Before Tyrese Haliburton was making jaw-dropping game-winning shots in the NBA playoffs, he was the new kid at Iowa State.With Game 3 of the NBA Finals Wednesday night, vlog sports director Scott Reister spoke with those who were with him as he went from an underrecruited prospect to NBA superstar.The lanky 6-foot-5 guard came to Iowa State in 2018 as a 3-star recruit out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Eric Steyer was on the team that season, and Daniyal Robinson was an assistant coach for Steve Prohm. "We knew he was a special young man," Robinson, now the head coach at North Texas, told vlog. "The first few weeks was a struggle. We thought maybe he would be a guy to redshirt. We saw his talent and competitiveness is what stood out. By the time we started in the fall, you knew you had something there."Haliburton came off the bench for exactly one game of his college career — his first game. When starting guard Lindell Wigginton went down with an injury in Iowa State's season opener, Haliburton stepped up. He played all 40 minutes in a win over Missouri in his first career start.Later that season, Haliburton broke the school record for assists in a game when he dropped 17 dimes against Southern."I realized he could be a really special player," Steyer said. "He would know where a player was supposed to be more than they knew themselves."Haliburton was leading the Big 12 in assists and steals as a sophomore in 2019-20 when his season was cut short by a broken wrist. He declared for the draft and Sacramento picked him 12th overall. The Kings traded him to Indiana in his second season, where he has blossomed into an NBA superstar and league assist leader. This postseason, he has taken it to another level. Haliburton has hit four game-winning or game-tying shots in the final three seconds of a game."He's such a competitor," Robinson said. "I have more of a sense of being really proud of him."Robinson spent last season as the head coach at Cleveland State. When the Pacers played in Cleveland, Haliburton left tickets for Robinson's family and took photos with them along the court. "How could you not root for a guy like that?" Robinson said.The Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder are tied 1-1 in the NBA Finals. Game 3 tips off at 7:30 p.m. CT Wednesday.» Subscribe to vlog's YouTube page» Download the free vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
DES MOINES, Iowa — Before Tyrese Haliburton was making jaw-dropping game-winning shots in the NBA playoffs, he was the new kid at Iowa State.
With Game 3 of the NBA Finals Wednesday night, vlog sports director Scott Reister spoke with those who were with him as he went from an underrecruited prospect to NBA superstar.
The lanky 6-foot-5 guard came to Iowa State in 2018 as a 3-star recruit out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Eric Steyer was on the team that season, and Daniyal Robinson was an assistant coach for Steve Prohm.
"We knew he was a special young man," Robinson, now the head coach at North Texas, told vlog. "The first few weeks was a struggle. We thought maybe he would be a guy to redshirt. We saw his talent and competitiveness is what stood out. By the time we started in the fall, you knew you had something there."
Haliburton came off the bench for exactly one game of his college career — his first game. When starting guard Lindell Wigginton went down with an injury in Iowa State's season opener, Haliburton stepped up. He played all 40 minutes in a win over Missouri in his first career start.
Later that season, Haliburton broke the school record for assists in a game when he dropped 17 dimes against Southern.
"I realized he could be a really special player," Steyer said. "He would know where a player was supposed to be more than they knew themselves."
Mitchell Layton
Tyrese Haliburton, left, joins his teammates in celebrating with Eric Steyer after a basket during a consolation game of the Maui Invitational college basketball tournament against the San Diego State Aztecs at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina Hawaii.
Haliburton was leading the Big 12 in assists and steals as a sophomore in 2019-20 when his season was cut short by a broken wrist. He declared for the draft and Sacramento picked him 12th overall. The Kings traded him to Indiana in his second season, where he has blossomed into an NBA superstar and league assist leader.
This postseason, he has taken it to another level. Haliburton has hit four game-winning or game-tying shots in the final three seconds of a game.
"He's such a competitor," Robinson said. "I have more of a sense of being really proud of him."
Robinson spent last season as the head coach at Cleveland State. When the Pacers played in Cleveland, Haliburton left tickets for Robinson's family and took photos with them along the court.
"How could you not root for a guy like that?" Robinson said.
The Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder are tied 1-1 in the NBA Finals. Game 3 tips off at 7:30 p.m. CT Wednesday.
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