There’s no way around it—Gus Yalden just doesn’t look the part to first-time spectators.
Even at 6'8", 240 pounds, there's a courtside consensus from coaches that he’s giving more offensive tackle than dominant big man, optically.
“Yeah, that’s what most people think I play if they don’t know me,” Yalden says. “That or they think I’m a baseball player. I’ll be honest, I agree I don’t look the part.”
The judgment is an easier pill to swallow for Yalden because, in this instance, the cover is giving some realistic hints about the book.
Yalden won't mesmerize you with his blistering speed, and he’s certainly not entering dunk contests anytime soon. That said, by the time the final horn sounds, he’s quite likely going to walk off the court as the game’s most productive player.
Quite the cloak-and-dagger scenario, indeed.
“It’s crazy because you’d definitely sleep on him just looking at him,” one ACC assistant coach says. “But he’s gonna earn your respect, no doubt about it. Five-star or unknown kid, he’s gonna give it to whoever he’s playing, you can believe that.”
Gus the Bus, his nickname that’s derived from the 2006 movie The Benchwarmers, won over the masses this summer, dominating all challengers in the grueling Nike EYBL while averaging 15 points and eight rebounds with City Rocks (N.Y.).
In terms of résumé, his 35-point (70% from the field), 17-rebound performance at the prestigious Nike Peach Jam in July cemented his standing as one of the top bigs in the country.
Still, Yalden’s consistent production over the last three months hasn’t translated into respect nationally when it comes to recruiting rankings. Most services consider Yalden a fringe top-100 prospect or in the bottom tier, which made his recent dominance of multiple top-tier bigs the epitome of poetic justice.
DFRITZ
Sports Illustrated’s SI99 rankings of the top 99 prospects in the 2023 class will be unveiled later this year, but expect Yalden to have a strong position after an impactful summer.
His stock should continue to rise with his move to national hoops power La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.), where he will play this season in the NIBC, widely regarded as the toughest hoops conference in the country.
“I’ll have a big role there, and I really believe that if I’m in a situation where I’m given the same number of shots that top-20 players get, I’m a top-20 player,” Yalden says. “I really believe that. At the end of the day, I’m a worker, so I’m always gonna bring it.”
And therein lies, in part, the key to Yalden’s effectiveness.
His special blend of effort and three-tiered counter moves (at minimum) tend to be a devastating combination for the opposition, and his approach is instinctively planned based on what obstacles arise at the point of attack.
“I played against a lot of talented guys who are super athletes with great length on both ends of the floor,” says Yalden, who committed to Wisconsin in May. “Those are the guys that I love to play the most because I know they’re gonna go for a lot of pump fakes and different moves. I always have a couple counters ready based on how the defenders react.
“I’m stronger than most of them so it’s all about angles; I just have to go into them and get myself right in front of the rim because then I can use the rim as a shield. I just have to think more and be more creative.”
It certainly helps that Yalden’s footwork tends to be superior to most opposing bigs and his ability to outmaneuver his defender in the first three steps serves as the ultimate advantage in the paint. That coupled with his versatility as a playmaker has drawn comparisons to players like Kevin Love and Nikola Jokić.
“I watch Jokić a lot, for sure and I’ve studied Kevin Love a lot, too,” Yalden says. “I try and use all of the advantages that I can. I grew up playing soccer and hockey, and that’s the reason that my footwork is so advanced. Especially hockey with the balance and the fast-twitch muscles that you have to use. I get my man on my hip and then I’ve got him. It’s all about production really. Whether I look the part or not, the numbers are the numbers.”
The trippy irony is that Yalden has been able to turn the whole “don’t judge a book by its cover” cliché into a brand of sorts that is steadily growing his NIL opportunities. He boasts deals with a local dealership, Ice Shaker, ISlideUSA and his own “Gus Bus” T-shirt line, among others.
“It’s been great for a high school kid,” Yalden says of NIL. “I’m not as fast, I’m not as athletic and, really, there’s not much difference with our strength; the way that I’m able to win is because I know how to use my mind, and the bottom line is that you will never, ever outwork me.”
