If you've ever watched a men's basketball game at Brandeis, chances are you saw No. 11 hustling up and down the court, diving for loose balls, driving to the hoop and calling plays to his teammates.

Captain and point guard Tyrone Hughes '12 is the emotional leader for the Judges and has been crucial to the team's success over the past three seasons.

"I'm a pretty vocal guy," Hughes said. "All the guys will tell you that since my freshman year, I've always been loud. I'm always yelling and always running around to get everyone together."

"[Hughes is] most definitely our strongest knowledgeable player because he's had so much experience; him and [forward Vytas Kriskus '12]," guard Anthony Trapasso '13 said. "He leads us through everything. He leads in the games; leads us in practice. He sets the tempo. He's just a good captain."

Hughes, a captain for the second year in a row, started in 27 of the team's 28 games last season. He led the team with 4.7 assists per game and 1.8 steals per game, which earned him a place on the All-University Athletic Association second team. Hughes also finished third on the team with 8.6 points per game and fourth with 3.4 rebounds per game.

Hughes originally came to Brandeis confident after a successful career at East Boston High School and one season after high school at the Taft School in Watertown, Conn. Hughes played in all of the Judges' 27 games during the 2008-09 season—a rarity for any rookie varsity athlete—averaging 12.8 minutes per game. Hughes acknowledged that he originally wanted more playing time that season, but he now feels that the lack of playing time helped him become the effective and accomplished player he is today.

"That time allowed me to see the game from a different perspective and learn what it takes to be a starter at the collegiate level," he said. "It is a totally different transition coming from high school or even prep school."

In Hughes' sophomore season, when the Judges made it to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament, the guard received increased playing time and started all 29 games in the frontcourt alongside guard Andre Roberson '10. Hughes averaged 32.3 minutes and 9.0 points per game, and he finished second on the team in assists per game with 3.0. For his efforts, Hughes was chosen as an honorable mention selection for the All-UAA squad.

When Roberson and the rest of the Class of 2010, the winningest class in Brandeis men's basketball history, graduated, Hughes inherited the role of a leader for a new team with several incoming first-years and transfer students. Last season, Hughes knew he would have to keep the young team organized and focused. Though team chemistry has improved, Hughes feels he has to do the same this year as well.

"As a leader, I need to make sure all of the guys stay together, because I know with the young guys there is a lot of emotion involved," Hughes said. "Everyone wants to step up and play their role, but as I tell everyone in the huddle: ‘Know your strengths. Whatever you do well, just do that.'"

"He definitely knows how to get us going and get us motivated. He definitely leads by example," Trapasso said.

In addition to being a leader on and off the court, Hughes expects more of himself as an effective scorer, rebounder, dribbler and defender. No matter the situation the team faces, Hughes knows he will have to use his wide skillset to lead the team.

"Honestly, I think my role is the most complex on the team because certain games, I'm going to have to score; certain games, I'm going have to assist; certain games, I'm going to have rebound. In different games, I'm going to be the X factor," he said.

Yet, Hughes knows that there is always room for improvement, specifically in his free-throw shooting abilities. After shooting 84.4 percent from the free-throw line in his sophomore year, Hughes converted on only 68.1 percent of his attempts last season.

"I want to have a much better free-throw percentage than I did last year," Hughes said. "My freshman and sophomore year, I had a pretty good percentage, but last year, I wasn't really focused at the line. … We lost a lot of games because we were missing free throws, and that needs to change this year."

With three successful seasons in the books, Hughes has mixed emotions going into his final year wearing his blue and white uniform.

"I'm as excited as I am sad," Hughes said about his senior season. "I eventually have to leave once the season is over, but I'm excited because we worked hard this offseason. We fell short of the goal, which was making the playoffs last year, and we ended up wining the [Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship], but that's just the foundation to where we plan to be this year."

Hughes will be a determining factor in whether the team reaches its goal of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. It should be a fun ride with him as point guard. It always is.