Haliburton making Oshkosh proud in bringing 920 to NBA
While Oshkosh has seen its fair share of great athletes such as Tim Jarmusz, Bill Gogolewski, Dick Erdlitz, and Hornswoggle, it has been a long time since one has gone professional, that is, until the 2020 NBA Draft. Tyrese Haliburton, born in 2000, quickly grabbed everyone’s attention through his exploits on the hardwood. Oshkosh North basketball coach Brad Weber has seen him grow from the beginning.
“Being an assistant at North for 18 previous years, I was able to know Ty as a real little kid and able to establish a great relationship with him,” Weber said.
It didn’t take long before Haliburton became a notable three star recruit in basketball. As a junior, he put up an astonishing 18 points per game, and quickly caught the attention of many Division 1 universities. Eventually, the Spartan committed to play at Iowa State, under Coach Fran McCaffery. West Coach Michael Johnson watched Haliburton develop and appreciates his blend of athleticism and attitude.
“Tyrese was so dynamic that preparing for him was an extremely challenging task,” he said. “Over time it became clear that you were not going to be able to stop Tyrese. The trait that separated him was his unselfishness and ability to get everyone involved.”
Going into his senior season, Haliburton really began to put on a show, putting up an astonishing 42 points against fellow Division 1 recruit Jordan McCabe and the Kaukauna Ghosts. He also increased his average points per game to almost 23, while also dishing out over six assists per game. As the postseason came along, Spartan fans knew Haliburton was going for the gold.
“He is a winner,” Weber said. “But, his desire to figure out how to help a team win and then execute that role is special.”
Execute he did, scoring 31 points to achieve the state title against Brookfield East. In addition to bringing home the Spartan’s first state title, Haliburton was selected as Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year and the FVA Co-Player of the Year. With a more than incredible high school career, the senior moved on to the collegiate level at Iowa State.
Besides collegiate play, Haliburton earned the opportunity to play for Team USA, scoring 21 points to beat Lithuania 102-84 in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Greece.
“When he went to Iowa State, he wasn't just happy to be at a D1 school, he wanted to be ready to help the team and compete for minutes,” Weber said.
As a true freshman, Haliburton put up roughly seven points per game, and was the only other freshman, other than nationwide prospect Zion Williamson, to record at least 50 steals and 30 blocks.
In his sophomore year, Haliburton improved to just under 14 points per game and was selected as two-time, all Pac-12 Player of the Week, and 2nd Team all Pac-12. Subsequently, after suffering a wrist injury, Haliburton was ruled out for the rest of the season, and declared for the NBA Draft.
“His approach has always been ‘be ready for the next step,’” Weber said. “It was that way when we qualified for the state tournament - he was not just happy to be there, he wanted to be ready to win it.”
Haliburton kept that mentality as he not only overcame a season-ending injury, but also managed to keep his draft rating in the first round.
“It is so exciting to see an Oshkosh kid playing at the highest level in the world - and having success doing it,” Johnson said.
Haliburton was drafted to the Sacramento Kings, with the twelfth pick of the first round. Even NBA legend Magic Johnson went as far as to coin Haliburton “Little Magic.”
“He is going to be a key contributor to that team's success and his game will elevate,” Weber said. “He is going to be a fan favorite in Sacramento.”
So far, Haliburton has recorded roughly 12 points per game in the league, and shoots at just under 50% from the field and is already a Rookie of the Year candidate.
“The biggest thing I think young people in the Oshkosh area should learn from Tyrese is humility,” Johnson said. “While Tyrese is an incredible player, he is also a great person off the court and has a great personality and outlook on life.”
By John Vandenheuvel
February 26, 2021
Oshkosh West Index Issue 5 Volume 117