Texas Basketball: 2 studs, 1 dud from Longhorns easy win vs. Rice

Stud: Tyrese Hunter, G

For the first time this season, we have junior guard Tyrese Hunter showing up on the studs list after a Texas win. Hunter easily had his best showing this season in the win over Rice, registering a game-high 18 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting from the field, 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Hunter scored over 15 points for the first time this season in this game. And it was the first time this season that he’s shot better than 50 percent from beyond the arc.

He showed a good command of the offense as the primary facilitator on most possessions when he was on the floor. Abmas was facilitating the offense on around 30 or 40 percent of Texas’ possessions against Rice, though.

This was Hunter’s best game of the season so far, managing the offense as the primary facilitator and distributor. He registered four assists while turning the ball over just once. That is the type of assist-to-turnover ratio that will lead to some winning basketball for the Longhorns this season.

There was some showmanship, too, with a couple of Hunter’s assists that were lobs to Mitchell.

Like Abmas, Hunter did a nice job containing Rice’s guards on the offensive end of the floor, holding them to just a 27.8 percent shooting night from the field.

When either Hunter or Abmas is on their game, as the former was on this night in the win over Rice, Texas will be in a great spot in the backcourt.