2. De’Andre Hunter, Virginia
Age: 21
Height, Weight: 6-foot-7, 225 pounds
Slash Line: .518/.424/.795
Season Averages: 14.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 1.2 3PM
Moving from the middle of the ACC pack to the front, De’Andre Hunter no longer has the Duke or North Carolina players to overshadow him. Instead, there is a substantial spotlight at the Final Four and the opportunity to prove himself as a potential top-10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
The opening round game was productive for Hunter, with 23 points and six rebounds. Since then, however, he has just 10.3 points and 4.0 rebounds on 37.5 percent shooting in three tournament games. Virginia has played just well enough to advance, but they need more from arguably their best player.
Still, Hunter is one of this tournament’s top prospects remaining. His potential as a two-way talent at the next level holds appeal, given his length and ability to shoot.
There is some Trevor Ariza to Hunter’s game. While not a star player, this is a quality talent to stick in the middle of any winning team and contain a team’s top scorer.
Hunter makes sense for the New York Knicks, pending they drop to about fifth overall. Kevin Knox has the size of a wing, but only the offensive game and not the other end of the court. That leaves a bigger lineup for head coach David Fizdale to use in 2019-20.