KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Herro is always confident, some might even say cocky, so it seemed a bit out of character when he turned sheepish when asked Saturday if he had anything to say to his haters now that hes in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
“Nobody hates me,” Kentuckys freshman guard said, seeming to shrink into his microphone on the dais at the teams media availability.
Herro hasnt necessarily taken the mantle from noted Duke instigator Grayson Allen as the player fans most love to loathe. He could be a candidate, though. Herro has a swagger about him, and he did turn to an Arkansas player after making a shot and declared, “Im a Bucket.” His nickname, Boy Wonder, also might make residents outside Big Blue Nation cringe.
The thing about Herro, he seems able to back it all up.
He was voted The Associated Press newcomer of the year in the Southeastern Conference, has knocked down too many big shots to count late in games and is one of the best free-throw shooters in the game.
His go-ahead 3-pointer with 25 seconds left and two free throws after that put away Houston in the Midwest Region semifinal on Friday and helped clear the second-seeded Wildcats path to Sundays final against fifth-seeded Auburn.
“Every time I shoot,” he said, “I think its going to go in.”
Herro is the Wildcats second-leading scorer (14.2 ppg), and theyre 19-0 when he scores 15 or more. Hes belied predictions he would simply be a spot-up shooter with not much else to his game. Coach John Calipari called Herro a “gym rat” determined to become a more well-rounded player once he got to Lexington.
“Our thing with him is you are not going to be a jump shooter here,” Calipari said. “Youre going to be a basketball player. Youre going to drive the wall. Yes, you can shoot and make free throws, but youre not getting to the line until you drive the ball. Hes got runners. He can shoot it lefty.”
He makes free throws at a rate few others do. He made 98.2 percent from the line in SEC play to set a league record, and hes at 93.5 percent (87 of 93) for the season. He made 36 in a row and 68 of 69 before he missed the front end of a one-and-one in the second half against Houston.
“Felt weird,” he said. “Left it short.”
Herro also has evolved as a defender. “When I just got here,” he said, “I really couldnt guard anybody.”
Last week he was assigned to Woffords Fletcher Magee, and the NCAAs career leader in 3-point field goals went 0 for 12 from distance. He drew Houston scoring leader Corey Davis Jr. on Friday and locked him down until the middle of the second half.
“The biggest thing I saw in him early was just his confidence,” graduate transfer forward Reid Travis said. “I think a lot of guys have confidence but dont necessarily put the work in. But for Tyler, thats not the case. See him in the gym every night, every morning, putting up reps and shots. So you know that hes going to shine in these moments. When he gets on the biggest stage, hes calm, cRead More – Source
