Jackson State's Lindsey Hunter
proves to be A Scoring Machine
A Hunter plays like a pro and will be highly recruited by the NBA
Lindsey Hunter made a smooth
transition from a high school passer
and dribbler into a college scoring
machine.
A sTa senior at Murrah High in
Jackson Hunter only scored 225
points in 36 games for a 6.3 average
as a point guard.
Now scoring is second natural to
the 6-foot-2 senior. Hunter finished
his career al JSU as the school's sec ?
ond all-time leading scorer behind
former NBA standout Eugene Short
with 2,226 points during a three-year
career at JSU.
Hunter was fifth in the nation
with a 26.7 average, best in the
Southwestern Athletic Conference.
He set his school's single-season
scoring record with 907 points this
past season.
During his career. Hunter scored
2,390 points, including his freshman
season at Alcorn State. Hunter scored
40 or more points four times during
his career.
It wasn't that Hunter couldn't
score, but shots were hard to come
by in high school. Hunter played in
the same backcourt as James Robin
son - now a first-time all-Southeast
ern Conference selection.
Hunter proved he could score
when he had a career-high 20 points
in the Mississippi state tournament
semifinals. Murrah rallied from a 19
point, second quarter deficit and won
73-66 after Robinson had fouled out.
"I always felt like I could score,"
Hunter said. "It is a long way from Hawaii.
my high school days. I didn't really
keep track of my improvement. 1 just He finished with 48 points and
worked hard everydav,That is the ? was H of 26 from 3-point range
main thing my father tried to instill in against what many experts consider
me mentally. If you work hard you the best backcourt in college basket
"Ltndsey is no secret to us. He
plays a pro style offense. "
-Pro Scout Marty Blake
will get something out of it."
And Hunter is certainly reaping
the benefits of his hard work.
He was named SWAC Player of
the Year and is projected as a poten
tial NBA draft pick.
During the season, several NBA
scouts made their way to Jackson to
see Hunter perform. He will partici
pate in the Desert Classic April 20
24.
."Lindsey is no secret to us,"
NBA director of scouting Marty
Blake said. "He plays in a pro style
offense at Jackson State. In the
SWAC he didn't have to worry about
zone defenses."
Hunter, almost single-handedly,
help JSU upset Kansas in the open
ing round of the Rainbow Classic in
ball. Even Kansas's best defensive
player Darrin Hancock, five inches
taller than Hunter, couldn't slow him
down.
"I thought we played pretty good
defense, it wasn't like he had open 3
pointers," Kansas coach Roy
Williams said. "We considered foul
ing him . . . putting him on the line
for two instead of letting him shoot a
3. It's one of the greatest shooting
performances I've ever seen."
The 48 points were a career-high
and the most ever scored against
Kansas. The old record was 43 set
last season by former Missouri and
current Los Angeles Lakers guard
Anthony Peeler. *
"Since I've been at Kansas no
player has had a game like that
against us," said Kansas senior guard
Adonis Korden, who along with Rex
Walters form the country's best 1-2
guard tandem. "Anthony Peeler was
^No. t7
JSU players realize that Hunter
was a big reason the team finished
25-9 and made it to the second round ,
of the National Jnvitation Tourna- ?
ment.
'To us he was our inspiration/*
said forward George Wright. "Lind
sey was a big part of our team. We
know"It was a performance 1 don't
think 1 ever seen before," Illinois
coach Lou Henson said. "He had to
create and get his own shots."
Becoming a prolific scorer
wasn't easy for Hunter, who credits
his father, Lindsey Sr., with instilling
in him "a good work ethnic."
The elder Hunter, who played
college basketball at Bishop College,
would tie his son's right hand behind
his back and make him dribble with
.his left hand on a rocky pavement.
To improve Hunter's speed, Lindsey
Sr., would strap a log to his son's
waist and make him pull it.
"He did some weird things," the
younger Hunter said. "1 thought I
was good, but he proved to me that I
wasn't. He made me a complete
player. I was so slow. Now people
think I'm lightning quick. Pulling
that log helped my quickness. Xused
to think he was crazy."
?By Derrick Machone
History In The Making
Black college Cream of the Crop take place in the beautiful city of
Senior All-Stars all come together to Richmond, the city in Virginia that
play in one of the most exciting bas- , makes you feel that you are some
ketball events in 1993. ..Black Col- thing very special.
lege Basketball Classic.. Is truly 'The The competition will feature the
Tournament of All-StarsT" top seniors from the top black con
/ ferences, as well as, top indepen
This ground and air show will dents.
The conferences are: The Mid
Eastern Athletic conference-MEAC,
the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference - SIAC, The Southwest
ern Athletic Conference - SWAC,
The Powerful Central Intercollegiate
Athletic Association-CLAA, and the
EIAC.
There will be Youth Clinics,
Slam-Dunk Contest, 3-Point Shot
COntest, Gala Celebration, Brunch
of Champions, Black-Tie Hall of
Fame Dinner with inductees, and
more!!
The event is set for April 29 -
May 2.