For many committed, hard-working high school athletes, playing in college seems like a far off land; they’re lucky enough to even grasp a scholarship and receive playing time at the school of their dreams. But Tyrese Haliburton, Oshkosh North alum, has been producing some Hilton Magic of his own at Iowa State.

Iowa State has gone 13-4 so far this season, a great start, but not when you consider the facts. Early in November, it was announced that Sophomore guard Lindell Wigginton was out indefinitely with a strained foot. However, the Cyclones already suffered dents in their lineup with suspensions towards two players and an injured forward.

With all of this in the works, Cyclone Coach Steve Prohm called upon several Freshman, including Haliburton, to fill in for Wigginton. In his first game against Alabama State, Haliburton tallied four assists, four steals, and made 5 of his 6 shots, including 2 of 3 from the 3-point range.

“I brought as much energy as I could,” Haliburton said. “I thought I played well. Defensively, I was getting through ball screens better than I usually do.” Energy went unnoticed during the first couple games as the young team was seen pumping up the crowd, clapping on defense, and even getting fired up after big runs.

“He has something about him,” Prohm said. “He’s a good fit for this school, he’s a good fit for this university. He reminds me a lot of the guys I was fortunate to coach my first couple years here with his personality, with the character, with the charisma.”

On December 9th, Haliburton broke Iowa State’s 44-year-old single-game assist record with 17 assists. Haliburton finished the game with a double-double, 15 points, and 17 assists. Haliburton is 2nd in the Big 12 in assists (72) and 1st in steals (34).

Next, the Cyclones face Oklahoma State on Saturday, January 19th at 5:00 p.m., and hope to continue playing good basketball as they beat #8 Texas Tech on January 16th and #5 Kansas on January 5th. Haliburton will once again take to the court and represent his hometown in Ames, Iowa.