Breein Tyree

Raised in the Somerset section of Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey, Tyree played basketball, football, lacrosse and soccer in high school. He played lacrosse as a freshman for Rutgers Preparatory School in Somerset, New Jersey before suffering a lung contusion.[1][2] In his sophomore year, Tyree transferred to St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey. As a sophomore, he played soccer for the United States at an international youth tournament in Europe, but his mother soon drew him away from the sport.[3] On the football field, Tyree played quarterback and safety for St. Joseph and received several college scholarship offers.[1] Tyree was basketball teammates with Karl-Anthony Towns. As a junior, he averaged 18.8 points, 4.9 assists and 3.3 steals per game and was named Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) player of the year.[4] In his senior season, Tyree averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.[5] He was named first team all-conference and second team all-state, and led St. Joseph to the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championship.[6] Tyree was considered a three-star recruit and committed to play college basketball for Ole Miss over offers from Kansas State, UMass and USC, among others.[7]

Tyree became a starter at Ole Miss as a freshman despite playing with a knee injury. He averaged 7.3 points per game as a freshman and helped the team reach the NIT quarterfinals.[3] As a sophomore, Tyree averaged 10.8 points, 2.8 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game on a team that only won 12 games. Tyree scored a season-high 31 points in an 81–71 win against Vanderbilt and was named SEC player of the week on January 7, 2019.[6] He had 31 points on February 23 in an 80–64 win over Georgia and took a knee before tipoff to protest a Confederacy rally in the area.[8] Tyree averaged 17.9 points, 2.9 boards and 2.8 assists per game as a junior.[9] He was named to the First Team All-SEC.[10] After the season, Tyree declared for the 2019 NBA draft but ultimately opted to return.[11] He was one of 24 players invited to the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp.[12]

On December 14, Tyree scored 34 points in an 82–64 win over Middle Tennessee.[13] Tyree was named SEC player of the week on February 10, 2020, after scoring 38 points in a 84-70 win against South Carolina.[14] The next day, Tyree scored a career-high 40 points and had five rebounds and four assists in a 83–58 win over Mississippi State.[15] At the conclusion of the regular season, Tyree was named to the First Team All-SEC.[16] He averaged 19.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game as a senior.[17]

Tyree's father, Mark, was a third-team All-American college lacrosse player for Rutgers and is a 2009 New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee.[18] His older brother, Jevon, is a former cornerback for Rutgers.[19] His cousin, David Tyree, played in the National Football League (NFL) and won Super Bowl XLII with the New York Giants after making the famous Helmet Catch.[3]

• Ole Miss Rebels bio