Iowa State Basketball: Can Cyclones become Big 12 contenders in 2019-20?
Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Halburton was arguably the perfect role player in his freshmen season, posting incredible offensive efficiency on limited opportunities and providing solid defense. The 6-5 Wisconsin native ranked 3rd in the entire nation in offensive rating, and his 15th best effective field goal percentage included 68.5% on two’s and 43.4% on threes (74th nationally).
From 1992-93 to 2018-19, only 10 players have put up the following statistical profile: 3-point percentage >= 43.4%, 2-point percentage >= 68.5%, points per game >=6.8 and games >= 20.
John Konchar – 2016-17 – Purdue-Fort Wayne
Aundre Jackson – 2016-17 – Loyola (IL)
Mike Atkinson 1993-94 – Long Beach State
John Simons – 2014-15 – Central Michigan
Adam Mark – 2001-02 – Belmont
Casey Calvary – 1998-99 – Gonzaga
Keaton Jackson – 2013-14 – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
Mike Warhank – 1997-98 – Montana
Tyrese Haliburton – 2018-19 – Iowa State
Robert Todd – 2000-01 – Air Force
Can Haliburton thrive in an expanded role?
Although Haliburton’s efficiency was very impressive, it’s worth reiterating that his role was limited, only averaging 4.8 shots per game. Of the seven Cyclones that averaged the most minutes last season, he had by far the lowest usage rate when on the court. Haliburton’s 10.1% was well behind the next lowest usage rate of 19.1%.
With all the roster turnover, the former 3-star recruit should get the opportunity for his usage rate to skyrocket this season, transitioning from a mostly off-ball role to likely being the team’s lead ball-handler and point guard.
Haliburton showed flashes of point guard abilities last season (averaged 3.6 assists), but it’s this offseason that Cyclones fans have seen him fully start to embrace this role.
In July, Haliburton participated for Team USA in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece, helping lead the team to the championship. In seven games, he averaged 7.9 points and a tournament-leading 6.9 assists, shooting 68.8% from the field and 55.6% from long range (10/18).
Haliburton stayed busy following FIBA, joining the Cyclones for the team’s Italian Tour. He continued showcasing his distributing abilities in the team’s three victories over Ivory Coast, the Siena All-Stars and the Netherlands, dishing out six and seven assists respectively in the two games he played.
There’s plenty of reason for optimism regarding Haliburton’s playmaking ability, but the question is whether he will be able to (and whether he will need to) elevate his scoring. He seems more comfortable distributing than scoring off-the-dribble, but Steve Prohm might need him to be more aggressive this season.
Haliburton’s 43.4% 3-point shooting clearly makes him very valuable as a shooter, but it’s unclear how much this will be utilized when he’s handling the ball. 91.8% of his threes were assisted last season (only 12 teams as a whole had a higher percentage of threes assisted), and it’s unclear how well his shot will translate to off-the-dribble attempts. The Cyclones can occasionally let him spot-up to get some quality long-range shots, but it’s unclear who the playmakers will be to create these attempts.
Overall, Haliburton is primed to break out this season statistically, and he should be one of the best point guards in the Big 12. The question is whether he can elevate his scoring enough to keep the offense on track.
Other Haliburton Notes
-As noted earlier, Haliburton is a strong defender (1.5 steals, 0.9 blocks per game) and was able to do so without fouling (44th in fewest fouls called per 40 minutes last season).
-Aided by his limited fouling, he’s been available to play a lot of minutes (played 33.2 per game last season). Haliburton didn’t miss a game in 2018-19.
-It seems there’s a decent chance he could be a 1st round pick after next season if he leaves.