Tyrese Hunter to withdraw from NBA Draft, return to Texas

Tyrese Hunter is not quite yet done with college basketball, announcing he will play at least one more season at Texas on Thursday evening. Hunter had previously declared for the 2023 NBA Draft but left to door open to returning to college. The decision is now official — Hunter is back for the Longhorns.

With the decision, Hunter will be viewed as a top player coming back for the 2023-2024 season. A huge get for head coach Rodney Terry as he heads into his first full campaign in Austin.

Hunter will be entering his second season with the Longhorns but third overall. He was brought into the program via Chris Beard, originally playing for Big 12 foe Iowa State. In what wound up being a huge coup for Texas, Hunter played a factor in a run to the Elite Eight under Terry.

In 38 games last season, Hunter averaged 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Hunter wound up being Texas’ fourth-leading scorer, proving the depth available in Austin this past year.

Some roster turnover means Terry will need a bit more production from Hunter. A bigger role is in store for the third-year player but even after losing Marcus Carr, Hunter will still have a star guard to play alongside.

Tyrese Hunter, Max Abmas to play together in Texas backcourt

With Hunter’s return, he will be linking up with a new face in the Texas backcourt. Max Abmas has transferred in via Oral Roberts, filling a huge position of need for the Longhorns. He was just one of the few NCAA transfer portal wins Terry has been able to pull off this season.

Abmas spoke about potentially playing with Hunter with The Field of 68 after making his commitment official. He is willing to play both roles with Hunter, understanding there can be a key area of development by taking the ball out of his hands at times.

“I think we’ll both be able to play on the ball and off the ball,” Abmas said. “Playing at the next level, you’re going to be playing with other good guards too. I’ve been in offenses where I’ve played both on and off the ball.

“The last few years I’ve been really ball-dominant, always having the ball in my hand. But to be able to switch it up and play on and off the ball? (It) would be definitely big for my game.”