When Tyrese Hunter entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2021-22 season, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year was a consensus top-5 transfer in the country and a two-way stalwart. After a dip in his performance throughout the Big 12 season, Hunter returned to form and paced the Horns with a top-scoring 15 points against his former team as No. 8 Texas comfortably handled No. 23 Iowa State 72-54.

Hunter started his Texas career strong in non-conference play, including a team-high 26 points in a statement win 93-74 over then-No. 2 Gonzaga. After hitting the double-figure mark in his first seven games as a Longhorn, sophomore guard Hunter’s production began to slow down as the calendar turned to 2023. This included numerous low-scoring games, including a matchup where he was held scoreless against Texas Tech on Jan. 14. 

Hunter’s 15 points on Tuesday was his highest since a Jan. 3 loss to Kansas State, where he put up 29 in an unusually high-scoring game that Texas lost 103-116. 

Prior to Tuesday, Hunter was shooting 30.7% from three this season. He nearly doubled that average mark against the Cyclones, going 3-5 from behind the arc, which included a momentum-building three to extend the Horns’ lead to 12 with less than five minutes left in the first half. After the under-10 mark in the second half, Hunter stole the ball from Osun Osunniyi and nailed a 3-pointer to give Texas a 62-42 lead. The Longhorns led by at least 13 the rest of the way in an end-to-end victory.

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After being the Cyclones’ second leading scorer and top assist man as a true freshman at Iowa State, Hunter further raised his performance during postseason play, posting season highs in points and 3-pointers made during a run to the Sweet Sixteen. Hunter is no stranger to stepping up in the big moment, which stems from his diligent attitude on the practice court.

“Tyrese is a tremendous young man,” said Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger, who coached Hunter last year.

Texas interim head coach Rodney Terry emphasized Hunter’s dedication and consistency throughout the season.

“Tyrese has been working extremely hard, and I’m glad to see that he had some positive results tonight,” Terry said. “His ability to play with great pace … makes our team really, really good.”

Hunter’s presence has helped Texas play faster this season, which has allowed Texas to be more dynamic offensively while letting graduate guard Marcus Carr play off the ball.

The data on pace of play, which measures how many possessions a team has per game, shows Hunter’s impact on the floor. In the 2021-22 season, Texas ranked ninth in the Big 12 in tempo and 336th in Division I, according to KenPom. This season, the Horns are up to third in the Big 12 and 90th in the nation.

Whether the shots are falling or not, Hunter remains a valuable defender. Despite being smaller than many of his opponents at 6 feet tall, Hunter is as aggressive and engaged of a backcourt presence as anyone in the Big 12.

As Texas fights for the Big 12 title in its three remaining games of conference play and gears up for the postseason, an in-form Hunter on both ends of the floor gives the Horns yet another problem to throw at their opponents.