Hunter Buescher (C’19) goes up for a shot against Huntingdon. Photo by Matt Hembree (C’20).
By Richard Pryor III
Executive Staff
Games can be won or lost on one good or bad play. Almost no one who walked into the Juhan Gymnasium on November 9 expected to see a nailbiter of a game between the Sewanee Tigers and the Huntingdon Hawks, but they did, and they saw a win thanks to the efforts of Hunter Buescher (C’19).
Buescher, a senior guard from San Antonio, Texas, is in his fourth and final year of collegiate basketball and has seen his playing time rise, especially under the guidance of Head Coach Mick Hedgepeth, who started Buescher in 24 out of the 25 games last year, where he repaid that trust by averaging 12.2 points per game, third on the team, and 2.7 assists per game, second on the team.
This season, Buescher currently leads the team in scoring, with 20.5 points per game, and in assists, with four per game. During the games of the men’s basketball season so far, Buescher has always been a “game leader” for the Tigers, leading in points, rebounds, assists, or two of those three.
What’s interesting about Buescher’s story is that he has been steadily improving from his first day on campus, and all three of his coaches, Bubba Smith, Bradley Pierson (C’09), and Mick Hedgepeth have seen that growth and have given him more responsibility as the season and his collegiate career went on. In recognition of his great first game of the season, Buescher won his first-ever Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Player of the Week award.
In spite of all this, Buescher stays humble, praising his team as a unit and informing The Purple that “This season’s been off to a great start and it’s all because of our great coaching staff and selfless playing style. I’m excited for the season and how good we can be when A.T. [Adrian Thomas, C’20] comes back. The buzzard beater was just a little extra treat, but now it’s time to stay focused and keep winning.”