Atlanta Hawks rookie De’Andre Hunter is no stranger to the big stage.
The No. 4 overall pick is fresh off winning a national championship with the University of Virginia in 2019. And he appears ready to contribute right away for Atlanta this season.
Before his debut professional season tips off, check out some quick facts to know about the versatile, 6-foot-7 forward.
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‘Family first’: Hunter was born on Dec. 2, 1997 in Philadelphia, PA. With one brother and two sisters, Hunter quickly learned the importance of a strong family bond. When his father, Aaron Hunter Sr., passed away when De’Andre was seven years old, his older brother Aaron Jr. “stepped up” to take on more parental responsibilities. Throughout it all, Hunter says his mother, Priscilla Hunter, was the “rock of the family” and she continues to support her three children, “no matter where she is or what she’s doing.”
High school standout: Hunter quickly drew interest from Division I schools after a dominant freshman season at Friends’ Central School outside Philadelphia. But during the summer after his freshman year, he suffered a broken leg, which caused him to miss his entire sophom*ore season. That setback didn’t slow him down, though, as he returned stronger than ever in his junior and senior seasons. He averaged 20-plus points and nine-plus rebounds during his final two seasons and was named Pennsylvania Class AA Player of the Year as a junior. He finished his high school career ranked by ESPN as the 14th best small forward in the 2016 class.
Commits to Cavaliers: The University of Virginia almost missed its chance to land Hunter. The coaching staff didn’t start recruiting him until they noticed his skills during the final tournament of his AAU circuit. However, according to SLAM, Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett knew right away Hunter would be a perfect fit for Virginia. Hunter — who also received offers from Notre Dame and NC State, among others — officially chose the University of Virginia on Sept. 12, 2015. He joined a loaded recruiting class for Virginia that included fellow ESPN Top 100 prospects Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and Jay Huff.
Redshirt surprise: Hunter enrolled at UVA with high expectations for his first collegiate season. But he was caught off guard when the team decided to redshirt him for his freshman year, in part because of the strong incoming class of players. At first, Hunter “felt betrayed” by the move. However, he eventually accepted his fate and used the season to focus on his body with strength and conditioning coach Mike Curtis, who was a main reason why Hunter chose UVA. The extra work in the gym paid off for Hunter as he gained significant muscle, going from 195 pounds to 222. The growth in his game was clear when he made his collegiate debut in 2017.
Ready to shine: Hunter quickly became a key contributor for the Cavaliers during his redshirt freshman season in 2017-18. He averaged 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in just 19.9 minutes per game and scored double-figures in 16 of UVA’s 33 games. If he hadn’t won the hearts of UVA fans already, he did on March 1, 2018 when he sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Louisville and cap off a miraculous comeback for the No. 1-ranked Cavaliers. Hunter was named the ACC Sixth Man of the Year and earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Broken wrist, broken bracket: By the time tournament season rolled around, Hunter was a main piece of the Cavaliers’ rotation. Unfortunately, his season was cut short when he suffered a broken wrist during the ACC tournament. Less than one week later, UVA’s season also was cut short when they were upset by UMBC 74-54 to become the first No. 1 overall seed in NCAA Tournament history to lose an opening round game to a No. 16 seed.
Return to UVA: Hunter likely would have been a first-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft if he had declared. But he decided to return to UVA for another season, in part because his wrist injury would have limited his ability to work out for NBA teams. With Hunter back in the fold, the Cavaliers were determined to redeem themselves after suffering one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
Standout season: Hunter took his game to another level in his redshirt sophom*ore season. He moved to the starting lineup and posted averages of 15.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists as he led the top-ranked Cavaliers. In addition to his offense, Hunter showed off incredible defensive skills, which coach Bennett had challenged him to develop two years earlier. Hunter was recognized with the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award for 2018-19 and named to First-Team All-ACC. The Cavaliers finished the season with a record of 35-3, but they remained focused on their ultimate goal — redemption in the NCAA Tournament.
March Madness redemption: Virginia returned to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed and dominated their way to the championship game. Hunter, who was key for the Cavaliers throughout the tournament, took his game to another level during the title game against Texas Tech. He dominated with 27 points, hit a game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds and held Tech’s star player Jarrett Culver to just 15 points on 5-of-22 shooting. It was a masterpiece performance and it resulted in a national championship for Virginia, their first basketball title in school history.
After the game, coach Bennett raved about Hunter’s ability to step up on the biggest stage.
“In this game and this setting, and he saved his best for last,” Bennett said after the game. “That tells you there’s something in that young man. He’s got more — he’s scratching the surface.”
Welcome to the NBA: Hunter announced his intention to declare for the 2019 NBA Draft with an Instagram post on April 15. He was selected with the No. 4 overall pick, and after a string of trades, he landed in Atlanta with the Hawks. Alongside Trae Young, John Collins and fellow rookie Cam Reddish, Hunter and the Hawks look poised for plenty of success in the near future.
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