1
SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 • 5A OMAHA WORLD-HERALD first college came calling: Drake offered a scholar- ship. It was soon followed by Ole Miss, an SEC team, and Iowa State of the Big 12. Then Creighton and Ne- braska. Hunter was off and flying on the court and in the imag- inations of college coaches, who “have been calling or texting me every day.” He scored 18.2 points a game as a gangly sophomore, making The World-Herald’s All-Nebraska third team. Another big AAU summer brought more attention. He ate breakfast at Nebras- ka coach Fred Hoiberg’s home in November. He vis- ited Gonzaga. The list on Cannon’s wall continued to grow, as has Hunter and his national prominence. In an interview last week he said he was 6-5. His trademark hair is growing, too. Rivals.com now ranks him as a five-star prospect and the 20th best player in America in the 2021 class with potential to move up. “He checks a lot of box- es,” said Eric Bossi, a Kan- sas City, Kansas-based an- alyst with Rivals.com who has studied Hunter. Box one: Hunter’s current game is good. “He can han- dle the ball, he can shoot the ball,” Bossi said. “He’s got skill; he doesn’t just rely on athleticism.” Bossi has been studying athletes for 20 years, and called Hunter “as good, and likely the best I’ve ever seen” from Omaha. Box two: Recruiting is a bet on the future, and Hunt- er’s future game is pre- dicted to be much better. Cannon, the Millard North coach, called Hunter one of the fastest-improving play- ers he’s ever seen. Hunter already is showing the grace of his light frame as well as what Bossi calls “a really surprising explosiveness.” Box three: Hunter is “the total package.” Focused, humble, low-key. No drama. And he’s got supportive par- ents. So what’s it like to be Su- perman? Is it risky to fly so close to the sun? How does the flyer keep his size 12s on the ground? It was hard at first to catch Hunter for those an- swers. But plenty of others in his orbit kept saying the same thing: Hunter just loves the sport and works hard at it. He doesn’t let it go to his head. He’s normal. Says his father: He for- gets his shoes! He forgets his keys! Says his mother: He blocks out the attention and focuses on his goals. Says his mother’s boy- friend, World-Herald assis- tant managing editor Thad Livingston, who oversees sports coverage: He can SLEEP! He puts his earbuds in, closes his eyes and is out. Says his best friend, Carv- er: He’s goofy. He likes to laugh. Says his sister Jerrica, whose closet Hunter raided when his feet got big enough to wear her Nike Air Jor- dans: He’s picky! Jerrica will take Hunter out to dinner and he’ll order the shrimp al- fredo, hold the shrimp. Says Coach Cannon: He’s polite and thoughtful. Can- non likes how Hunter is nice to the children who bring their basketballs, shoes and programs for him to sign. Once after a game in Lin- coln, Cannon watched his 9-year-old grandson, Eli Rempe, shag balls for Hunt- er. He heard Hunter tell Eli “thank you.” Later, Cannon pulled the third grader aside to say: Hunter absolutely should have thanked you for help- ing him. It’s the right thing to do. But a lot of people don’t do the simplest, right- est thing. Make sure you’re like Hunter in that respect. And he pulled Hunter aside to say, thank you for making a kid feel special. Cannon, like the other adults in Hunter’s realm, feels protective about him. No interviews for Hunt- er before the two district games. No interviews after the second district game. Let him enjoy the moment of snipping the net, posing with the trophy. Cannon finally let me come on Wednesday to his first-floor classroom with a framed drawing of JFK and two taped-together sheets of construction paper on which he’s kept track of all the college coaches who have visited this year. (Fifty are logged from September through March 3.) Hunter’s not the only Mustang in demand. Senior Max Murrell, a high-flyer in the classroom with a be- yond-perfect GPA and on the court as a shot-blocker at 6-9, is headed to Stanford in the fall. Hunter had a short win- dow to talk; he was getting out of school to ride to Law- rence, Kansas, for a Jay- hawks game. The plan was to hit the road at 3:45 p.m. for the 7 p.m. game and re- turn in time for Hunter to be back in the classroom on Thursday. Hunter was late for the in- terview. Cannon texted him. Nothing. Then he called him, and Hunter answered. He was on his way. He just had to finish up a math test. Cannon beamed. Math test, he repeated. Seated in the back of Can- non’s classroom, Hunter wasn’t the hair-flying, arm-flying, leg-flying, fly- ying talent with the waist- band of his white shorts rolled once, his day-glo or- ange sneakers making his feet seem airborne all the more. He was a high school ju- nior with a heavy backpack who’d just completed his Algebra II test and had just finished reading a novel for English class, the stunning Vietnam tale “The Things They Carried.” I’d been warned Hunter was quiet and shy. I found him to be warm and engag- ing. What was it like to be him right now? Hunter’s not going to lie. This is pretty fun. “I just embrace it,” he said. “I like it. The attention is fine. It’s easy to block out. I know my goals.” Which are? Win state. Play in college. Make the March Madness tournament. Play profes- sional ball. I tell him that last one seems like most little-kid dreams that remain just that, dreams. Hunter laughed at his memory of being 12, at how he didn’t feel like a basket- ball star then, at how he nev- ertheless loved basketball, kept working, kept growing and became more confident. How basketball isn’t a job for him, a chore. He had one word: “Joy.” “It’s really fun,” he said. Watching him play, that fact is obvious. He is not performing. He is playing. He does not mug or pout or look at the crowd. He’s in an- other world. How far will he ascend? Time will tell. For now, his promise hangs in the stars. This Superman has more high fly-ying to do. [email protected], 402-444-1136 MAIN NEWS Hunter’s great-grandmother, Lueretha Haynes, wears a Superman-style T-shirt with an H for Hunter on the front. On the back is the message: He Flyys. She’ll be there in Lincoln for the state championship. Hunter wants to play in college and play professional ball. ‘THE ATTENTION IS FINE. IT’S EASY TO BLOCK OUT. I KNOW MY GOALS’ GRACE Continued from Page 4 Opening Spring 2020 Life is better atAvidor, a vibrant, engaging community of 55+ people who seek an inspired next chapter of their lives. Relax, connect daily, enjoy the culture and get going! Experience premium amenities, designer finishes, a full calendar of activities, and an array of à la carte luxury services starting at $1,600 per month. Call now for exclusive pre-lease specials. Call today to learn more – (402) 983-8118 Welcome Center Now Open 13110 Sterling Ridge Drive, Omaha, NE 68144 avidoromaha.com Embark on your next adventure. 55+ Active Adult Apartment Homes 0000115531-01 MAKE LUNCH PLANS wh 140th & Dodge and 76th & Dodge 50% OFF INSTALLATION * *Limit one offer per household. Must purchase 5+ Classic/Designer Shelves. EXP 4/30/20. YOUR DREAM KITCHEN, WITHOUT A RENOVATION. Enjoy more space with custom pull-out shelves for your existing or new cabinets & pantries. Schedule your complimentary design consultation: (402) 704-3309 • shelfgenie.com ® SPECIAL OFFER 0% Interest for 12 Months *** ***On Approved Credit. 0000124883-01

OMAHA WORLD HERALD SUNDAY,MARCH 8,2020 • MAIN NEWS 5A · er.Heheard Hunter tell Eli “thankyou.” Later, Cannon pulled the thirdgraderaside to say: Hunter absolutelyshould have

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Page 1: OMAHA WORLD HERALD SUNDAY,MARCH 8,2020 • MAIN NEWS 5A · er.Heheard Hunter tell Eli “thankyou.” Later, Cannon pulled the thirdgraderaside to say: Hunter absolutelyshould have

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 • 5AOMAHA WORLD-HERALD

first college came calling:Drake offered a scholar-ship. It was soon followedby Ole Miss, an SEC team,and Iowa State of the Big12. Then Creighton and Ne-braska.

Hunter was off and flyingon the court and in the imag-inations of college coaches,who “have been calling ortexting me every day.” Hescored 18.2 points a gameas a gangly sophomore,making The World-Herald’sAll-Nebraska third team.Another big AAU summerbrought more attention. Heate breakfast at Nebras-ka coach Fred Hoiberg’shome in November. He vis-ited Gonzaga. The list onCannon’s wall continued togrow, as has Hunter and hisnational prominence. In aninterview last week he saidhe was 6-5. His trademarkhair is growing, too.

Rivals.com now rankshim as a five-star prospectand the 20th best player inAmerica in the 2021 classwith potential to move up.

“He checks a lot of box-es,” said Eric Bossi, a Kan-sas City, Kansas-based an-alyst with Rivals.com whohas studied Hunter.

Box one: Hunter’s currentgame is good. “He can han-dle the ball, he can shoot theball,” Bossi said. “He’s gotskill; he doesn’t just rely onathleticism.” Bossi has beenstudying athletes for 20years, and called Hunter “asgood, and likely the best I’veever seen” from Omaha.

Box two: Recruiting is abet on the future, and Hunt-er’s future game is pre-dicted to be much better.Cannon, the Millard Northcoach, called Hunter one ofthe fastest-improving play-ers he’s ever seen. Hunteralready is showing the graceof his light frame as well aswhat Bossi calls “a reallysurprising explosiveness.”

Box three: Hunter is “thetotal package.” Focused,humble, low-key. No drama.And he’s got supportive par-ents.

So what’s it like to be Su-perman? Is it risky to fly soclose to the sun? How doesthe flyer keep his size 12s onthe ground?

It was hard at first tocatch Hunter for those an-swers. But plenty of othersin his orbit kept saying thesame thing: Hunter justloves the sport and workshard at it. He doesn’t let itgo to his head. He’s normal.

Says his father: He for-gets his shoes! He forgetshis keys!

Says his mother: Heblocks out the attention andfocuses on his goals.

Says his mother’s boy-friend, World-Herald assis-tant managing editor ThadLivingston, who overseessports coverage: He canSLEEP! He puts his earbudsin, closes his eyes and is out.

Says his best friend, Carv-er: He’s goofy. He likes tolaugh.

Says his sister Jerrica,

whose closet Hunter raidedwhen his feet got big enoughto wear her Nike Air Jor-dans: He’s picky! Jerrica willtake Hunter out to dinnerand he’ll order the shrimp al-fredo, hold the shrimp.

Says Coach Cannon: He’spolite and thoughtful. Can-non likes how Hunter is niceto the children who bringtheir basketballs, shoes andprograms for him to sign.Once after a game in Lin-coln, Cannon watched his9-year-old grandson, EliRempe, shag balls for Hunt-er. He heard Hunter tell Eli“thank you.”

Later, Cannon pulled thethird grader aside to say:Hunter absolutely shouldhave thanked you for help-ing him. It’s the right thingto do. But a lot of peopledon’t do the simplest, right-est thing. Make sure you’relike Hunter in that respect.And he pulled Hunter asideto say, thank you for makinga kid feel special.

Cannon, like the otheradults in Hunter’s realm,feels protective about him.No interviews for Hunt-er before the two districtgames. No interviews afterthe second district game.Let him enjoy the momentof snipping the net, posingwith the trophy.

Cannon finally let mecome on Wednesday to his

first-floor classroom with aframed drawing of JFK andtwo taped-together sheetsof construction paper onwhich he’s kept track of allthe college coaches whohave visited this year. (Fiftyare logged from Septemberthrough March 3.)

Hunter’s not the onlyMustang in demand. SeniorMax Murrell, a high-flyerin the classroom with a be-yond-perfect GPA and onthe court as a shot-blockerat 6-9, is headed to Stanfordin the fall.

Hunter had a short win-dow to talk; he was gettingout of school to ride to Law-rence, Kansas, for a Jay-hawks game. The plan wasto hit the road at 3:45 p.m.for the 7 p.m. game and re-turn in time for Hunter tobe back in the classroom onThursday.

Hunter was late for the in-terview. Cannon texted him.Nothing. Then he calledhim, and Hunter answered.

He was on his way. Hejust had to finish up a mathtest.

Cannon beamed. Mathtest, he repeated.

Seated in the back of Can-non’s classroom, Hunter

wasn’t the hair-flying,arm-flying, leg-flying, fly-ying talent with the waist-band of his white shortsrolled once, his day-glo or-

ange sneakers making hisfeet seem airborne all themore.

He was a high school ju-nior with a heavy backpackwho’d just completed hisAlgebra II test and had justfinished reading a novel forEnglish class, the stunningVietnam tale “The ThingsThey Carried.”

I’d been warned Hunterwas quiet and shy. I foundhim to be warm and engag-ing.

What was it like to be himright now?

Hunter’s not going to lie.This is pretty fun.

“I just embrace it,” hesaid. “I like it. The attentionis fine. It’s easy to block out.I know my goals.”

Which are?Win state. Play in college.

Make the March Madnesstournament. Play profes-sional ball.

I tell him that last oneseems like most little-kiddreams that remain justthat, dreams.

Hunter laughed at hismemory of being 12, at howhe didn’t feel like a basket-ball star then, at how he nev-ertheless loved basketball,kept working, kept growingand became more confident.How basketball isn’t a jobfor him, a chore.

He had one word:“Joy.”“It’s really fun,” he said.Watching him play, that

fact is obvious. He is notperforming. He is playing.He does not mug or pout orlook at the crowd. He’s in an-other world.

How far will he ascend?Time will tell. For now, hispromise hangs in the stars.This Superman has morehigh fly-ying to do.

[email protected], 402-444-1136

MAIN NEWS

Hunter’s great-grandmother, Lueretha Haynes, wears a Superman-style T-shirt with an H forHunter on the front. On the back is the message: He Flyys. She’ll be there in Lincoln for thestate championship. Hunter wants to play in college and play professional ball.

‘ T H E AT T E N T I O N I S F I N E . I T ’ S E A S Y T OB L O C K O U T. I K N O W M Y G O A L S ’

GRACEContinued from Page 4

Opening Spring 2020Life is better at Avidor, a vibrant, engagingcommunity of 55+ people who seek an inspirednext chapter of their lives. Relax, connect daily,enjoy the culture and get going! Experiencepremium amenities, designer finishes, a full calendarof activities, and an array of à la carte luxuryservices starting at $1,600 per month.Call now for exclusive pre-lease specials.

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