ANGWIN — In his highest praise for Tyler Hunt, who scored 1,230 points and broke all-time records for Middletown High basketball, University of California-Santa Cruz coach Gordon Johnson says, “He shoots people out of the gym.”
It would be safe to say that the “jumper” is not the shot Hunt uses most frequently in that process, because well, he doesn”t get very high off the floor. But anyone who has seen him play will say that Hunt is smart and aggressive, an intensely hard worker and, although only 6-foot-5, able to play the post on defense.
But, says Johnson, grinning and extending his fingers about three inches apart, “He jumps about that high.”
All that aside, Hunt has leaped very high in Johnson”s estimation since he walked onto the UC-Santa Cruz basketball team three years ago.
“I love him, I love him to death,” said Johnson just before a game at Pacific Union College on Tuesday night in the tucked away town of Angwin. “I feel like I got a steal when he walked on because he came out of nowhere.”
Most of Johnson”s praise extends from last year when Hunt, a 2008 Middletown high graduate, started a few games for the Banana Slugs late in the season and, according to Johnson, averaged 12 points. This season, Hunt has played sparingly because of the mononucleosis that waylayed him on Santa Cruz”s first road trip.
The Slugs are 6-10 for the season, but “realistically, if Tyler hadn”t gotten sick I think our record would be reversed,” said Johnson. Which is very high praise indeed for a player who has never been a regular starter at Santa Cruz and used primarily as a sixth man.
“Tyler”s a scrapper. He”s going to get in there and give me everything he”s got anytime he”s on the floor,” Johnson observed.
Johnson is not alone in his admiration for Hunt.
“Tyler is one of the hardest workers in our progam. He”s always in the gym shooting,” said Ryan Matsuoka, a close friend, a senior guard and an All-American projection out of Cupertino. “No, he doesn”t get off the floor, but he makes up for it.”
Explaining why he elected to walk on at UC-Santa Cruz, which as a Division III NCAA member cannot award athletic scholarships, Hunt said, “I wanted to go to a school in the UC system. I got into Davis, but had no chance of playing there.
“I”ve enjoyed it at Santa Cruz,” he added. “It”s been a good chance to play college basketball and I”ve had a good time. Around here (in high school) there really wasn”t that much competition, so I”ve had to learn to play differently.”
Because of restrictions on athletic aid it is difficult for a college in the state system to excel at NCAA Division III.
“Division III is really a private school environment, because if they want to move their money around they can,” said Johnson. “But UC being a public institution has to follow a whole different set of rules.”
Consequently, last year”s 12-15 finish was Johnson”s best in nine years at the college. Hunt, he said, was a big reason for that.
Mike Mullin, who coached Hunt at Middletown High School, said Johnson”s high praise is not misplaced..
“I know Tyler and what his work ethic was and how he”s worked hard since he was a little guy to where he”s at now,” Mullin said. “Tyler”s always strived to get better and never settled for being good enough.”
Nor was Mullin surprised that Hunt walked on at Santa Cruz.
“Not at all,” he said. “He has the drive and ability to go as far as he wants to go. He has the work ethic, the shooting ability and the footwork and what he lacks in his ability to jump he makes up for in all the fundamentals.”
Jumping ability notwithstanding, seeing Hunt”s abililty to play at the college level required no great leap of faith.
