Quick Take: CoBL’s Josh Verlin Talks De’Andre Hunter

University of Virginia men’s basketball recruit De’Andre Hunter (no. 15 in white or blue in the highlights above) picked up a pair of accolades last week, earning City of Basketball Love’s Most Valuable Player award for the PAISAA and Class AA Player of the Year honors from the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Association.

The 6’7”, 200-pound senior averaged 23.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 blocks per game in his final high school season, helping Friends’ Central (Wynnewood, PA) to an 18-10 overall record that included an appearance in the Friends’ School League postseason tournament championship game.

Josh Verlin is Owner and Editor of CityofBasketballLove.com, website devoted to coverage of basketball in the Philadelphia area. He wrote the following about the soon-to-be Virginia Cavalier in this Donofrio Classic Report from April 7.

It’s a rather obvious statement for anybody who’s seen Friends’ Central play once or twice this year, but De’Andre Hunter looks like a better and better get for Virginia, not that he looked like a reach when he committed to the Cavs last fall. The 6-foot-7 wing has fully made up for the sophomore year he missed with a broken leg, as he showed with his 32-point, 10-rebound outing for Team Hardnett. Like many a talented athlete, he makes he look easy at times, with a confident outside stroke and a smooth attacking style he uses to get to the rim. As he continues to get stronger, he’ll keep maturing into a potential NBA pro down the road.

Verlin discussed Hunter further in a “Quick Take” feature with TheSabre.com…

TheSabre.com: You wrote about the possibility of Hunter developing into an NBA player down the road. What about his game do you feel could potentially lead to the highest level in future years?

Josh Verlin, CityofBasketballLove.com: “If he gets stronger, he can become a legit 2 or 3 and he can hit 3s and play defense. He has got the frame, the athleticism, and the basketball IQ. He’s certainly in the category of kids who have at least a realistic possibility of making it.”

TheSabre.com: Were you surprised to see Hunter leave the Philadelphia area?

Josh Verlin: “So many good players come out of the area. Some kids want stay local, but De’Andre was never a player who would say he had to stay in Philly. He was open to going to the best fit for him. There have been guys like that, like JaQuan Newton, who went up to Miami. Guys have gone to Syracuse. Guys have gone to Texas schools. There is plenty of tradition here where players take the best fit for them,” Verlin said.

“De’Andre’s a quiet kid. He has always kept it close to the vest. So was I surprised? Yes and no. Yes from the aspect of he didn’t really talk a lot about Virginia being a favorite of his. But again, he’s a quiet kid. No because I think he’s that level of player. Virginia is one of the best programs in the country right now in terms of being consistent. Virginia is a known name. Villanova has got some wings. Virginia is graduating Malcolm Brogdon.”

TheSabre.com: From your experience covering basketball in the Philadelphia area, is there any player Hunter reminds you of? Any player you’d compare him to?

Josh Verlin: “He’s interesting. He’s really interesting. He’s 6’7” and lanky. He looks like a 3 and plays like a 2, but he can post up as a 4. He’s one of those players who makes it look easy. He doesn’t have a ton of rise in his jump-shot. He just plays and it’s just easy. He has a one-dribble pull-up. There is not a lot of lift on his shot, but he does play above the rim. He can dunk and block shots. Maybe someone who comes to mind is (Villanova red-shirt freshman guard/forward) Mikal Bridges. Their bodies are very similar, but De’Andre has more of an offensive game than Bridges. De’Andre has long arms, looks like a 2 but his body is of a 3. He’s skinny but lean and athletic.”

TheSabre.com: What do you like most about Hunter’s game from an offensive standpoint?

Josh Verlin: “His versatility. He can operate from the high post. He can play on the perimeter. When he is guarded by a 6’3” player, he can post them up. He’s good at figuring out ways to score. He has a good natural feel and he has got the athleticism to adjust on the fly. He has a good catch-and-shoot 3-point shot and he’s getting better at it. He can do a little bit of everything. He’s very offensively skilled.”

TheSabre.com: What type of defender could he be in college?

Josh Verlin: “He’s a good weak-side shot-blocker. He certainly has the instincts for defense. He’s really long. He can guard 1s, 2s, 3s. He might struggle initially with 4s. Maybe he can guard a stretch 4, but a physical 4… him versus Kennedy Meeks is not going to happen yet. But a more mobile 4-man, he can.”

TheSabre.com: In what area does he need to improve the most?

Josh Verlin: “Definitely getting stronger. He’ll need to get some muscle on him when he gets to UVA. That’ll help him be a better defender and all that.”

TheSabre.com: What level of competition did Hunter play against in the Friends’ School League?

Josh Verlin: “Without trying, he could drop 30 and 10 against half of the competition in his conference. Half of the conference would be competitive and half wouldn’t. You play Westtown (which features 5-star class of 2017 center Mohamed Bamba and Division 1 class of 2017 shooting guard recruit Brandon Randolph) and it’s as good as it gets. He played really well against those guys (Hunter scored 22 and 20 in two games against Westtown this season). He has played well in showcase event things.”

TheSabre.com: What type of impact do you think De’Andre could have at Virginia next season?

Josh Verlin: “He’s a good passer. He’s an all-around basketball player. Having the athleticism, the basketball ability… from what I’ve seen he is a super-talented player. I don’t know Virginia’s roster, but I think he could easily come in off the bench and play 20 minutes. He could be a good sixth man right away.”

TheSabre.com: From your experience talking to him, what type of character is De’Andre?

Josh Verlin, CityofBasketballLove.com: “He has always been pretty under wraps about his recruiting. Since he committed, I was able to talk to him about his season. I could sense that, once recruiting was off his mind, he was having more fun. I think the recruiting stuff weighed on him. He is on the quiet side, but he’s a good kid. Friends’ Central is a great school.”