R.J. Hunter
Birthdate: Oct. 24, 1993 (Oxford, Ohio)
School: Pike (Indianapolis, Ind.) Class: 2015 (OFFICIAL) Height: 6'6" Weight: 190 NBA Position: SG |
Georgia State University (2012-2015)
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Scouting Report 1.0 — 05.06.2015 (Joseph Fafinski)
R.J. Hunter is a natural born underdog, and he likes it that way. Coming out of high school, Hunter was a three-star athlete who spurned the likes of Iowa, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech in favor of Atlanta's "other" Division I program.
In the 2015 NCAA tournament, Hunter became a March Madness darling, leading the 14th-seeded Georgia State Panthers to an upset over third-seeded Baylor, 57-56, by way of a cold-blooded, crowd-pleasing game winning 25-footer. Hunter's special moment was seen by millions of Americans, and now he enters this June's draft for the first time in his life with a target on his back.
As far as his professional prospects go, teams hope to see some three-and-D, a la Danny Green, in Hunter's game. The potential is there, especially in the jump shot. Many touted the 21-year-old as the best shooter in college basketball last season. He drained threes from just about every spot beyond the arc. As we all know, Hunter is a smart kid, a coaches' son--it's no surprise Georgia State put the ball in his hands in monumental bits. He rebounds, passes, and mans the wing with the best of them.
Hunter has yet to see a challenge he couldn't take, so why count out his NBA stocks? For one, many believe his statistical output and factor in games was simply a product of inferior competition. However, we have seen kids from small schools who make that transition flawlessly (see: Lillard, Damian). Physically, he should add some muscle to his frame; scrawny 190-pounders don't often succeed in the NBA on the wing.
Teams know that in R.J. Hunter, they'll get a solid kid with lots of upside who is also a big risk. If you dig the long ball, you'll like Hunter. He's not a fit for every team, but there will be some clubs who will be happy to take this suddenly high-profile prospect.
In the 2015 NCAA tournament, Hunter became a March Madness darling, leading the 14th-seeded Georgia State Panthers to an upset over third-seeded Baylor, 57-56, by way of a cold-blooded, crowd-pleasing game winning 25-footer. Hunter's special moment was seen by millions of Americans, and now he enters this June's draft for the first time in his life with a target on his back.
As far as his professional prospects go, teams hope to see some three-and-D, a la Danny Green, in Hunter's game. The potential is there, especially in the jump shot. Many touted the 21-year-old as the best shooter in college basketball last season. He drained threes from just about every spot beyond the arc. As we all know, Hunter is a smart kid, a coaches' son--it's no surprise Georgia State put the ball in his hands in monumental bits. He rebounds, passes, and mans the wing with the best of them.
Hunter has yet to see a challenge he couldn't take, so why count out his NBA stocks? For one, many believe his statistical output and factor in games was simply a product of inferior competition. However, we have seen kids from small schools who make that transition flawlessly (see: Lillard, Damian). Physically, he should add some muscle to his frame; scrawny 190-pounders don't often succeed in the NBA on the wing.
Teams know that in R.J. Hunter, they'll get a solid kid with lots of upside who is also a big risk. If you dig the long ball, you'll like Hunter. He's not a fit for every team, but there will be some clubs who will be happy to take this suddenly high-profile prospect.