So much of life is predicated on opportunity. Every individual possesses a unique set of skills, but not everyone gets the chance to showcase their abilities. Take someone like Tyler Lundblade, for example. The Texas native transferred to Greensboro Day School for his senior season and later committed to SMU. Although he earned a scholarship after being redshirted, Lundblade was ready for a new adventure, committing to TCU shortly following the season.
Unfortunately, there was still no room for him to shine. The Horned Frogs only utilized Lundblade for 52 minutes in 15 games over two full seasons. Three years into his collegiate career and it was unclear if the 6-foot-5 prospect would ever be able to properly spread his wings. However, everyone within basketball knows the value of three-point shooting. After opting to hit the portal again, Lundblade eventually committed to Belmont.
Little did he know, but he was about to experience the most productive season yet. Lundblade became an immediate x-factor for the Bruins. He started 23 out of 33 games (26.7 MPG) with averages of 12.4 PPG and 2.0 RPG with 49/48/94 shooting splits. For added context: he played more minutes in two games at Belmont than the three years prior. The efficiency alone is ridiculous but adding in the three-point attempts per game (6.5) really shows how Lundblade separates himself from the pack. He led the country in three-point percentage and finished second in true shooting percentage (72.1%) while maintaining a low turnover percentage (8.4%).
The mere thought of going from a non-scholarship player to arguably the best shooter in the country is insane. That being said, it only proves that Lundblade was drastically underutilized. If anything, his story is among the few positives for this new-look portal and its general freedom of movement. Entering his senior year, signs point to Lundblade having another noteworthy season for the Bruins.