 minute mark when he took him out on the perimeter yet again and was fouled on a three point attempt. Byars then came through big again, isolating
Jeff Green on the wing and taking him to the basket, drawing a foul and converting two huge free throw attempts late in the game. Whenever the Commodores need him to step up, he did, but unfortunately that was not enough to make up for their inability to defend Georgetown inside.
The defensive end is where Derrick really stood out against the Hoyas, putting the clamps on Jonathan Wallace throughout the entire game. He did a great job of keeping in front of Wallace, constantly pressuring the ball and not allowing him to collapse the Vandy defense like he has done to so many other teams throughout the year. Byars actually has outstanding defensive fundamentals and knows HOW to defend, not relying on his athletic traits like so many “shutdown” defenders do at this stage, allowing him to perform consistently on the defensive end no matter whom the opponent many be.
On the down side, Byars is not the greatest athletically, nor does he possess the world’s best ball-handling skills for a perimeter player. He beats people off of the dribble through his smart play and utilization of ball fakes, rather than his explosive athleticism or remarkable crossover. The senior’s shooting mechanics are a bit odd, as he often shoots the ball from the left side of his head, resulting in inconsistent release points and success in his outside jumper. Even though he shot 37% from three on the year, his percentage would be much higher if he were able to clean up the form on his jumper a bit more before he hits the next level.
Byars has used the tournament to show the nation his complete game, and gave him three more opportunities to show scouts what he brings to the table. Pre-draft workouts will be essential for him, as they will serve as a chance for him to improve his stock enough to warrant a guaranteed contract in the first round, or could leave him sitting in the second round fighting for a roster spot in training camp. Either way, his performance in the NCAA tournament has done nothing but help him in the eyes of
NBA scouts.
