College Hoops

Big East Transfer Profile: Eric Hunter Jr.

Big East Transfer Profile: Eric Hunter Jr.

Eric Hunter Jr.

Height: 6-4

Former School: Purdue

New School: Butler

Years Remaining: One

Recruiting Ranking: 150th

2021-22 Stats: 6.2 ppg/2.1 rpg/2.0 apg/25.8 mpg; 46.2%/43.6%/68.5%

Eric Hunter Jr. spent four years with the Purdue Boilermakers under Matt Painter. After coming off the bench as a freshman, Hunter started all but one game in his sophomore season. He ran the point that season and scored 10.6 points per game as one of Purdue’s best three-point shooters.

After a strong sophomore season, Hunter failed to find consistency. He once against started nearly every game the following season, but he took a smaller role in the offense. His shooting percentage fell from 41.5 to 37.1 percent, and his scoring dipped to 8.5 points.

As Jaden Ivey, Trevion Williams, and Zach Edey took steps forward last year, Hunter became a depth option on offense. He averaged 6.2 points, but his shooting numbers ticked up significantly with the smaller volume. Hunter reached career highs in shooting percentage (46.2), three-point percentage (43.6), and offensive rating (113.5). Hunter thrived in deferring to his teammates while taking the opportunities they created. He also thrived on the defensive end of the floor, where he became a bright spot in a unit that struggled to defend for much of the season. Hunter was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team for his efforts.

What’s His Game?

I’ll let Hunter speak for himself on this one.

“I feel like I’m the head of the snake when it comes to the defensive end,” he said in March.

His on-ball defense was a bright spot on a poor defensive team all season long. His quick feet show up at both ends, and he is routinely engaged off the ball on defense. He is good at communicating and executing switches on defense.

Opponents rarely targeted him on drives, and it was easy to see why.

Hunter didn’t put up flashy steal numbers, in large part because it wasn’t worth it for opposing offenses to bring the ball near him. Still, his instincts showed up when he had opportunities to make plays.

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