‘It’s the ghost of Scottie Pippen.’ Nope, that’s Boise State grad Chandler Hutchison
Fans of Boise State men’s basketball saw Chandler Hutchison take over a game on many occasions over his four-year collegiate career.
He set the Broncos’ single-game scoring record with 44 points in a win over San Diego State on Jan. 13, 2018, and he owns the only triple-double in program history.
But Chicago Bulls fans are just beginning to discover the potential the 2018 first-round NBA Draft pick possesses on the court.
Hutchison scored a career-high 21 points in the Bulls’ 115-106 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The second-year pro went 10-for-14 from the field, showcasing his ability to get to the rim with four dunks — one of which drew lofty comparisons from an NBC Sports commentator.
“It’s the ghost of Scottie Pippen,” the commentator said as Hutchison elevated for a one-handed dunk in transition. “Oh my goodness! Am I seeing Scottie Pippen out there right now?”
According to Chicago-based radio station 670 The Score, Hutchison’s 21-point outing is the first 20-point game by a former Boise State player in the NBA since Chris Childs had 24 for the Knicks on Dec. 17, 1996.
Hutchison missed the second half of his rookie season with a right foot fracture and has been hampered this season by hamstring and right shoulder injuries. His performance Wednesday exemplified the steady improvement he has made in the 14 games since he returned from injury on Jan. 6.
“Every game I try to take something from it and move on and try to improve,” Hutchison told ChicagoBulls.com. “For me offensively, I feel the best is yet to come. If I stay aggressive, the averages will play out and, eventually, I am going to get there. I’ve found comfort with playing hard because I pride myself on giving effort and I’ll be a positive on the floor if I do that. I just have to keep working and eventually it will work out.”
Hutchison is averaging 7.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.8 assists per game this season, but in the last five games his averages have bumped up to 11.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals. The 6-foot-7 guard/forward also has proven he’s a capable defender. He had an emphatic block of Pacers forward Doug McDermott in Wednesday’s game.
“We’ve got to keep him healthy, get him healthy and keep him going in the right direction,” Chicago coach Jim Boylen told NBCSports.com earlier this month. “I told him, I feel like every game he’s improved a little bit, got a little more comfortable, a little more plays. So we’ll keep pushing him to do that as long as he can play through some pain.”
Hutchison has two more seasons left on his rookie contract. He’s set to make $2,332,320 in 2020-21 and $4,019,459 if the Bulls exercise a team option in 2021-22, according to Forbes.com.
“He just looks so strong in attacking the rim. He looks like a grown man now,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “That’s probably the biggest thing is when you think back to the little kid that I recruited. Those were grown man dunks. We’re just really proud of him.”
This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
