Wisconsin basketball has been busy in the transfer portal. Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard and his staff have contacted several targets. With four former starters out the door, Gard has his hands full. Unfortunately, he does not have his hands full of transfer portal commitments.
Although UW always needed to make additions this offseason, a starting point guard was not on the initial shopping list. When three-year starting guard Chucky Hepburn went portaling, the departure created a massive roster need. Unfortunately for Gard, his first replacement plan has not panned out.
Former Iowa State, Texas Point Guard Commits to Memphis
Tyrese Hunter announced his transfer to the Memphis Tigers Monday evening. With 106 starts under his belt, Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway is adding a highly experienced piece to replace his starting point guard Jahvon Quinerly – who has exhausted his eligibility after five seasons and three schools.
Hunter spent the last two seasons as the Texas Longhorns’ starting point guard. In 2023, he was a key piece of a Texas team that made the Elite Eight. Prior to his arrival in Austin, Hunter spent a season with the Iowa State Cyclones. Following his one season in Ames, he was named the 2022 Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Wisconsin basketball fans might recall Hunter’s time in Iowa State from the Cyclones’ victory in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament over the Badgers in Milwaukee.
Wisconsin Basketball Transfer Portal Recruiting Suffers Another Blow
Texas Longhorns guard Tyrese Hunter (4) dribbles through Baylor defense in the second half of the Longhorns’ game against the Baylor Bears at the Moody Center in Austin, Jan 20, 2024. Texas won the game 75-73 with a layup in the final seconds of the game.
Gery Woelful previously reported that Wisconsin basketball contacted Hunter. The potential addition felt intuitive. Adding a veteran point guard with one year of eligibility remaining is a perfect fit alongside incoming Badgers freshman Daniel Freitag. While Hunter does not limit turnovers as well as Hepburn, he still commands an excellent assist and steal rate that would have filled much of what Gard will miss from Hepburn.
Hunter, a Racine, Wisconsin native, has ties to a current Wisconsin basketball player. At St. Catherine’s High School, Hunter and Kamari McGee were teammates. The Badgers did not pursue Hunter aggressively out of high school. They preferred to take a commitment from Hepburn.
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