Tyrese Hunter explains decision to enter transfer portal and leave Iowa State

[CycloneVet]

You know I was indifferent before, kid lost his parents, likely too short, not good enough offensively, and not a good enough handle to play in the NBA without development. If he got a big payday to go to Texas then it was understandable. But why not tell the truth? Why blatantly lie about it?

 

[Cjreimer]

Did he slip up here, or am I just not understanding the quote?
First he says he didn’t discuss NIL until he committed but then says NIL was getting bigger at each school he looked at?



Zero percent,” Hunter said on Wednesday when asked what role NIL played in his decision to transfer during the Big 12’s men’s basketball media day in Kansas City. “That narrative, it was crazy. I didn’t know how it came out. I never even talked about no NIL with Texas until after I committed. That was just little opportunities. I felt like that came with any school I went to. NIL was getting bigger and bigger as schools go along. My main focus was to get to the next level and player development.”

If his focus was player development, he certainly made a bad decision. There is no finer opportunity than playing for T. J. Certainly Hunter made some big strides while under the wings of TJ.

 

[AirWalke]

The old double negative trick. If he never talked about no NIL doesn’t that mean he did talk about NIL?

Glad I’m not the only one that caught this.

That said what a messy statement and a complete unawareness of the optics of his departure. I doubt anyone so much as sneezes if he transfers to a Big East or ACC school, but he transferred to the primadonna of Big 12 schools. Transferring to KU would have sucked but at least there’s the clout of a national championship to justify the move.

We’ve had other players transfer before without a whimper from the fans, and had others leave early for the NBA. The only two players I can think of that have jilted the fanbase like this in the past were Adam Haluska (transferred to Iowa) and Wesley Johnson (transferred to Syracuse but did so in a very vulnerable, rebuilding stage of the men’s basketball program)

 

[Sigmapolis]

We could call him a point guard...the minutes he did get with Lakers last year you could call him the point guard at least how they were using him.

It's just hilariously silly that Monte and real Tyrese are starting against each other on opening night the day after Hunter said you have to leave ISU to make the NBA.

We all know Hunter's response was patently false. He wanted the money. One of my rules in life is never fault a man or woman for getting themselves paid, and I was going to leave it there.

Reminds me of this monologue from The Godfather, Part II --

"When I heard about it, I wasn't angry. I knew Moe; I knew he was headstrong, and talking loud, and saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead, I let it go, and said to myself: this is the business we've chosen. I never asked who gave the order because it had nothing to do with business."

Tyrese made it personal when he tried to weasel out of it being simply business.

The great irony is the current list of Texas Tech players in the NBA is --

Jarrett Culver

Texas has ten guys in the NBA, but none of them played for Beard. Some of them are old men (at least by NBA standards) who played for Barnes -- PJ Tucker, Durant, and Cory Joesph.

Iowa State has four right now -- Haliburton, Horton-Tucker, Morris, and Niang. That is, Steve Prohm has three guys in the NBA that he recruited right now (up to three because it looks like Cameron Payne has stuck with the Phoenix Suns this season)... and Chris Beard has one. Iowa State has four and Chris Beard has one.

The idea you can't make the NBA as a Cyclone is preposterous.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

Here's what Tyrese had to say about his decision today in Kansas City.

Hunter explains decision to enter the transfer portal and leave Iowa State

Photo credit: Ryan Weaver for the Big 12 Conference KANSAS CITY --- Tyrese Hunter told reporters on Wednesday that name, image and likeness opportunities did not play a part in his decision to enter the transfer portal and leave Iowa State after last season. That statement runs contrary to the

cyclonefanatic.com

I would just like to point out if it really wasn’t about money, I’m sure the coach he originally committed to would have taken him at Murray State. Prohm has put plenty of point guards in the NBA, the pressure would have been less, etc.

 

[cyatheart]

He's around 19 years old and by definition an immature little $hit. I don't hold anything against him if he left for money, I would root for the kid. And I won't hold it against him going forward, he's just a stupid kid. But we see lots of kids that have maturity and discretion at this age and he's not one of them. and in this case he's a liar, 19 is old enough to have balls. Nobody told him he had to lie. He could have just as easily said "I did what I thought I had to do"...and I would have applauded him. Now, he's just a little $hit.

 

[3TrueFans]

Why won't this kid that I don't even know tell me the truth though? I feel like I've earned it.

 

[cyatheart]

I think it was about half NIL and half TJ's playing style.

Who wouldn't want to play for a team that scores 75-85 pts a game instead of 45? Yes, I have no idea what the actual numbers are for pts/game for Texas vs ISU.... so no idea if those are even close to correct. But the point still stands.

I would agree, tj pkays too slow for him. So he went to a coach that plays even SLOWER. I get it, he wanted the money, he shoukd just say it. Beard isn't developing that kid at all. Plenty of other coaches would have paid plenty and developed him more. Dumb decision to go there.

 

[Sigmapolis]

I would agree, tj pkays too slow for him. So he went to a coach that plays even SLOWER. I get it, he wanted the money, he shoukd just say it. Beard isn't developing that kid at all. Plenty of other coaches would have paid plenty and developed him more. Dumb decision to go there.

If he thought TJ and Green were hard-ass disciplinarians...

Hunter is going to break when Beard goes half-Whiplash and half-Full Metal Jacket on him.

 

[CoKane]

I really don't know yet other than they've both struggled. Haliburton is fun to watch no matter what, just a unique gifted player. I watched some of his Kings games just to see him.

I think Morris might have got dinged up. He was having a decent game but went out mid third and never came back. Just followed box score, didn't watch or listen.

The Nuggets were really fun to watch with Jokic and while Beal is a talent I can't see myself following as close as I did his Nuggets years. It is a cool story that Monte started an NBA game with his childhood friend Kuzma.

It's just hard to keep up with all these starting Cyclone point guards in the NBA not named Hunter.

Dude deserves better than Steve Prohm and The Kings. Isane he landed with the worst P6 coach at the time and then went to the worst NBA franchise after

 

[DSMCy]

Dude deserves better than Steve Prohm and The Kings. Isane he landed with the worst P6 coach at the time and then went to the worst NBA franchise after

TH is with the Pacers now

 

[ClonesTwenty1]

Believe me when I say no one gives a **** about what Hunter says or does.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

I could see him not liking the behind the scenes stuff with TJ. Honestly, I'm not sure I could do the 6 am breakfast, first row in class, boy scout thing. I needed my breaks from sports in season and TJ seems like he's crawling up your A 24/7.

I don't really blame him for saying what he did. He's just playing the game. I was already hoping for Gabe to torch him far before he said this stuff. I've long since stopped hoping for candid honesty from strangers. Frankly you can and should keep somethings for yourself.

Good luck developing into that NBA player.

 

[Halincandenza]

Does it really matter why he left?

 

[madguy30]

I could see him not liking the behind the scenes stuff with TJ. Honestly, I'm not sure I could do the 6 am breakfast, first row in class, boy scout thing. I needed my breaks from sports in season and TJ seems like he's crawling up your A 24/7.

I don't really blame him for saying what he did. He's just playing the game. I was already hoping for Gabe to torch him far before he said this stuff. I've long since stopped hoping for candid honesty from strangers. Frankly you can and should keep somethings for yourself.

Good luck developing into that NBA player.

Well the dudes from next year's class have to know this type of thing is coming so they must not mind.

And I think it's reasonable for any coach to have his program represented very positively at any time possible.

 

[Gossamer]

I still fully support his ability to earn what money he can when he can.

That said, I also believe Tyrese Hunter to be a disingenuous liar who lacks the integrity to be honest. I consider him like any other paid athlete looking for their next paycheck...which isn't a bad thing, unless it's married up with dishonesty. Now I can boo him and not even feel a teensy bit bad.

The world has a way of making things right.

 

[Statefan10]

I liked how Tyrese played with a chip on his shoulder and an underdog mentality and he could’ve done some awesome things here.

Others have mentioned this but he started turning into a bit of a diva behind the scenes and I’m sure most of that was because what his camp was telling him.

I wouldn’t be surprised if his mentality changes at Texas.

 

[Jer]

Anybody that knows people involved in the transition (on both sides of it) know it was 100% about money. I wouldn't say that if it wasn't 1st hand knowledge to many because I like Hunter as a person. He gave ISU a number that they couldn't even dream of meeting. He went to the open market and got that number met. His handlers made a very big deal of it.

 

[Gossamer]

as I was just on Twitter, Tyrese deleted this tweet...

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Well the dudes from next year's class have to know this type of thing is coming so they must not mind.

And I think it's reasonable for any coach to have his program represented very positively at any time possible.

JFC TJ can do whatever he wants, that's just my opinion. Not every one is cut out for military school either.