Hunter opts for Georgetown

Tim Graham

Thursday, Oct. 8, 1998 | 10:55 a.m.

During his junior year, courtside observers could watch Demetrius Hunter and fathom him going on to play college basketball at Pepperdine. That seemed about right.

Hunter showed he had the skills to compete at the next level as he guided Cheyenne to the 4A state tournament in Reno. But not many considered the 6-foot-2 guard a major college recruit.

He averaged 16.7 points, seven rebounds and three assists, but he missed a handful of games because of a knee injury.

So Hunter verbally committed to Pepperdine, a school more famous for overlooking the magnificent beaches of Malibu, Calif., than for overseeing top-flight athletic programs. He liked Pepperdine because of his close relationship with assistant Darwin Cook, who used to coach Hunter at Green Valley.

Over the summer, however, Hunter blossomed into one of the nation's premier prep guards. With a string of strong showings at a variety of summer tournaments and camps, Hunter became the prey of several top programs; his verbal commitment to Pepperdine did not scare them off.

One powerhouse finally bagged Hunter before his senior season even started.

"I'm Georgetown, man," Hunter announced after verbally committing to the Hoyas and rescinding his agreement with the Waves. He must wait until Nov. 11 to sign his binding letter of intent.

Hunter recently visited the Georgetown campus at the request of Hoya head coach John Thompson. Although he didn't see majestic ocean sunsets and pounding surf, he found the Washington, D.C., campus attractive.

"When I took a visit, it just felt like I was one of them," Hunter said. "I hung out with the players and we went to parties. They all do everything together. I wanted to be a part of that.

"And when they showed me the arena ... aw, man.

"I fit in perfect with the program. I just couldn't see myself passing it up. Georgetown speaks for itself."

After talking with Thompson, Hunter projects himself as the Hoyas' eventual point guard, following in the footsteps of Sleepy Floyd and Allen Iverson. Hunter also figures to see time at off guard, but doesn't expect to crack the starting lineup right away.

"The first year I have to go in and learn because I haven't played a lot of point," he said. "I'm not going to dominate and start, but you never know. I'm going to go in and battle."

Hunter called Cook over the weekend and broke the news.

"It was real tough," Hunter said. "They showed the most interest, really. But it was just something I had to do. It was sad, like telling family almost. He was a little hurt. I think he was disappointed, but he understood what I had to do."

By settling on Georgetown, the Hunter residence should have more time to relax. The phone rang often as coaches from Clemson, Oklahoma, Oregon, Oregon State -- "It was a whole bunch," Hunter said of his pursuers -- called at all hours.

"Mom was getting mad," he said.

It appears the Bishop Gorman boys soccer team will have to forfeit seven victories and a tie after a routine search of academic records turned up a pair of ineligible players. Gorman, which was 7-1-1 overall, will have to put together a strong second half just to make the playoffs. The oversight was discovered when Gorman was researching academic records for academic all-state nominations.

The Durango boys and Green Valley girls top this week's Nevada Track and Cross Country Coaches Association cross country poll. Basic, Bonanza, Silverado, and Green Valley round out the top 5 in the boys poll. Basic, Durango, Cheyenne and Silverado follow Green Valley on the girls list.