UConn Basketball: Impact of Tyler Polley's commitment on Huskies

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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What can UConn basketball expect from four-star power forward Tyler Polley?

Kevin Ollie and the UConn Huskies got a commitment from 2017 target Tyler Polley on Tuesday afternoon.

Polley made the announcement via Twitter saying, “I’m elated to announce I will be continuing my education and basketball career at UConn with coach Ollie and his incredible coaching staff.”

Excited to be a UCONN Husky! #Blessed #Godisgreat #Huskeynation pic.twitter.com/f4pqp0YzpG

— Tyler Polley (@Tyler_polleyyy) September 20, 2016

Polley is a 6-foot-7, 210-pound power forward from Weston, Florida who choose UConn over offers from Dayton, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and TCU, among others.

Polley is considered a four-star prospect in the class of 2017, according to the 247Sports Composite ranking as well as ESPN and Rivals.com.

As a senior at Sagemont Upper School in Weston, Florida, Polley is a versatile player that moves back and forth between both forward positions. Adam Ross has been coaching Polley since he was in junior high and describes the senior standout as someone who has a “mild-mannered, quiet personality” but is a very hard worker.

“He has really developed over the last couple of years,” Ross told the Hartford Courant. “He’s very skillful for a player his size, for sure. He really creates mismatches, and he has to develop his strength and his game to be able to take advantage of those mismatches.”

Polley currently plays as combo forward, and it’s unclear what his primary position will be at UConn. Depending on the needs of the team and the make-up of the roster, it’s likely that he’ll see time at both spots. Given his lack of height and his terrific shooting touch, Polley is better suited to play the small forward position.

He can easily hit shots from short to mid-range, but he also shoots it very well from beyond the arc. He’s not a great ball-handler, so more often than not he will be put in catch-and-shoot situations. He’s got great length and wingspan, but he’d benefit from added strength.

Connecticut now holds three commitments (Polley, Makai Ashton-Langford and Josh Carlton) in the 2017 class. The Huskies join an unusual cast of programs in the 2017 recruiting rankings top-ten that includes Auburn, Illinois and Western Kentucky. The Huskies’ 2016 recruiting class also has a consensus top-ten ranking.

Polley, much like his counterparts in the 2017 class, will be tremendously important for Ollie as he prepares to lose seniors Amida Brimah, Kentan Facey and Rodney Purvis after the 2016-17 season.

Heading into the 2016-17 season, the Huskies should battle for conference supremacy in the American Athletic Conference. Their defense should be very good and their offense, led by sophomore guard Jalen Adams, will look to take positive strides.