Breein Tyree


Breein Tyree is an American college basketball player for the Ole Miss Rebels of the Southeastern Conference.

High school career

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. 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. On the football field, Tyree played quarterback and safety for St. Joseph and received several college scholarship offers. 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 player of the year. In his senior season, Tyree averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He was named first team all-conference and second team all-state, and led St. Joseph to the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championship. 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.

College career

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. 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. 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. Tyree averaged 17.9 points, 2.9 boards and 2.8 assists per game as a junior. He was named to the First Team All-SEC. After the season, Tyree declared for the 2019 NBA draft but ultimately opted to return. He was one of 24 players invited to the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp.
On December 14, Tyree scored 34 points in an 82–64 win over Middle Tennessee. Tyree was named SEC player of the week on February 10, 2020, after scoring 38 points in a 84-70 win against South Carolina. 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. At the conclusion of the regular season, Tyree was named to the First Team All-SEC. He averaged 19.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game as a senior.

Career statistics

College

Personal life

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. His older brother, Jevon, is a former cornerback for Rutgers. His cousin, David Tyree, played in the National Football League and won Super Bowl XLII with the New York Giants after making the famous Helmet Catch.