Jeremy Tyler (photo. Kelly Kline)

Last year, Jeremy Tyler made national headlines by deciding to forgo his senior year of high school to play pro ball overseas. The San Diego (Calif.) product, a 6-10 center who was previously committed to Louisville for the Class of 2010, ended up signing with Maccabi Haifa in Israel. But after a forgettable season that was cut short when he decided to quit, Tyler — who isn’t eligible to enter the NBA until 2011 — is now taking his talents to Japan to play for Apache Tokyo.

To say Tyler’s time in Israel was a failure would be an understatement. He played only 10 games for Haifa, averaging 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in just over seven minutes per game while simultaneously alienating his coach and teammates. He left the team with five weeks to go in the season, and didn’t appear to be missed. It was reported that Tyler came in expecting to start or get major minutes right away, and when that didn’t happen, his downward spiral started. He left one game at halftime to protest his lack of minutes and the fact that he wasn’t starting.

Tyler’s sense of entitlement was unbelievable to me. He signed to play with one of Israel’s top teams that featured former USC star Davon Jefferson, former D-III Player of the Year Ben Strong, and South Carolina’s all-time leading scorer B.J. McKie, and his expectation was that he wouldn’t have to earn playing time. Going into a situation where his maturity would be under a microscope, Tyler’s unwillingness to earn his time on the court did nothing to help his cause. He also reportedly didn’t partake in team functions, and didn’t exactly try to become a part of the team. His tumultuous tenure in Israel ended when he quit the team with five weeks remaining.

Once projected as a sure-fire lottery pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Tyler is now forced to revive his career in Japan, not exactly a basketball hotbed. While Apache Tokyo doesn’t have the caliber of talent of Maccabi Haifa, Tyler had better be prepared to earn his minutes and go to Japan with a new attitude. For Apache Tokyo, he will playing under former NBA coach Bob Hill, who won’t coddle Tyler.

If I’m an NBA team, I am paying close attention to Tyler’s play this season in Japan. He has oodles of talent but seems like a bad fit in any locker room at this moment. At a time when chemistry is at a premium in the League, Tyler seems suited for the All-Combustible Team. This year is a critical one for him, if he succeeds on the court and doesn’t make noise off of it, he’s in the first round next year. If not, Tyler may be a second-round pick fighting for an NBA contract next fall.

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