Prospect Spotlight: Teron Haywood (2021)
When I first saw 2021 Andrew Jackson G Teron Haywood last summer, he was a short, thin speedster that was giving defenses hell when he penetrated the lane.
Today, he’s gained some height, some size, and is even better with the basketball in his hands.
Haywood’s a person you can trust with the rock, in-transition. In a recent tournament, he did a great job of making timely passes to those who ran the break, with him. Without the ball, he’s still a hard cover as he cuts in and out of the lane, searching for gaps to shoot for easy layups.
On defense, his pesky with his hands—knows how to time a steal just right. The top three areas of his game are definitely his handles, ability to get to the basket, and on the defensive coin.
But, he’s not satisfied.
“I’m working to have more moves off-the-dribble, increase my ball-handling, and my pull-up jumper abilities, for sure,” Haywood said.
He credited the familiar “Figure 8” and “Defensive Slide” drills as a product of his defensive growth. Haywood sometimes catches himself gliding through school halls.
“I slide everywhere now, for real,” Haywood laughed.
There was no laughing when he spoke about the ending of his freshman season. After recanting a district playoff loss to Jacksonville-Bolles in February, he said improvement in communication, specifically on defense, is going to make the difference in 2018-19.
Not only that, but growth in personalities, as well.
“Offensively, we had a lot of individualism. This year, we look to change that,” Haywood said. “This past year, i was standing back. But this year, I’m going to make sure that I talk.