Feb. 27, 2025
Tyler Hamilton giving nationally ranked Ferris State men's basketball squad spark off the bench
Tyler Hamilton was a star on his high school and community college teams, and says it took some time to adjust to pace and quality of NCAA D2 basketball.
But he’s quickly found a role on a Ferris State men's basketball team returning with high expectations after a 2024 NCAA Division II Elite Eight run and a roster still loaded with talented players.
Hamilton is a 5-foot-11 junior combo guard who came to Big Rapids after two years starring at St. Clair County Community College. He attended River Rouge High School where he was a 1,000-point career scorer.
"Obviously, I knew Ferris State had a great winning tradition, and I had a good feel for the culture we have – a winning culture," Hamilton said. "The coaches love the players, and the players love the coaches."
Hamilton, a Business Marketing major, scored nine points off the bench as the Bulldogs earned a 91-84 road win Saturday, Feb. 15, in Marquette over Northern Michigan University to keep pace in a highly competitive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season championship race.
The Detroit native is averaging 10.6 points for the 23-6 Bulldogs while shooting 40 percent from the floor, 33 percent from three and nearly 80 at the free throw line in 29 games.
Hamilton lit it up for St. Clair County Community College averaging 18 points as a sophomore where he was all-conference, all-defense and all-region.
He has adjusted to his role for Ferris State, bringing energy to the floor in addition to being a steady hand running the point, dribble penetration and an accurate hand shooting from long range.
"It was a little bit different coming to a new team after being a star on every team that I had been on," Hamilton said. "I had to adjust to the style of play at a different level while getting to know my team. The game is fast and you're seeing great players every game."
Hamilton has had several big performances for Ferris State including a pair of 21-point efforts on Jan. 16 at University of Wisconsin-Parkside and at home on Feb. 3 against Roosevelt University. He also dropped 19 points in a big 85-79 home win over Northern Michigan on Jan. 23.
Focus has been a key to Hamilton's success as the Bulldogs are hitting the stretch run of the regular season in a tight battle for GLIAC regular season supremacy.
"I'm keeping myself in the gym to make sure I'm getting in the work that I need while staying focused and confident," he said. "It's like a brotherhood on this team and guys are pushing each other to get better. That's what we're going to need to do to finish strong with the goals we still have ahead of us."
His efforts have not gone unnoticed by teammates.
"We've had so many guys stepping up for us. I mean, we're such a deep team and we have so many people that can hurt you," said star sharpshooting senior guard Ethan Erickson, who mentioned how proud he is of Hamilton's growth. "I'm honestly most proud of him and what he has been doing for the team."
Ferris State closes out the regular season with a pair of big GLIAC matchups on the road this week, visiting Wayne State on Thursday, Feb. 27 and Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, March 1.
The Bulldogs are also still in contention for a NCAA Tournament berth, sitting fourth in this week's regional rankings, and have clinched a quarterfinal-round home contest in the GLIAC Tournament, which begins on Wednesday, March 5.