Class Of 2016 Update: De’Andre Hunter Continues To Shine

Two members of UVA men’s basketball’s highly regarded class of 2016 have helped their teams to double-digit wins so far in 2015/2016. Another had a nice overall performance in helping his team to victory his last time out on the floor. And another is on the mend. Here is the latest…

KYLE GUY, 6’3″, Combo Guard, Lawrence Central (Indianapolis, IN)

Lawrence Central won three games and lost one last week, and so now the Bears boast a 10-2 heading into home games versus Park Tudor (January 6) and Hamilton Southeastern (January 8). Guy, who according to MaxPreps.com was making 61-percent of his field goals including 53-percent of his 3s prior to this past Saturday’s contest, is averaging over 25 points per game.

Guy’s 36-point effort wasn’t enough to lift his team to victory against East Chicago Central, which defeated Lawrence Central, 76-74, in overtime last Saturday.

JAY HUFF, 6’11”, Forward/Center, Voyager Academy (Durham, N.C.)

Voyager Academy has lost three of its last four games but is currently 12-3 on the year heading into this Friday night’s home game versus Kestrel Heights.

Following a 21-point loss at Ravenscroft on December 18, the Vikings rebounded with an 81-65 win over Apex in the first round of the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Tournament, which began December 26. Huff scored 18 points and pulled down 13 boards in the victory.

Voyager Academy’s first round win set up a rematch with Ravenscroft, which once again got the better of the Vikings. Twenty-eight turnovers led to a 91-56 loss despite Huff’s 26-point, 10-rebound, 5-block performance.

Voyager Academy then fell to defending 4A state champ Garner, 91-81, in its final game of the tournament. Huff scored 20 points in that contest.

UVA fans can check out game recaps and highlights from each of the three Holiday Tournament games. Click here for the Apex game. Click here for the Ravenscroft game. And click here for highlights from the Garner game.

DE’ANDRE HUNTER, 6’7″, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Friends’ Central (Wynnewood, PA)

Hunter’s impressive senior season performance continued in outings against Plymouth-Whitemarsh and Abington. In the former, the UVA-bound wing scored 28 points in a 56-53 loss. Cityofbasketballlove.com wrote the following about Hunter’s performance:

Hunter ultimately came up short as he and Plymouth-Whitemarsh’s Xzavier Malone exchanged baskets down the stretch of a close game, but the Virginia commit put on one of the best performances of the day. Hunter finished with a game-high 28 points in the loss to the Colonials, including his team’s last eight points, which all came in the last 2:10. Hunter had a few strong finishes while being fouled and two emphatic one-handed slams on breakaways, but his 3-pointer at the buzzer, a heave which came after FCS forced a turnover, clanked off the backboard.

Then, on December 30, Friends’ Central defeated Abington by a score of 64-59. Hunter turned in a solid all-around performance, scoring 22 points while pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out four assists. He added two blocks in the win, which boosted Friends’ Central’s record to 7-5.

Per Philly.com, Hunter is averaging over 23 points per game his senior season. He has one 35-point outing and has scored in the teens in two games, but in every other game he has scored in the 20s. Hunter also has four double-doubles (point and rebounds) on the year.

Friends’ Central next has four straight home games beginning with Solebury School on January 6.

TY JEROME, 6’5″, Point Guard, Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.)

Iona Prep dropped its past two games — to Christian Brothers Academy and St. Anthony’s — to fall to 5-4 on the season. Jerome, the Gaels’ star player, missed both of those games with hip pain. According to this December 27 report on lohud.com, the 6’5″ guard could miss an “extended period of time.”

Jerome had hip issues last spring but overcame them for a successful summer on the AAU circuit. He was off to a good start through seven games in his senior season before this injury.