So far, though, he’s striving but not yet thriving.
“Obviously, I’ve been struggling a little bit from 3 this year. But I keep trusting my shot, and my teammates keep trusting me and giving me the ball,” he said.
“You make some and you miss some. You just have to move on to the next play.”
Huibregtse (pronounced HUE-bricks) has gone 9 of 33 from 3 (27.3%), but he’s in no danger of surrendering his starting job because of how much he contributes elsewhere.
He scored 13 points and tied his career highs with eight rebounds and six assists in an 81-62 win Thursday over Bethel University.
The 6-foot=4 fourth-year junior also is one of the Raiders’ most dependable defenders, usually drawing the opponent’s best perimeter player.
“We feel like he’s bought in, and he’s playing hard. Those two things are pretty important to us,” Nagy said.
“We know his shooting will come around. I’m not worried about that. He just needs to relax, and it’ll happen.”
The Grafton, Wisc., product started the last 12 games in 2022-23. He had 25 points with five 3′s in his first start and averaged 11 points in that span.
He finished fourth on the team with an 8.6 average and is fifth this season at 7.2.
“Obviously, I wish I was shooting the ball better, but the coach trusts me on defense with some of the tougher assignments. I’m going to go out there and play my hardest for my teammates,” he said.
He had a productive offseason. He added about 10 pounds and weighs a sturdy 200.
He credits Cole Pittsford, the director of sports performance, with giving him the push he needed.
“He does a great job getting us on the weights, giving us protein shakes, all the stuff you need,” Huibregtse said.
Though he’s never been one to shy away from physical play, he now has the bulk to dish out as much as he takes.
“It definitely helps me on defense — when people are backing me down or driving on me, being able to use your body,” he said.
“It also helps on offense, too, handling pressure and getting (screeners) off you.”
Huibregtse is just grateful to have a prominent role after dealing with a potential career-ending injury.
He missed most of his sophomore year with a herniated disc and needed surgery to correct it.
“I don’t take anything for granted any more. I want to be out on the court as much as I can. If that’s not the traditional role of being a scorer, I’ll get on the floor for loose balls and play as hard as I can,” he said.
TUESDAY’S GAME
Western Kentucky at Wright State, 7 p.m., ESPN+, 101.5, 1410
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