Tyrese Hunter set to make his return to Iowa State in the midst of a slump
Out of Racine (Wis.) St. Catherine’s, Tyrese Hunter had 25 scholarship offers to choose from. In the end, he chose to play for the Iowa State Cyclones and head coach T.J Otzelberger.
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Hunter’s stop in Ames, Iowa lasted just one season, but he became a key component in the 2021-22 edition of Hilton Magic. In 19 games at Hilton Coliseum, the home of the Cyclones, Hunter averaged 10 points and five assists per game on 37 percent shooting.
He stepped up his production during Big 12 play, averaging 11 points and five assists in both home and away contests, upping his shooting percentage to 39.5 percent. The Cyclones only went 7-11 in Big 12 play, but Hunter picked up Big 12 freshman of the year honors.
Iowa State then made a run when it matters most in college basketball. The Cyclones advanced to the 2022 Sweet 16 as an 11-seed, topping LSU in the first round thanks to 23 points from Hunter.
Hunter added 13 points and seven assists in the Cyclones’ loss to Miami in the regional semifinal round. Shortly after, he entered the transfer portal and chose the Austin to be his new home.
Now, he returns to Ames for the first time since entering the transfer portal, and the 7 p.m. contest on Tuesday night has significant Big 12 implications. Texas is currently ranked No. 7 and the Cyclones are ranked No. 12 in the most recent AP poll. Both teams are 4-1 in Big 12 play, and have sights set on contending for the regular season title.
Hunter’s time in Austin started out hot, but he’s been struggling on the court of late ahead of his Iowa homecoming. He scored 29 against Kansas State, but it was not enough to overcome the dismal defense played by Texas. The last time he scored double-digit points in a win was almost a month ago versus Louisiana.
After opening the season with seven straight double-figure scoring nights, Hunter has averaged 7.4 points per contest since the loss to Illinois.
The 29-point night inflates his scoring average in Big 12 play. He’s scored 16 total points in the other four contests, including a zero-point night versus Texas Tech on Saturday.
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Texas interim head coach Rodney Terry was asked about Hunter’s recent slump following the win over the Red Raiders.
“Over the course of a season, with the ebb and flow of how a season goes, I think guys sometimes have to play their way through situations,” Terry said. Saturday. “Tyrese played 25 minutes today, and I think he’ll find his groove here at the right time. He’s too good a player not too. He’s a high level player, and he’s a guy that we have extremely high expectations for. I know he has high expectations for himself likewise.
“There’s no doubt in my mind Tyrese is going to be playing at a very high level when we need him to be playing at a very high level. Even when he’s not, I think his leadership and experience out there gives us a lift on both ends of the floor.”
In the difficult environments Texas travels to this week in Ames, Iowa and Morgantown, W. Va., those leadership attributes will be needed for the Longhorns. Texas had two poor starts at home versus TCU and TTU, needing to overcome significant deficits to earn the pair of victories.
For Hunter, he’ll have to balance the need for leadership with the emotions of a return to the program that benefitted from his stellar freshman season. Hilton Coliseum may not be terribly hospitable for Hunter.
But if he can return to his late 2021-22 form or early 2022-23 form, he’ll be making progress toward once again being a significant figure in Texas’ quest to achieve lofty season-long goals and aspirations. He may even quiet the crowd that used to be boisterous for him in the process.
