NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Matisse Thybulle

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 07: (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

The reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, University of Washington wing Matisse Thybulle is taking his unique game and talents to this year’s NBA Draft.

While there are a number of prospects in this year’s NBA Draft that crafted illustrious careers at the collegiate level, it’s safe to say that no player assembled what was as specialized and historic a résumé as Matisse Thybulle did during his four years at the University of Washington.

A three-star recruit coming out of high school in a suburb of Seattle, Washington, Thybulle came to the sport during his pre-teen/teenage years, in part due to taking up other interests such as swimming as his family lived in Sydney, Australia for several years during his childhood.

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But Thybulle’s athletic gifts naturally translated to the basketball court and while it took him plenty of time to hone his skills, he took to the defensive end to make his mark during games.

That was also imparted by his father, Greg, as he told ESPN’s Jordan Schultz earlier this year in a profile on how Matisse embraced becoming what he calls an ‘angel of chaos’:

"“His father, Greg, who is from Haiti and never played basketball, knew enough to emphasize the importance of defense, which was dictated by effort and intensity. “I told him: There will always be someone who will shoot the ball better than you,” Greg says, “but there will never be a better defender than you.”"

That certainly sowed the seeds for how Thybulle would make his name with the Huskies, both in terms of his rise as a draft prospect and the prodigious career he enjoyed while in Seattle, which was capped off by becoming this year’s Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Not only that, but Thybulle collected the most career steals (331) in Pac-12 history, a record that was previously held by Hall of Famer and former Milwaukee Bucks player, Gary Payton.

So without further ado, let’s dive deeper into Matisse Thybulle’s game by breaking down his strengths and weaknesses, evaluating his standing among draft experts, as well as his potential fit with the Milwaukee Bucks.

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