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  • Tyrese Hunter To Remain At Texas And See If More Time In Austin Improves His Stock

Tyrese Hunter To Remain At Texas And See If More Time In Austin Improves His Stock

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Basketball

Tyrese Hunter has elected to return to The University of Texas Men's Basketball team for the upcoming 2023-24 season. He made the announcement via his social media platforms.

"Run that back," Hunter stated in his post.

During his sophomore season in 2022-23, Hunter played and started all 38 games and ranked second on the team in minutes (30.3 mpg), third in assists (96), fourth in scoring (10.3 ppg) and fifth in steals (31). He tied UT single-season records for most games played and games started. Hunter posted a 1.41 assist-to-turnover ratio (96-68) and converted 33.7-percent from the three-point line (56-166) and 80.0-percent (60-75) from the free throw line last year. He reached double figures in scoring 20 times, including three 20-point efforts on the season.

Over his final 11 games last season, Hunter averaged 11.7 points per contest while converting 40.4-percent (21-52) from three-point range. In UT's 83-71 NCAA Round of 16 win against No. 13/14 Xavier (Mar. 24), he recorded a team-high 19 points (7-11 FG, 3-3 threes) and tied his collegiate career high with two blocks in a season-high 38 minutes. Hunter registered 20 points (3-7 FG, career-high 9-10 FT) and three assists in 33 minutes in the 75-59 victory over No. 3/3 Kansas (Mar. 4) in the regular-season finale. He tallied a collegiate career-high 29 points (8-16 FG, 5-9 threes, 8-8 FT) and three steals in 35 minutes against K-State (Jan. 3). Hunter also posted a team-high 26 points (9-14 FG, 5-8 threes, 3-3 FT) in 26 minutes during the 93-74 win against No. 2/2 Gonzaga (Nov. 16).

Hunter has played and started all 73 career games during his first two years of college at Iowa State (2021-22) and Texas (2022-23). He has recorded career totals of 777 points (10.6 ppg), 268 assists (3.7 apg) and 236 rebounds (3.2 rpg) in 2,273 minutes played (31.1 mpg). Hunter has reached double figures in scoring 40 times, including six 20-point performances, and has reached double digits in assists twice in his collegiate career.

Texas completed the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 29-9 (12-6 Big 12, second) and ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll and No. 7 in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll. The No. 5 spot marked a tie for the highest ranking in the final AP poll by the Longhorns, as UT also was No. 5 in the final AP poll during the 2002-03 Final Four season. The No. 7 spot marked the third-highest ranking in the final Coaches poll in program history and highest since a No. 5 ranking following the 2007-08 season.

The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 and eighth time in program history. UT captured its second Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title in program history, defeating No. 3 Kansas, 76-56, in the championship game in Kansas City, Mo. The Longhorns earned a No. 2 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, marking the highest seed for Texas in the NCAA tourney since 2008 (also a No. 2 seed).

The 29 wins were the third-most in a single season in program history, as UT went 31-7 in 2007-08 and 30-7 in 2005-06. The Longhorns compiled a 10-7 record against AP Top 25 opponents in 2022-23, and the 10 wins were the most in the nation against AP-ranked foes. The 10 wins against AP-ranked opponents also set a school single-season record, as UT previously went 8-5 in 2003-04. Texas posted a 6-3 mark against AP Top 11 foes during the 2022-23 season and tied a program single-season record for most games played (38). UT began the year at No. 12 in the preseason AP poll and spent all 19 weeks of the poll in the top 12, including 17 consecutive weeks in the top 10. That marked the longest such stretch since Texas was in the top 10 for all 19 polls during the 2002-03 Final Four season.

The Longhorns were one of three teams to rank in the top 15 in KenPom in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Texas (15 offense, 13 defense) was joined by UConn (3 offense, 7 defense) and Houston (11 offense, 5 defense). Since the Big 12 moved to an 18-game round-robin schedule starting in the 2011-12 season, Texas reached the 12-win mark for the first time in league play (12-6 record). Seventeen of UT's 29 victories during the 2022-23 season were by at least 10 points.