Memphis has earned its fourth commitment of the transfer portal cycle in Texas transfer Tyrese Hunter. Hunter’s commitment comes six days after he entered his name into the transfer portal. He joins Tulsa guard PJ Haggerty, Wichita State guard Colby Rogers, and Illinois center Dain Dainja in the Tigers’ portal class.
What should Memphis fans know about their most recent addition?
Who is Tyrese Hunter?
Tyrese Hunter is a junior guard with one year of eligibility remaining. The Texas transfer spent two years with the Longhorns after playing his freshman campaign with Iowa State.
Hunter started all 33 games he played in for the Longhorns. He averaged 11.1 points. 2.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Furthermore, he shot 45.2% from the field, 34.3% from beyond the arc, and 71.6% from the charity stripe.
Hunter’s Game
Tyrese Hunter is a physical and aggressive downhill-attacking guard. At 6’0, 175 pounds, he has a strong frame that he uses to shield off defenders on drives to the rim. Hunter is a high-flyer that he uses to mitigate his height deficiencies. He shot 55.1% at the rim and connected on 13 dunks this season while also scoring 1.1 points per possession in transition.
Hunter is also a more than capable shooter from the outside, succeeding in a catch and shoot role for Texas. He has made steady improvements as a shooter over the course of his college career after struggling some as a freshman. He has deep range and can get to his jumper off the catch or off the dribble. His 55 eFG% on catch and shoot jump shots ranked in the nation’s 74th percentile.
Hunter spent most of his time with Texas on the ball, showcasing the variety of counters and moves he had to get to shots off the dribble. He scored 1.02 points per possession in spot up situations, ranking in the nation’s 70th percentile. He, too, demonstrated his ability to make tough shots off the bounce, but struggled some efficiently with those plays. Hunter had a 39 eFG% on off the dribble shots in his junior campaign.
The former Texas guard’s playmaking was a mixed bag. He was good getting downhill off ballscreens, attracting attention with his deep range, and finding open teammates. However, he often tried to do too much with the ball in his hands and made poor decisions. Hunter had a 24% assist rate, but also had a 20% turnover rate.
How He Fits
Hunter rounds out the starting backcourt for Memphis. He likely joins PJ Haggerty at the two and Colby Rogers at the three. All three are solid defenders, but none of them stand out on that end of the court. This likely means Memphis will need a talented defender at the powerforward spot to round out the frontcourt with Dain Dainja.
With two starting-caliber guards already in place, Hunter should succeed and find more efficiency in a scaled-down role with the Tigers. He will need to clean up some of his decision making to maximize his impact, but he is a very talented player who will help the Tigers out offensively at the point guard position with his playmaking, driving, and shooting abilities.
