Othello Hunter

Hunter had his best game of the Summer League, showcasing all the things that he can do on this level. He hit an NBA three-pointer, a part of his game that he is still working on, and did a ton of damage in transition. The Ohio State graduate runs the floor as well as any power forward around, and finishes everything with a dunk. He showed good vision during the gaming, scoring off of a handful of cuts. Hunter did display one major weakness, and that is setting screens. He does a poor job getting in position so his point guard can get separation, on a couple occasions he found himself setting as many as four bad screens before his point guard could use one. While this is a nuance of the game that he’ll improve as he gains experience, it is something that slows down an offense and makes life difficult for his teammates. Hunter showed adequate court vision as a passer, and even got an assist after pushing the break up the floor. His defensive presence still leaves a lot to be desire, since he struggles to defend bigger, heavier post players, but he showed great lateral quickness defending the perimeter when he had to. He’ll need to add weight to be more competitive on this level in the post. Hunter has so many raw tools that he’ll be one of the most interesting undrafted players to monitor from this class.

Othello Hunter has done everything he can to help his stock in this draft process, consistently playing well in all the games at both Portsmouth and Orlando. In addition to showing the things he’d already shown at the college level, he’s also displayed an improved mid-range jumper and looked a little better with his back to the basket. He hasn’t hurt himself in the measurements either, (6’8 ½ in shoes at Portsmouth with a 7’2 ¾ wingspan) while also looking to be amongst the best here in Orlando in the vertical leap department by our naked eye.

Hunter showed a consistent motor and ability to impact the games with his length and athleticism. The first thing that stands out is his mid-range jumper, which actually improved for him as the season went on at Ohio State. Looking at video from the first few games of the year and the last few games of the year, some noticeable changes occurred with his shooting form. The most obvious change is more deliberate mechanics in general and more consistency holding his follow through. He also altered his mechanics themselves slightly, bringing the ball up over his forehead before the release. He doesn’t get much elevation off the ground, but his length compensates for that as release point is high. These changes have increased his effectiveness significantly on spot-up jumpers from the mid-range, which he’s shown at both camps and towards the end of the college season. He’s done a good job knocking down 15 footers when getting open off pick-and-pops or drive-and-dishes, while even showing flashes of college three-point range in the NIT Tournament Finals. His skill-level isn’t anything to write home about at this point, but it may give NBA teams some room for optimism regarding the future.

Hunter also has looked better in the post, showing slightly crisper execution and footwork along with better accuracy on his hook shot and turnaround jumper. He also seems more comfortable in the post in general, not really rushing much, and making better use of countermoves. A lack of strength and balance, along with still undeveloped footwork, definitely gives him problems at times, especially when establishing position, but he’s making improvements.

On the defensive end, Hunter benefited here by not being matched up with many powerful post players that could take advantage of his slight frame, something that has hurt him in the past. He also only blocked two shots on the week, but contested quite a few more. Hunter did really well on the boards, though, and actually was the 10th ranked offensive rebounder per 40 minutes pace adjusted in our database on the season.

Hunter’s performance here, along with his physical tools and the learning curve he’s shown over the past two years, has made a decent case for him as a late second round pick in the draft, despite his less than ideal size for a power forward. The fact that he’s only played competitive basketball for six years definitely helps his case, as does the way he came out here and distinguished himself from other players with similar stocks heading in, while also showing strides in some of his weaker areas. He still has to add a significant amount of weight to his frame to compete effectively in the NBA. While not a lock at all, Hunter should get some consideration late in the draft.

Othello Hunter again put his impressive physical tools in display, to the tune of 11 points and 14 rebounds (7 offensive) in 25 minutes. His length and athleticism allow him to make plays that other big men here aren’t capable of, and he’s made a strong case for himself to be drafted or get a long look in summer league/training camp. He still has a lot of upside to continue to improve.

Possibly the player that helped himself the most in the first game was Ohio State's Othello Hunter. He went 6 for 7 from the field in 20 minutes—knocking down a mid-range jumper, showing slightly more skill in the paint than we'd seen in the past, and using his extremely impressive length and athleticism to run the floor and make his presence felt inside the paint. On the negative side, he only grabbed one rebound and had four fouls—a clear product of his lack of strength. Although he's undersized at 6-8 (but with a pterodactyl wingspan to compensate) and not all that skilled in general, we need to keep in mind that he's only 21 years old and has only been playing basketball for about six years—and thus still has upside to continue to improve. We'll see how he does over the next few days.

A big hole opened up last summer in Ohio State's frontcourt when Greg Oden unsurprisingly decided to leave for the NBA, one that many Buckeye fans were hoping would partially be filled by the emergence of senior Othello Hunter, a junior college transfer who showed some promise in a backup role as Ohio State advanced all the way to the NCAA championship game. Hunter made some small, important strides in his final year of college basketball, but was still fairly inconsistent and only managed to average around 10 points and 6 rebounds per game. He did have a very strong showing in his final collegiate game, putting up 17 points and 10 rebounds in the NIT Championship game in Madison Square Garden, knocking down some perimeter jumpers (even a 3-pointer), and helping his team to victory along the way.

Hunter continued to build off the positive momentum he established towards the end of the season, putting up three straight double-doubles in Portsmouth and grabbing a monster 12 boards per game in just 27 minutes. Although only 6-8 ½ in shoes and 219 pounds, Hunter has a 7-2 ¾ wingspan which helps him out tremendously as a rebounder, shot-blocker and finisher in transition. The tremendous extension he gets around the basket is vital for him to compensate for his underdeveloped frame, and in this setting, there weren't any real bulky big men to box him out and keep him away from the paint and off the glass. Hunter's offensively production is mostly limited to scoring off offensive rebounds, cutting to the basket, running the floor in transition, and making quick one-dribble moves in the post before his defender can react. He is fairly explosive getting off his feet, especially with his second bounce, and thus can get all kinds of opportunistic baskets for his team when combined with his length just by being in the right place at the right time. He will occasionally stray outside and attempt an ugly looking flat-footed mid-range jumper, but doesn't get very consistent results with it at this point. Hunter can't really create offense for himself in the post either, as he struggles to establish position inside and his footwork is very underdeveloped. His hands are also just average, and we indeed saw him bobble some strong passes that were thrown right at him.

Defensively, Hunter has very good tools to work with, as his length and athleticism are of great assistance in terms of contesting shots, but his lack of bulk is a real hindrance, as any power forward with any kind of meat on his bones will immediately try to post him up. His lack of experience shows here at times as well, as he doesn't always do a great job recognizing situations on the floor, and often either gives up excessive space to his man or is late on defensive rotations. Hunter is a fairly effective shot-blocker at the collegiate level, showing pretty good timing and the physical tools needed to make his presence felt in the paint, although he is a bit susceptible to biting on pump-fakes. He can also step out a bit and hedge screens thanks to his quick feet, which is an important thing in today's basketball.

All in all, Hunter is a player that will continue to get looks throughout the pre-draft process, starting in Orlando, and continuing in private workouts, as there just aren't that many power forwards out there with his combination of length and athleticism. As someone who only started playing basketball about six years ago, his learning curve should be considered a lot steeper than your typical college senior. If he can find a way to add another 15-20 pounds to his frame, polish up his jump-shot a bit and maintain his focus a little better, he might be able to find himself a spot in the NBA at some point.

On the list of recognizable names on Ohio State’s roster last season, Othello Hunter’s was a long ways away from the top. This of course is very understandable when you look at the fact that Hunter was teammates with the likes of Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr., amongst others. You can also look at the fact that the former honorable mention NJCAA All-American only averaged 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.4 minutes of playing time last year. Those numbers however don’t do justice to the type of player Hunter is. His numbers last season averaged over the course of a 40 minute game would come out to 13.1 points and 10.3 rebounds, numbers that would catch the eye of even a casual fan.

At just 6’8” and 225 pounds Hunter is clearly undersized to play in the post at the pro level like he does at Ohio State. His athleticism and length, though, are off the charts, and will clearly make his transition easier. Blessed with speed, strength and remarkable leaping ability, Hunter is the total package physically that you would want out of a player of his build. He has a great frame capable of adding more muscle, and he reportedly has a wingspan measuring 7’2”, which helps him in multiple facets of the game.

Hunter registered just seven double digit scoring performances last season; partly due to the fact that he didn’t play a tremendous amount and also that he wasn’t a main focus of the Buckeye offensive attack. He got the majority of his points last season on sheer hustle. In the less than 20 minutes of playing time Hunter saw each game, he pulled down over 2 offensive rebounds per game, an excellent number. He manages to grab plenty of boards that he has no business getting thanks to his tremendous athleticism and length and the fact that he never quits on a play. There were plenty of instances throughout the season that Hunter would tap a ball up in the air multiple times before coming down with it in a crowd.

The rest of Hunter’s offense is a medley of things. He was the beneficiary of plenty of good looks near the basket from teammates, especially Mike Conley Jr. Hunter showed decent touch around the rim when he had good position. His post up game though leaves a lot to be desired from a player of his physical capabilities. He does a good job establishing position, but once he has the ball everything is rushed. He fades away too often and usually isn’t squared up on his shot attempts. Hunter has shown some signs of a potentially nice drop step, but again, he needs to slow himself down once he gets the basketball. Skill-wise, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he’s a very limited player.

In the open floor, Hunter makes for a dynamic finish in transition. He has great open floor speed for a bigger player, and has shown the ability to catch a pass and throw it down in a matter of two steps when in full sprint. Hunter isn’t much of a threat outside the paint. He rarely will put the ball on the floor, and his mid-range shot is awkward in that he has a tendency to fade to either side as he jumps.

Defensively, Hunter has a tremendous amount of potential on the block. He is a fairly strong player who holds his ground well, but also is quick enough to stay ahead of his man when he makes a move to the basket. His athleticism allows him to be effective in guarding bigger players down low, and he does a fantastic job not allowing opponents to create space when making a move to the basket. Hunter has shown a knack for blocking shots, averaging over 1 block a game last year in his limited playing time. His timing is a little off sometimes, but he is able to get away with it because of his length and leaping ability.

Hunter is the picture perfect example of a raw physical specimen who needs all sorts of polish. Physically he can hang with just about any player in the country, but his skills need a lot of developing. It’s probably not going to all come in one year, but much like a player he resembles in Solomon Jones, just dropping glimpses of potential on a consistent basis could be enough to get him drafted.