Eric Hunter Jr. an Anonymous Scoring Legend, But Maybe Not For Long
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — There isn't a state in America that cherishes its high school basketball idols like Indiana does. And their cult-like status never dies, even 30 or 40 or 60 years later.
Just ask Damon Bailey, the state's all-time leading scorer from Bedford North Lawrence who scored 3,134 points from 1986 to 1990. More than 40,000 people saw him play at the old RCA Dome, "but I've probably had 400,000 people tell me they were there,'' he said a few years back. Even to this day, grown men will randomly snap his picture.
Or ask Rick Mount, if he'd let you. He was No. 2 on the scoring list when he graduated from Lebanon in 1966, and he's still No. 6. Everyone in Indiana, it seems, has a story about the great Purdue legend. Even today, 54 years later.
There's Marion Pierce (Lewisville) and Billy Shepherd (Carmel), and a slew of recent additions. Even the latest legend, Romeo Langford (New Albany, Class of 2018), signed autographs everywhere he went a few years ago
And then, there at No. 7, sits Eric Hunter Jr. Quiet, unassuming Eric Hunter Jr. of Tindley Prep in Indianapolis and now a sophomore point guard at Purdue. Among that list of names, he's sort of Mr. Anonymous.
A legend? No way. He had a great high school career at the Class 1A school and even won a state championship, but even when he heads back to Indianapolis on Saturday to play with Purdue in the Crossroads Classic, the state's premier college basketball event, it's not like thousands of people are going to line up to see Eric Hunter Jr.
Mr. Anonymous.
“I don’t ever think about it like that, but now that you say that, you’ll make me think about it a little more,'' Hunter said with a smile after practice on Thursday. "It’s obviously an honor to be No. 7, because there’s a lot of great players on that list. And just for my name to be on there, it’s an honor.
"But no, I guess I'm not famous like a lot of those other guys.''
Not yet, anyway.
The Eric Hunter story is still being written. He's the starting point guard now on a good Purdue team that better than its 7-4 record, and he's counted on to do a lot of things. He guards full court, and often takes an opponent's best player right out the game. He's a good passer, too, and an excellent teammate.
But surprisingly, in 47 career games for Purdue, he's scored only 194 points, a 4.1 points per game average. He averaged only 2.2 points per game as a freshman in about 12 minutes per game, and just got his average into double figures (10.5) this season after a career-high 18 points at Ohio University on Tuesday.
He made shots Tuesday, which is what he is capable of doing. But he's a reluctant shooter at times, which is shocking considering all that he did in high school.
“Everybody around here likes to throw it around a little bit too, especially if I’m open and I don’t shoot,'' Hunter said. "Coach (Matt) Painter, he'll get on me all the time in practice when I don't shoot when I'm open. He'll be like, ‘You scored 2,600 points in high school. I didn’t think I’d have to tell you to shoot.'
"That’s kind of an ongoing thing around here. He tells me that all the time. That’s my goal, for him to not say that. Seeing my shot going down the past couple of games has helped. I’m more confident, and my teammates are more confident in me.’’
His performance Tuesday night might signal a turnaround for him. He was 4-for-5 from 3-point range, also a career high, and his defense on Ohio point guard Jason Preston was phenomenal. Preston, who was averaging 16.9 points per game, managed only six.
“I like to say that I let my defense be the engine to my offense,'' Hunter said. "So if I’m locked in on defense, and doing what I have to do, then the offensive end just takes care of itself, not only for me, but the team also.''
It was important for Hunter to be a great on-ball defender Tuesday because it was Purdue's first game without 7-foot-3 center Matt Haarms, who's out with a concussion. It changed the way Purdue plays defense, and Hunter especially. He played all 40 minutes with the Boilermakers shorthanded.
“I was just telling my dad yesterday that a lot of times I used to just bait dudes to go by me and I'd be sending them right towards Matt so Matt can just block it,'' Hunter said with a laugh. "Not all the time, but a lot. The last game (at Ohio), the emphasis for me was making sure I stayed in front of my guy.
“It’s more of a focus thing for me, and always having myself ready. I watch a lot of film, watch what they do out of certain actions, what they do to off of a catch, the pick-and-roll, what they do on closeouts. All of it.''
Going home to Indy on a hot streak is a good thing. He's looking forward to playing at home in front of friends and family, and he loves the atmosphere of the four-team Crossroads Classic.
But he also knows that No. 17 Butler, who's 10-1 and was a school that recruited him heavily, will be a daunting challenge, too. (Game time, 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. TV: Big ten Network). Butler's guards are very good. The whole team is, for that matter. The Bulldogs are the only team in the field that's in the AP Top 25.
“Personally, I’m just trying to string some good games together,'' Hunter said. "For me, I’m just trying to be more consistent instead of having a good game and then a bad game.
“I’m 1-1 in Bankers Life right now, so I don’t want to have a losing record after this weekend. That’s the most special part, having fans there from all four schools, and being able to go back home and play.’’
His teammates were glad to see him step up in a big way on Tuesday. The 18 points were nice, but the defensive effort energized the entire roster
“He can lock up anybody, and it doesn’t matter how big they are or how strong they are,'' Purdue guard/forward Nojel Eastern said. "He can play aggressive defense, and he can pressure guys full court the whole game. What he did the last game was incredible. He took their point guard right out of the game.
“Eric is s winner. He just knows how to win, and he’ll always do whatever it takes to win.’’
Painter agrees.
“It’s a lot of responsibility to pick up the baasketball court,'' he said. "His attention to detail was really good and he worked hard on Preston, who was averaging something like nine assists, and Eric did a good job of taking him out of the game. That was a point of emphasis for us, and he got it done.’’