Theryn Hallock proving she is bound for stardom at Michigan State
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (BVM) – Theryn Hallock is looking to become the next great women’s basketball player at Michigan State. She also hopes to continue what has been a great family legacy with the Spartans.
Like her siblings, Hallock was a multi-sport athlete growing up, primarily focusing on basketball and soccer.
“I think being with my family and all of us being athletes, my dad and my mom always pushing us to be our best, that’s what made me fall in love with it,” Hallock said about the beginning of her athletic career.
The siblings were introduced to sports by their parents. Their father, Ty Hallock, is a former Michigan State football player who was drafted in the seventh round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Ty would go on to play in the NFL until 2000 with the Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears.
For Theryn, it’s not only been cool to have a former college and NFL player as a father, but also an advantage as she has been able to take away a lot from her dad as she soon becomes a collegiate athlete herself.
“My dad is just a down-to-earth person,” Theryn said. “He never gives up, he always pushes us. He’s hard on us in a very positive way and he knows our potential, each and every one of us.
“Leading into college, I’ll just have someone that I know I can trust and that will always push me to be my best.”
Meanwhile, Theryn’s older brothers, Tanner and Tate, have followed in the footsteps of their father as they have also gone on to play football at Michigan State. Although they may play a different sport than Theryn, both brothers have been true role models for her.
“They have pushed me to be a better person and player on the court,” Theryn said. “Looking up at both of them, I just realized how hard both of them could go and I try to push myself to be even better than them. I think with them having my back always and pushing me to be my best has always helped me. They both inspire me for everything, whether it’s sports or not. They’re the two people I’ve always looked up to and they’re my best friends that I’ll talk to about anything.”
Having her family around to push her and support her, Theryn’s basketball career has taken off. Through her youth and up until last year, the Forest Hills Central senior played AAU basketball for Noelle Brown and Michigan Basketball Academy (MBA). Around her middle school years, Theryn began realizing she had a talent that could really take her somewhere in the future, and that has only grown through the last few years through MBA.
“There are so many words to describe the team, but we’ve all stayed together and we’re family,” Theryn said about MBA. “Those are my eight or nine sisters I’ve had from day one … No matter if we lost a tough game or lost a game we shouldn’t have, we always kept our heads up. It was just a complete family environment and that’s what you need to have with a team … That’s what I’m thankful for from AAU and MBA specifically.”
Theryn entered her high school career at Forest Hills Central with plenty of experience already under her belt. While she does admit to having some “freshman-year jitters,” it didn’t show on the court as she averaged 13 points per game, and was also terrific on the defensive end with nearly four steals per contest.
The guard continued to grow into her sophomore year, setting a single-game scoring record at Forest Hills Central with a 40-point performance. She broke that record as a junior with a 44-point effort, and also reached the 1,000-point mark for her high school career.
“That was one of my goals since freshman year was to get in the 1,000-point club,” Theryn said. “From freshman year, my confidence level has really boosted … I just really pushed myself to get to that goal. It definitely was a memory that I’ll never forget.”
After being named an all-state player following the 2020-21 season, Theryn was poised to finish off her high school career strong this winter. The 5-foot-9 guard has done just that, averaging well over 20 points per game, double-digit rebounds and over five steals.
“For senior year, I knew that I was one of the core basketball players,” Theryn explained. “I just wanted to come in and show myself that I was the best leader on the court and that I was going to be the best teammate I could be and do my thing at the same time … I don’t care whether I have 50 points in a game, I’d rather have 10 times better energy and 20 rebounds instead.”
At the end of last month, Theryn put together a performance for the ages when she again broke her single-game scoring mark, putting up 50 points. She also reached the 1,500-point barrier in the same contest.
“I went into that game and was really confident with the ball,” Theryn said. “I shot well and I finished better than I ever had. When I kept scoring, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to get to this point.’ I put my mind to that and was like, ‘I’m going to get this 50, I’m going to break my record and I’m going to prove to everyone that I can score.’”
Theryn’s play is certainly not going unnoticed, both within Michigan and even nationally. During the season, the senior was named a McDonald’s All-American nominee. Recently, she was also named a finalist for Michigan’s Miss Basketball award.
“I just feel very accomplished and very proud of myself, but I’m very blessed and thankful,” Theryn said about being named to both lists. “I have put in all the work I have, and I still have a lot of work to put in. I’m proud of myself because I know I’ve put the time and effort in to accomplish both of those.”
Theryn has left quite the legacy already within the state, but it is set to continue in the near future with her college career. Schools ranging from the Mid-American Conference to the Big Ten were interested in having Theryn join their programs next fall. However, most knew during the recruiting process it would be tough to pry the guard away from Michigan State with the family history the Hallocks have there. As a result, Theryn indeed committed to her dream school, something she made a goal of hers early on in her basketball career.
“Michigan State has been my dream school since day one,” Theryn said. “My family bleeds green … Pretty much every coach would ask me about Michigan State when they recruited me because a lot of people know about my family ties. I got an offer eventually and I was very thankful for that. I made my decision as soon as I could.”
In East Lansing, Theryn will team up with another one of Michigan’s top high school players, Abbey Kimball. Playing with a very successful West Catholic program, Kimball has also dominated within the state, and like Theryn, is a finalist for Miss Basketball this season.
The two have a relationship that goes back to their early AAU days. Growing stronger and stronger through the years, Kimball and Theryn will soon be roommates at MSU, and could become the tandem that takes the Spartans to the top of the Big Ten.
“Abbey and I have been playing together since sixth or seventh grade when she joined MBA as well,” Theryn said. “As the years went on, we started to get really close. We eventually started getting recruited by the same people. Michigan State came along with my offer and then they offered her as well … We started going to visits together at Michigan State and we were like, ‘This is our dream school, this is where we both want to be.’ I couldn’t be more blessed to have made a friendship with her.”
Playing for your dream school alongside one of your best friends is not something that happens often, but for Theryn, she has fallen into the perfect situation. She has plenty she hopes to accomplish both on and off the court as a Spartan, but continuing to grow her family’s legacy at Michigan State is the ultimate opportunity.
“My goal is definitely to just make a change,” Theryn said. “I want to keep representing the Hallock last name at Michigan State and not only just in sports but outside of sports too. I want to make an impact with academics and just the people in general. I want people to know me from not just being a guard or shooter at Michigan State, I want them to know me as a good person. I just want to continue to follow in my parents’ and brothers’ footsteps. I’m really honored to be a part of my family and to be allowed to continue the footsteps as well.”
