Racine Sun

If the Iowa State Cyclones receive an invite to the Big Dance, you can bet Racine native Tyrese Hunter will be a big part as they do the two-step through the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

Hunter has made huge contributions to the team, which recently hit the 20-win mark for the season, and is drawing praise from teammates.

“I thought [Tyrese] did a really good job of reading the defense,” guard Caleb Grill told 247sports.com about Hunter’s play against Kansas State. “They tag heavy, so, when they did that, the backside was open, and I got a few good looks off of him. Then later, there were some looks for the big man down low, and he was able to dump down to them.” 

In that game, Hunter was the first Cyclone to score, and he stole the show with the excellent play reading that Grill mentioned, iowastatedaily.com reported. 

It’s not that he’s a big scorer, but rather that he shares the ball. Hunter ended the Kansas State game with 10 assists, bringing his total to 139. If he dishes off eight more times over the next two regular season games, he’ll break the school record 146 freshman assists in a season set by Gary Thompkins in the 1984-85 season. 

“(He’s) just doing a really good job of growing as a person and a point guard, and he’s been huge for us down the stretch,” Grill said of Hunter’s role, according to the website report.