Toni Bryant Scouting Deepdive
In a 2026 recruiting class that has yet to answer a lot of questions, Missouri commit Toni Bryant represents an easy to define prospect ready to contribute at both the college and professional level
Last year’s high school graduating class was so stellar that, at least for the top prospects, scouting felt somewhat easy. We got comfortable with that group, and hard work was rarely required to properly express just how special they were. Many would argue that this privilege was not extended to this year’s class, and suddenly, we’ve been thrust into a cycle that requires us to take a more diligent approach. However, I’m of the opinion that there are still a handful of recruits who are easy to define, a trait that I’m certain is held at a premium by college programs and professional organizations. Come this time next year, I have a suspicion that these prospects will be highly regarded ahead of the 2027 draft, as they’ll represent a safe bet compared to most of their peers. Today’s article covers Toni Bryant, one of those safer bets, and someone who I’m betting on heading into his freshman season with Missouri.
Player Profile:
Toni Bryant is a 6’9” and 215lb power forward from Tampa, Florida who currently plays for Southeastern Prep Academy, but who started his high school career with North Tampa Christian Academy. He started his senior season with Zephyrhills Christian Academy but transferred to SEPA following a mid-season coaching change. He now plays alongside fellow top recruits Jaxon Richardson (#20 – Class of 2026), CJ Rosser (#2 – Class of 2027), Obinna Ekezie Jr (#3 – Class of 2027), and Beckham Black (#19 – Class of 2027) among others.
Bryant has been a priority recruit throughout the entirety of his high school career, receiving his first high major offer from Florida State following his freshman season. He picked up offers from Illinois and Iowa a few months later. He cemented himself at the top of his class during his sophomore year with North Tampa, and at season’s end he received an offer from Missouri, where he would eventually commit to continue his career prior to his senior season.
Before transferring to SEPA, Bryant had led Zephyrhills to a 6-1 record, a hot start that found the program named as one of the top 25 teams in the country. Prior to his transfer, SEPA was already considered a top 10 team in the nation, and now they’ve added Bryant, who will certainly be their best two-way player. Personally, he looks to achieve consensus five-star status and be selected to the McDonald’s All-American game. He’s a part of the #6 recruiting class in all of college basketball alongside Jason Crowe Jr (#3 – Class of 2026) and Aidan Chronister (#70 – Class of 2026). No matter how the remainder of his senior season goes, he’s in a great place heading into his freshman season with the Tigers.
Interior Scoring:
Seeing that Bryant is an athletic specimen with fantastic size and a muscular frame, it should come as no surprise that he’s a premier interior scorer. Coming into his senior season, many evaluators questioned his touch, wondering if he’d ever develop a consistent inside scoring game beyond his run-and-dunk abilities. He’s proven his doubters wrong (for the most part) through the first few months of the season, showcasing an impressively well-rounded scoring arsenal from the interior. That said, his athleticism is special, and while I’m glad his shot diet has become more diverse, it’s still important to note that his above-the-rim scoring is where he shines and where I think he’ll hang his hat as a future NBA Draft prospect.
I had not watched much of Bryant before this year, so I did not see him previous to his physical growth this off-season. From what I understand, he was not the physically imposing force that he is today in seasons prior. My guess is that this physical growth directly led to his improvements as a self-creator, because I feel that I’m far higher on his creation ability than evaluators and scouts were as recently as this Summer. He doesn’t have a fantastic handle (although one could argue his handle is better than most recruits of a similar archetype), but what he does have are quick-twitch reflexes, impressive balance, and an ability to absorb and finish through contact. He’s at his best working from the mid-range with his back to the basket. He’s able to spin off his defender with a ton of immediate downhill acceleration and force, turning himself into a wrecking ball at the rim even when he doesn’t have room for more than one or two steps. If his momentum does come to a halt inside, his strength allows him to muscle through interior defenders and go up for layups and dunks. Finally, he’s a very good offensive rebounder, a skill built on his vertical athleticism and strength. All in all, while I can’t confidently say his interior self-creation will be a major part of Missouri’s gameplan during his freshman campaign, I do think it will be a valuable skill to consider throughout his draft cycle.
You may be asking yourself, “Why won’t his self-creation be a major part of Missouri’s gameplan?” My answer to your question is because it doesn’t need to be. Bryant, at least as of today, is at his best working away from the ball both in the half- and full-court. He’s arguably the best lob threat in his graduating class, and he certainly combines lob-catching ability and contact absorption better than any of his peers. He’s a solid screener, usually allowing him the space necessary to catch and throw down a lob out of basically every pick-and-roll scenario. He’s incredibly effective on the fast break, as he’s faster than most of his frontcourt contemporaries and is excellent at utilizing his balance and athleticism to stop on a dime when necessary, or go up for monstrous dunks otherwise. His only noticeable flaw as an off-ball operative is his inability to consistently catch the ball low. He struggles to make plays following a bad pass, a skill that he’ll have to develop as he progresses through his career.
Mid-Range Scoring:
Bryant has worked hard to extend his game beyond the arc and prove himself as a capable multi-level scorer, but he’s already proven himself productive from the mid-range. He utilizes his interior scoring skills to bolster his mid-range output, as defenders are forced to respect his driving ability and give him enough space to consistently get his shot off from this level. He’s a fantastic face-up shooter, regularly transitioning out of his back-to-the-basket positioning for quick turnaround jumpers. He sees more catch-and-shoot opportunities from this level than you’d probably expect, and he’s capable of creating his own looks off-the-dribble, even though I’m not certain that will be asked of him at the college level.
Much like his close-range scoring, while Bryant does possess self-creation ability from this level, he’s at his best working away from the ball or limiting his dribbles. He’s very effective when he turns back-to-the-basket possessions into face-up attempts, and his ability to knock down catch-and-shoot looks from the mid-range is a somewhat unique skill in today’s basketball landscape. His vertical style of play and movement can sometimes hinder his game, especially when it comes to his handle, but it supports his jump shooting. Because he doesn’t have to uncoil his body during his shot motion, he’s able to get off the floor very quickly. This, combined with a difficult to reach release point that sits atop his head, makes his shot very difficult to properly contest. If he could maintain a consistent shot motion, which often sees small changes from play-to-play, I could confidently project him to be an above-average mid-range shooter at least at the collegiate level, and perhaps even against professional defenders. However, that inconsistency is a real concern, and it’s something that I hope naturally improves as he sees increased opportunity.
While there are signs that Bryant may one day develop a legitimate self-creation toolbelt from this level, at the moment, this simply isn’t a major part of his game. He dabbles with the occasional off-the-dribble jumper, but for the most part the extent of his self-created looks are turnaround attempts following a backdown. That said, even though he doesn’t create a ton of space with his handle or movement, his release point still makes his shot difficult to block, and his touch does allow him to convert a decent number of these attempts. If he does loosen up as a mover while developing a stronger handle, he could very well become a notable mid-range shot creator relative to his position group.
Another area where he’s actively developing is the short mid-range, specifically on his touch shots. While he does have more game feel than you’d expect from a rim running power forward, he still must improve in areas such as this before he can claim a truly well-rounded offensive arsenal. He’s actually rather proficient at finding strong court position and creating space via his verticality and agility. That said, he’s been inconsistent in converting these looks, and at the moment he’s probably better off taking the ball to the rim instead of searching for short mid-range opportunities. If his efficiency on these shots does improve, he’ll be able to claim some level of adeptness from all four scoring levels, if you separate the mid-range into two separate levels, short and long.
Outside Shooting:
I’m hopeful that Bryant will be a serviceable three-point shooter throughout the remainder of his career. Based on what I’ve seen from him, Bryant is confident that he’ll be a more-than-serviceable outside shot creator. While he is a solid catch-and-shoot operative, his shot diet certainly suggests that he considers himself more than just that. He attempts a ton of off-the-dribble threes, and while this may eventually be a more prominent part of his game, as of today I think he’s a bit too liberal on these attempts. That said, I’m glad he’s getting the repetitions necessary to become the shooter he clearly wants to be, and I do think that his long-range shooting ceiling will be viewed in a positive light throughout his draft cycle.
Percentagewise, he’s solid on catch-and-shoot attempts, but there is a bit of a give-and-take when compared to other aspects of his game. Compared to his mid-range jump shot, his outside shot is far slower, more labored, and easier to contest. That said, he doesn’t suffer from the same inconsistency issues from beyond the arc, with his shot motion being far more replicable and seemingly comfortable. While I would like to see him speed up his motion and maybe raise his release point, as long as he continues to make these shots at an efficient rate, I won’t make a major fuss over his mechanics.
Of course, I didn’t clip up his misses or examples of poor shot selection from beyond the arc, but let it be known that I do question his shot selection from this range quite often. Not because the shots he takes are always bad ones, but because he often takes threes when the drive is a far more enticing option. That said, I will point out how much faster his shot motion is on these looks, suggesting that he is capable of such a thing on his catch-and-shoot attempts. It is important to remember that we’re talking about a 6’9” power forward whose game is primarily predicated on his interior athleticism, so that we’re even talking about his off-the-dribble three-point shooting should be a long-term positive indicator. If he can become as efficient on these looks as he is when playing off-the-ball, he’d be tough to pass on for a team looking to draft a frontcourt player with both upside and win-now ability.
Playmaking & Passing:
There really isn’t much to write about in this section; passing is by far Bryant’s biggest weakness. He’s okay at making passes out of the paint, but other than that he seriously struggles to effectively move the ball. He can be a ball stopper when operating along the perimeter, often choosing to settle for low percentage outside shots rather than swing the ball to an open shooter. He should be a better passer on his drives, as his gravity in these situations is strong enough to draw multiple defenders and leave teammates open. However, his handle isn’t strong enough for him to take his eyes off the ball or the rim long enough to find the pass and make it without turning the ball over. Luckily for him, I’m not sure that being a secondary or even tertiary passer is going to be asked of him at either the college or professional level, so while it would certainly help if he improved as a passer, it’s probably not a deal breaker if he doesn’t.
Defense:
After all the high praise I’ve given his offensive abilities, I’d still argue that he’s even better on the defensive end. His offense is probably more polished than his defense, but the gap between him and his peers on the defensive end is far greater than it is on offense. During an era when most recruits dedicate themselves to improving their offensive skillset, a player like Bryant, who’s an absolutely monstrous rim protector, stands out as a different type of player. He’s probably the best rim protector in the 2026 class despite only being a forward, and while he isn’t a game breaking man-to-man defender, he has the physical intangibles to one day become just that.
What makes Bryant such a special rim protector is the diverse nature of his shot blocking abilities. He’s not some 7-footer picking up a couple blocks working in drop coverage; he’s an athletic specimen with elite mobility who gets off the ground incredibly quick. He’s also difficult to out-muscle in the paint, something that has improved this season after the development of his frame. He can be drawn away from the paint and still recover to the basket. He’s able to keep up with guards in transition. If he falls for a pump fake, his second jump is still fast enough to catch up with the ball. He’s also very good at pinning shots against the backboard, saving the possession and allowing his team to get out in the fast break. I really do think he’s talented enough to be a primary rim protector despite being undersized for that role, but realistically, he’ll probably play alongside a true center for most of his career. That being the case, I can only imagine the chaos caused by him playing with another legitimate rim protector (perhaps 7’5” Trent Burns next season at Missouri).
As I mentioned, apart from his rim protection he’s not an all-around defensive gamebreaker. That said, he holds his own in other areas, as he’s still a strong and athletic player, traits that come in handy no matter what you’re doing on a basketball court. He doesn’t force many steals, and he really doesn’t even attempt deflections, instead opting to play a conservative brand of defense for the most part. He can get into foul trouble when he starts block hunting, as he has a bad habit of jumping at pump fakes and being punished by quick thinking opponents. Discipline is taught, and it’s something that I imagine will be fixed over time as he moves through upper levels of the sport. If he maintains his elite rim protection while also remaining solid while defending on the floor, I think he’ll be a can’t miss defensive prospect when he makes the professional transition.
Summary:
Before I summarize Bryant’s game, as always, I want to put together a list of his flaws and weaknesses so that you have a better understanding of his profile in its entirety. Let it be known that every player has weaknesses, and what makes the great players great is their ability to view these flaws as areas in need of improvement rather than areas void of potential. In Bryant’s case, we’re looking at a player who is still actively developing, but whose strengths outweigh his weaknesses by a significant margin.
Despite being an incredibly talented interior scorer, he still needs to improve his touch and overall non-dunk finishing ability. While this is his strongest scoring level, it’s not strong enough for me to feel fully confident that it won’t betray him against professional defenders.
He struggles to handle passes below the knees or outside of his standard catch radius; he needs to work on his hands and coordination overall.
His handle, while actively improving, still has a long way to go before he’ll consistently be able to do the things he clearly wants to do on the offensive end. This includes on-ball driving and shot creation from both the mid-range and beyond the arc.
While I don’t always mind that he takes ill-advised shots from the mid-range and from beyond the arc, I only hope that he doesn’t become attached to these attempts mentally, because I’m not sure he’ll be permitted to take them next season.
His shot motion from mid-range is inconsistent, and not just overall or from game-to-game, but literally from play-to-play. If he doesn’t develop uniform mechanics, he’s going to struggle to be the offensive agent he strives to be.
His long-range shooting mechanics aren’t as inconsistent as they are from mid-range, but they do differ between his catch-and-shoot and self-created looks. If he could harness the speed at which he moves on his off-the-dribble attempts and incorporate that into his more efficient off-ball work, that would be ideal.
His biggest weakness is his passing, an area he has seriously struggled in during his senior season. He can be a ball stopper on the perimeter, isn’t the kickout passer you’d like him to be, and can appear selfish when he sets his sights on scoring.
While he naturally has solid rebounding numbers because of his size and athleticism, he can be lazy at times on box outs. He’s far more aggressive on the offensive glass than he is on the other end, which can sometimes result in easy offensive rebounds for opponents.
Despite rim protection being his strongest skill, he still has his moments of being an undisciplined shot blocker. He jumps at pump fakes, picks up fouls, and occasionally gives up an easy look.
He’s not the same defender outside of the paint that he is inside it, and at times he can come across as too conservative a defender. He doesn’t attempt steals or deflections at the rate I’d like to see from someone who is supposed to be an elite defensive prospect.
In my opinion, Bryant is probably underrated. He’s one of the best defenders in his graduating class and his offensive game has flown well under the radar to this point. The developments he’s made this season suggest he has a higher offensive ceiling than evaluators previously thought, and if he can further tap into that next season at Missouri, we’re looking at a lottery talent. I’m hoping that, as he finishes his senior season with SEPA surrounded by other premier talents, he will stand out as the best all-around player on the team. I’m hoping that his shot making and shot creation continue to improve and that his reps don’t decrease too drastically now that he must split them between more teammates. If all of that happens, I expect the buzz surrounding him to be far greater when he makes his freshman debut than it is today, and for good reason.