Waltham Athlete Of The Week: Basketball Player Tyrone Monosiet

When Tyrone Monosiet’s time arrived with the Waltham High boys basketball team, the entire Dual County League took notice.

The junior center had played sparingly to start his first varsity season – getting extra time on junior varsity at one point – before moving into a bigger role midway through the winter. The Hawks took off from that point, with Monosiet leading the way to a 9-2 run to end the regular season.

“He was a monster for us,” Waltham coach Mike Wilder said. “He was pretty big down the stretch and definitely got attention throughout the league.”

Monosiet averaged a double-double in points and rebounds during the second half of the campaign as Waltham won nine of its final 11 games after starting the season 5-4. He was named a Dual County League All-Star, along with teammates Evan Clark and Ryan Power. He then earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Jake n JOES Tournament when the Hawks beat Woburn, 57-50, and KIPP Academy Charter of Lynn, 70-50, in the final two games of the regular season.

Waltham entered the state tournament at 14-6 and the No. 5 seed in Division 1 North despite graduating all but two players from last year’s sectional semifinalist.

“He went off against Bedford (an 80-45 victory on Jan. 18) and never looked back," Wilder said. "We knew he always had the ability. He was just very raw and needed to learn how to play within a system. It took time for him to be able to do that."

Monosiet was a force in the state tournament as well, with 21 points and 14 rebounds as the Hawks battled Andover to a 47-39 loss in front of a packed Waltham High gym in the opening round.

“We always knew he had the ability. Once he had a better understanding of what we were doing, he really turned the corner," the coach said.