Bones Hyland
Nah'Shon Lee "Bones" Hyland (born September 14, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the VCU Rams before being drafted 26th overall in the 2021 NBA draft by the Nuggets. Early life and high school career. Hyland started playing basketball after watching his older brother, Tykee, playing at the park. His other older brother Michael was a decorated basketball player who played for Penn State Greater Allegheny's varsity basketball team as well as Cornell University's club basketball team. Mike found even  more success in the outdoor 3-on-3 Gus Macker basketball tournament, winning it once and coming in second the following year. He was nicknamed "Bizzy Bones" or "Bones" in part due to his slender build. Hyland attended St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown, Delaware. During his junior year, his 11-month-old cousin and grandmother died in a house fire. Hyland escaped by jumping from his second-floor bedroom and suffered a torn patellar tendon, sidelining him for six months. As a senior, he averaged 26.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.4 steals per game, leading his team  to the semifinals of the state tournament. He was named Delaware Player of the Year and earned first team All-State honors. A four-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for VCU over offers from Saint Joseph's, Rhode Island, La Salle, Boston College, UConn and Temple. College career. On January 18, 2020, Hyland scored a freshman season-high 21 points and five three-pointers in a 91–63 win over St. Bonaventure. As a freshman, he averaged nine points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, earning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team accolades. He shot 43.4 percent from  three-point range and set a program freshman record with 63 three-pointers. In his sophomore season debut on November 25, Hyland scored 23 points, making five three-pointers, in an 85–69 victory over Utah State. On December 9, he scored 30 points, shooting 7-of-12 from three-point range, in a 95–59 win over North Carolina A&T. Six days later, Hyland posted a career-high 31 points in a 93–68 victory over Western Carolina. On March 5, 2021, he recorded 30 points and 10 rebounds in a 73–68 win against Dayton at the Atlantic 10 Tournament quarterfinals. As a  sophomore, Hyland averaged 19.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. On April 17, 2021, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility. Professional career. Denver Nuggets (2021–present). On July 29, 2021, Hyland was drafted with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, becoming VCU's first draft pick in 11 years. On January 15, 2022, Hyland scored a career-high 27 points and had 10 rebounds in a 133–96 win against the Los Angeles Lakers. On  April 24, in the first round of the playoffs, Hyland helped the Nuggets to a 126-121 Game 4 victory over the Golden State Warriors, with 15 points and 7 assists.