Texas Basketball: 3 reasons the Longhorns will win the Big 12 Tournament
Tyrese Hunter re-gaining his March form from last year
One of the most important players for the Longhorns in the backcourt unit looks to be finding his groove at the exact right time. The reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and sophomore guard Tyrese Hunter is starting to turn into the version of himself that we witnessed during his freshman campaign at Iowa State last season.
Following Texas’ convincing win over Kansas this weekend, Hunter was able to do something he had yet to accomplish this season. Hunter was able to post at least a dozen points in four games in a row for the first time this season. It’s just an added bonus that this accomplishment coincides with the arrival of the postseason.
Tyrese Hunter has now scored at least a dozen points in four straight games for the first time as a Longhorn. pic.twitter.com/5QWH9cmuUU
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) March 4, 2023
Hunter was making plays on both ends of the floor for the Longhorns in the win over Kansas on March 4, including just his third 20-point outing of the season to date. And while he didn’t register any steals and/or blocks against Kansas, Hunter was still very disruptive on the defensive end. He had the third-best defensive rating of any Longhorn in the win over Kansas on March 4.
Tyrese Hunter's career averages in March:
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) March 5, 2023
-12.5 points per game, 5 assists, 3 rebounds
-2 steals, 0.5 blocks
-40 3P%, 79 FT% pic.twitter.com/5HWJWt6m3R
I’ve said it all throughout Big 12 play, but if this is the version of Hunter that Texas will get in for the rest of March and April, then this team will be in for a deep postseason run. When he’s on, it’s almost impossible for opposing teams to effectively match up against this Texas starting unit, not to mention some of the depth that Terry has on the bench with guys like Rice, Bishop, and Cunningham.
Next. 2 studs, 1 dud from clobbering of KU. dark
To sum this up, Hunter is clearly a big-game player when the calendar hits March. He came alive for the Cyclones in the postseason last year, and he’s averaged a whopping 17.5 points per game, one steal, and one block while shooting an insane 45 percent from beyond the arc and 92 percent from the free-throw line.
In eight games played in the last two seasons in March, Hunter is averaging more than a dozen points per game, five assists, three rebounds, and two steals while shooting around 40 percent from beyond the arc and 79 percent from the charity stripe.