Rodney Terry shares message to Tyrese Hunter on impacting wins

Texas has turned to two players offensively this season, with Max Abmas and Dylan Disu running the show. However, Tyrese Hunter has been a quiet third option for the Longhorns, having an inconsistent year thus far. When Hunter has played to the best of his abilities, Texas has looked like a different team.

Following Monday’s win against Kansas State, Rodney Terry spoke on the difference Hunter can bring to the table. While many will focus on his offensive output, Terry says Hunter has been engaged on the defensive end. This goes back to last season when Texas won the Big 12 Tournament and made a run to the Elite Eight.

“Go back to last year’s team,” Terry said. “When he’s playing at an elite level defensively and has a really good mindset, he’s really engaged and really involved. I think it helps him offensively. He’s had some of his better nights when he’s playing really well on defense.”

Whenever Hunter has brought the defensive intensity, his teammates have been able to absorb the energy. In a conference like the Big 12, an individual consistently scoring can be difficult. Hunter’s defense has led to offense at times and Terry believes that can make a huge difference.

“That spreads,” Terry said. “When you have that energy and activity, it spreads to other guys having to guard with that same type of energy. When he brings that, it brings a different type of element to the game. Even if he’s not scoring, he’s giving us offense off our defense. Sometimes, you get separation in this league when you get offense from your defense.”

Texas has won two out of its last three and the defense has been the main reason. Both West Virginia and Kansas State finished with less than 60 points while shooting under 40%. A team that struggles to score at times, defense has played a huge role for the Longhorns.

Personally, on offense, Hunter has not gone back-to-back games in double figures since the beginning of Big 12 play. In Texas’ seven conference losses, he is going for just 7.6 points per game. His average goes up quite a bit in the six wins, averaging 11.7 points.

Terry would love for Hunter to turn into a consistent third scorer for Texas, especially down the stretch run. However, he is still able to make an impact on the game with his defensive effort. Something you may not see in the box score every night.