'There's a place for him in the NBA': What makes Tyson Degenhart so special

LAS VEGAS — Late on Monday afternoon, following a breezy performance from Tyson Degenhart in which the veteran forward scored 19 points with relative ease, Boise State head coach Leon Rice described the double-edged sword that is coaching someone known for such an unusual blend of efficiency and selflessness. 

Most players, especially those of the star variety, will shoot and shoot and shoot some more on days when almost everything they try is working, just as it played out for Degenhart during his team's 89-59 dismantling of George Washington. He made eight of 12 field goal attempts overall against the Revolutionaries, including all three attempts from beyond the arc, and stuffed the stat sheet with four rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block.

It was the kind of performance that certainly would have earned Degenhart, who is already the Broncos' all-time leading scorer, more leeway had he chosen to hoist a few more — or even many more — shots. In fact, Rice has spent the better part of Degenhart's record-setting four years at Boise State nudging and probing his reluctant standout to think longer and harder about personal production. The lesson doesn't always stick.  

"I'd love him to take a few more tough ones," Rice said after beating George Washington. "But that's why he's loved, that's why he's appreciated. On a night like this, most guys can go out and get 30, but that's not what Tyson's about. He's just about doing what's best for the team at all times. I've been encouraging [him to shoot more] his whole career, but you've got to kind of let guys be who they are."

And yet, two days later, there was Degenhart in a quarterfinal matchup against Butler, scoring his team's first points of the game on an aggressive drive that ended with a lefty half hook. And then, just 26 seconds later, there was Degenhart swishing a 3-pointer from the right wing without thinking twice, his first of two triples in the opening three minutes alone. The eight-point flurry was exactly what Rice had always wanted to see. 

It wasn't long, however, before Degenhart gently reverted to his team-first roots and continued embodying the altruistic disposition that has served both him and the Broncos so well over the last few years, a stretch that included three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths from 2022-24 and might end by winning the inaugural College Basketball Crown in a few short days.

Sure, Degenhart finished with 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting to propel Boise State to the semifinals and surpassed 2,000 career points along the way, a mark his coach marveled at during the postgame news conference. But it was the completeness of Degenhart's floor game amid the Broncos' 100-93 victory that truly encapsulated who he is as a player: Degenhart chipped in a team-high seven rebounds and a team-high five assists while only turning the ball over once, all of which produced an individual offensive rating of 158, his fourth-best outing of the season.

"That kid is a heck of a player," Butler head coach Thad Matta said. "He gets you in so many different ways. He doesn't make mistakes. He's patient. Reads the defense as well as any guy I've coached against. And they do a good job moving him around. They exploit the mismatches. Big-time player."

The lofty praise from Matta came on the heels of even more vociferous adoration from George Washington head coach Chris Caputo, who marveled at Degenhart's skill when studying the Broncos on film and then saw firsthand how impactful he could be when the tournament began earlier this week: "He can hit you with driving, shooting, post-ups, he's a good passer, obviously a good rebounder," Caputo said. "I just think it's obvious when you look at the success that they've had in his time there, that he is one of the all-time great players in the history of their program. I would think that there's a place for him somewhere in the NBA."

The breadth of talent he's flashed across two games here at MGM Grand Garden Arena would seem to reinforce Caputo's statement on Degenhart, a former zero-star recruit from Spokane, Washington. Against George Washington, whom the Broncos pressured into 22 turnovers, Degenhart showcased his defensive prowess with three steals and one block that catalyzed an avalanche of fast-break opportunities, some of which ended with transition baskets for the player himself. In doing so, Degenhart reminded the NBA scouts in attendance that what he might lack in raw athleticism can be offset by his heightened spatial awareness and elite on-court positioning. 

A contrast in styles between that matchup and Wednesday's quarterfinal against Butler, which warped into an offensive frenzy, afforded Degenhart an opportunity to unearth different facets of his game. There was an offensive rebound that Degenhart kicked out to point guard Alvaro Cardenas (19 points) for a 3-pointer on the wing and a heady bounce pass he dropped for teammate Javan Buchanan (game-high 27 points) in the lane. There was a cross-screen layup Degenhart made on a play devised by Rice during a timeout and an isolation post-up opportunity he converted on the opening possession of the second half, which gave Boise State its largest lead of the game to that point. 

More impressive than any of those plays, however, was how easily Degenhart shredded the Bulldogs' defense when Matta switched to zone midway through the second half. Time and again, Degenhart knifed into the free-throw line area to feed his cutting teammates. And when he removed himself from that location, Degenhart lurked along the baseline for slicing layups. 

"I thought we handled that zone really, really well," Rice said. "Javan in the high post, Tyson in the low [post] — or vice versa — that's a great combination. I thought that was a crucial stretch of the game when they changed defenses and we were able to handle it. Credit to our guys."

"I'm just going to cherish every moment," Degenhart said. "This is a time in my life when I'm going to look back in 10 or 15 years and just really, you know, reminisce about all the good times. I'm just gonna try to take it in day by day."

Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.

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