Chicago Bulls: Must-watch players in 2019 NCAA Tournament
By Ryan Heckman
Forward De’Andre Hunter, Virginia
Before talking a bit about De’Andre Hunter out of Virginia, let me preface by saying that this class is absolutely loaded at the three spot. For the Bulls, that would have been a great thing prior to trading for Otto Porter Jr. Still, adding depth anywhere on the roster is the name of the game. Regardless of where you’re drafting, you take the best player on the board if you’re the Bulls.
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With that said, the Bulls have to prepare as though they may drop in the draft lottery once again. They very well could finish with the no. 7 pick again. Because the lottery is going to even out starting this year, truly, anything can happen.
Hunter is right around the back half of the top-10 prospects according to many outlets. He stands at 6-foot-7 and could wind up being the best defender at his position out of this year’s draft class. He’s a physical guy on that end of the floor, which is something head coach Jim Boylen has to love, considering Boylen’s style.
This season, Hunter averaged a respectable 15.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He shot the ball at a 53 percent clip overall, and an impressive 45.7 percent from three-point range. Don’t let his eye-popping three ball take away from the fact that he can score inside as well, though. He is very good at driving to the hoop and finishing through contact.
Hunter is the ideal small forward in today’s NBA. He can shoot, defend and plays with a pretty selfless mentality. The Virginia Cavaliers kick off their tournament on Friday against Gardner-Webb in a 1-seed vs. 16-seed contest.