As Tyrese Hunter plays near home in Wisconsin, freshman finds figurative home on court too

MILWAUKEE — As Iowa State freshman Tyrese Hunter hit 3-pointer after 3-pointer Friday night against LSU, he kept on turning around to share the moment with a familiar group of people.

His grandmother was there to see him for the first time in two years. Other friends and family were there, too, after teammates offered him part or all of their six-ticket allotments.

“This is my backyard right here,” Hunter said Saturday.

That sense of home on the Fiserv Forum floor had both a literal and metaphorical truth to it. He’s playing about 30 miles away from his hometown of Racine, Wis., and had a large contingent of fans there.

But the freshman standout also has found a home on the court with his role on the Cyclones despite being one of the youngest players in college basketball.

Hunter has emerged as a major factor in Iowa State’s offense in his first year in Ames, averaging 11.2 points per game. He also has more than twice as many assists in 2021-22 as any of his teammates.

“I’ve played with a lot of freshmen, and he definitely stands out,” senior teammate Aljaz Kunc said.

Otzelberger said the freshman guard “carries himself like a veteran.”

“His trust is built every day through his daily habits, how he works,” Otzelberger said. “You see his court demeanor, his body language. He carries himself like a veteran. That's why it surprises everybody that he's only 18.”

Those habits include working out with assistant coach J.R. Blount every morning at 7 a.m.

“He’s just a relentless kid and somebody who wants to work, wants to get better,” Blount said. “It’s a privilege for me just to be able to work with him and continue to see him grow.”

Hunter is especially young for his class, turning 18 less than two weeks before Iowa State’s fall semester began.

“I know that he’s so proud that he finally grew facial hair,” said Nick Bennett, who coached Hunter at Racine St. Catherine’s High School.

Bennett, also the nephew of one of Otzelberger’s coaching idols Dick Bennett, has noticed Hunter’s on-court adjustments that have helped him fit in so well from afar.

“Tyrese has really grown into his role,” Bennett said. “I think, the first month, month-and-a-half of the season, he was figuring out, ‘Am I still the lead scorer?’ … He’s really learned how to pick his moment — the opportune times, when to be the facilitator.”

While many people have noted Hunter’s serious, hardworking nature on the court, the guard knows how to have fun, too.

Bennett called him a “very, very funny young man,” and Otzelberger referred to him as a “jokester.”

The “self-described class clown” was usually on his best behavior in the classroom with Bennett, the former Racine St. Catherine’s coach said, but the locker room was a different scene.

“He just danced around his teammates to try to get them loose,” Bennett said.

He sang as well, Bennett said, despite being a “terrible singer.”

Hunter has continued his “childish ways” at Iowa State, he said Saturday with senior teammates on each side of him.

“For the outsiders, y'all see me serious, but these guys know I'm probably the goofiest on the team,” Hunter said.

Fast forward to Friday’s game against LSU, and Hunter had 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Hunter was, as Kunc described it, simply “doing his thing” Friday on offense.

“It's March Madness,” Hunter said. “Everybody’s got one goal and you've got to go out there and play hard. That's just me playing myself.”

His seven 3-pointers were a career-high for the 28-percent perimeter shooter. Playing in such a familiar environment may have helped that.

Brockington said Hunter was “one of the most excited guys” on Iowa State ahead of Friday’s game, although that’s not all that unusual for him.

“No matter the implications of the game, no matter how big the game is, he is just ready to go out there, ready to be aggressive and just going out there and having fun,” Brockington said Friday.

Now the Wisconsin native is preparing to play against the home-state school that didn’t recruit him although he said the focus is the same as for any other opponent — “going out there to try to get the W.”

“I wasn't a Wisconsin fan growing up,” Hunter said Friday. “I always just looked at the big games really.”

With a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line, it’s safe to say this will be one of those big games.

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