So just to be there, and then to win it,
was a surreal feeling.”
Hunter’s game is as real as it gets,
evidenced by his final season in Charlot-
tesville and final game in college.
All season, Hunter proved to be a
killer from the high post, either facing up
and draining jumpers from the elbow or
getting by his man off the dribble and fin-
ishing at the rim. His length, athleticism,
skill and feel allow him to excel in any
offensive situation. He’s equally versatile
on the defensive end as well.
That is the recipe for a lottery pick,
which Hunter should be in June.
At the next level, you can expect to seemore of Hunter’s playmaking arsenal on
display. You can also expect him to make
an immediate impact wherever lands.
“I’m eager to showcase my full game,”
Hunter, who declared for the draft a week
after winning the title, tells us. “I can do a
lot more than I showed at UVA. There
were flashes at times but I can dribble,
shoot off the dribble—do things people
think I can’t do.”
“I think my defense will help me a
lot [in the NBA], and my versatility
overall, I feel like there isn’t one thing on
the court I can’t do. I think any team
would need that. I think that will all
translate just fine.”For someone who missed his entire
sophomore season of high school ball
with a broken leg and didn’t know if he’d
garner major Division I interest, and as
someone who entered college without
any draft hype, Hunter is used to letting
his game speak for itself.
“I definitely felt like I was overlooked
and felt like I was just as good as the top
guys in the country,” Hunter says. “My
coaches have always believed in me, and I
worked hard to have a chance to be one
of those guys. I feel like in the end, it’s
worked out perfectly.”
The days of overlooking De’Andre
Hunter on the court are officially over. STOM PENNINGTON/GETTY IMAGES
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