UMass Scores Again with Flowers
The rich got a little richer on Tuesday night.
The University of Massachusetts, which already held one of the top 25 recruiting classes in the country, added a commitment from yet another prospect with high-major offers on the table.
Tyrn Flowers, a skilled 6-foot-8 southpaw from Sacred Heart High School in Connecticut, became the fifth player to commit to the Minutemen in 2016.
UMass followed Flowers throughout the July evaluation period and hosted him for multiple unofficial visits this fall. Most recently, assistant coach Adam Ginsburg was in Waterbury on Friday night to see Sacred Heart knock off crosstown rival Kennedy High School.
“From the time I first went to the school, I fell in love with it and the new facility at first site,” Flowers said on Tuesday night. “I got to know the players well, they became like my brothers, and getting to know Coach Kellogg and Coach Ginsburg, who they really are, has been a great experience.”
The addition of Flowers gives UMass a “Fab Five” of sorts with ESPN 100 guard DeJon Jarreau and Unique McLean forming a backcourt duo while Flowers provides a big and skilled wing to complement the interior duo of Chris Baldwin and Brison Gresham.
Flowers is a true late bloomer who has grown five inches in the last 18 months and emerged as a potential high-major recruit this summer while running next to Mustapha Heron and Rawle Alkins on a New York Rens squad that took the Adidas Gauntlet Championship in Atlanta.
He has a feathery shooting touch for a player his size, tremendous size and length for the perimeter, and could potentially still be growing. He also comes with a winning pedigree as this summer’s Adidas championship was preceded by a pair of Connecticut state championships with Sacred Heart.
Flowers is currently averaging 19 points per game for Sacred Heart while shooting 48% from behind the three-point line.
While the Rens program is based out of New York, they had a strong New England contingent last year and Flowers is the 6th member of the program to commit to a division I school joining Heron (Auburn), Tyrique Jones (Xavier), Kai Mitchell (Iona), Devonte Green (Indiana) and Tyrone Cohen (Holy Cross).
Below are some of Flowers' highlights care of Next Best Basketball.
Tyrique Jones
Kai Mitchell
Tyrn Flowers
Unique McLean
Mustapha Heron
Chris Baldwin