Holding court with Adrian Hunter

One of state's top guards lays down law on and off court

By Josh Glitz

11 February 2008

greatlakeshoops.com

It's just a simple hyphen that turns two into one: student-athlete.

We can forget at times that players, high school and college, are students first.

Lost on the minds of many promising young athletes is one simple fact: sports will probably never pay the bills.

In truth, it is what is done in the classroom that will have the lasting impact in life. Only a select minority will be able to live off their athletic ability, but most must find another way to support themselves.

Many students will inevitably lose sight of this, and let their studies slip to work on their games. Jumpers will replace homework and grades will suffer. Practicing will consume most of their time.

I am not calling for reform of the system, however, as sports are a vitally important part of many students’ lives. In fact sports can be a valuable tool in teaching life lessons. Much to the contrary, it is only my intention to laud a student-athlete who has kept the long view in mind.

In a day in which many students put thinking about the future off, Adrian Hunter of Grand Blanc has taken every step necessary to ensure he is prepared for his future on and off the basketball court.

The Player

Most of us are familiar with Hunter’s exploits on the hardwood. Since he first stepped on the court as a sophomore at Grand Blanc, Hunter has made his presence felt. He was has been the one constant at Grand Blanc since he began on the varsity team in what was a rather tumultuous second half of the season in 2006.

Grand Blanc had come out of the gate strong, but was not quite living up to the preseason expectations. It was supposed to be a strong year for the Bobcats with the return of K’len Morris, Deondrick Booker, Lance Smith and Eric Tucker and the arrival of Hunter, Tyrone Ward, and both of the Moreland Brothers.

Grand Blanc looked like a team with great potential.

At the semester the year was thrown into chaos. Booker, Ward and both Morelands transferred and Tucker was struggling. The season that had started with so much potential was officially a mess. Hunter stepped into the breach for his team and began the steady point guard they needed in short order. Morris and Hunter led the team to a strong second half, considering the circumstances, until they fell at the hands of Clarkston in the playoffs.

Hunter came back in his junior year as the unquestioned leader of his team, a role he has embraced the last two years. Since taking over the team Hunter has been able to show off his immense talent. Strong and smart, Hunter is a mismatch for most any high school guard in Michigan. He is able to use either his quickness to go around you, or his strength to overpower you. In fact, his offensive game closely resembles the way that Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups plays.

There was no doubt that Adrian was a D-1 player, and right before the start of school this season, Adrian who is averaging 17 points, seven boards and three assists per game, signed with Central Michigan to play for Coach Ernie Ziegler. He became the first of the crop of Flint senior guards to sign at the collegiate level.

As a player Hunter brings a lot to the table. He makes very few mistakes on either end of the floor; he is a sure ballhandler, great passer and is keen to avoid trouble. Some players show off their ballhandling when they are forced into pressure, but Hunter is wise enough to keep himself out of trouble.

As many players can tell you, Hunter also possesses a deadly jump shot.  While he is no Brad Redford (who is?), you never want to leave Hunter open and he is more than capable of hitting a shot in you face. More than any other guard in Flint right now, Adrian is capable of stepping onto the court right now and contributing. He is a college ready player, without a doubt.

Just ask the boys from Flint Powers who the best guard in the Flint-area is. They could give you 40 reasons why it's Hunter.

The Student

More than just a college ready basketball player, Hunter is simply college ready. In fact, my first impression of Hunter came not on the basketball court, but in the courtroom--well, sort of. Hunter was a sophomore and was trying out for the Grand Blanc Mock Trial team, of which I was a former member and was helping coach that year. Mock Trial is a statewide competition in which students compete in mock court cases.

I vividly remember watching as Adrian walked up to the podium to audition to be a lawyer for the team. I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. I had heard a lot about Hunter and seen him on the bench, but it was still the first semester and I had yet to see him on the court. It is not common for varsity athletes, yet alone in season athletes to try out for Mock Trial. As he went up to audition I remember being blown away at how good he was. It is uncommon for sophomores to be chosen to be lawyers, but I knew we had to have him. His poise and intellect defied his age. I would see the same thing on the court and in the courtroom for the next few years.

Hunter made the team, and has participated each year since. As a former member of Mock Trial, I knew what a large time commitment it is. I questioned if it would be possible to commit to both Mock and basketball. Adrian has never had a problem, though it is not always easy.

“I have to be at one, if not both, almost everyday," said Hunter, who has been known to practice both after school. “Before the season, both coaches e-mailed each other and worked a deal. They made it so that I can be at Mock for an hour before practice everyday. So everyday I am literally sprinting into the gym to change and be on the floor on time.”

Just as Hunter has stepped up to fill a leadership role with the basketball team, he has done the same for the Mock Trial team. In fact, he has developed into one of the most dependable lawyers for a team that finished in the Top 10 in Michigan last year.

This is where his foresight is impressive.

Hunter is keenly aware of odds of having a lengthy basketball career beyond college, so his plan is to go into law, as either a corporate or criminal lawyer. Taking advantage of all that his school has to offer, he is placing himself in a situation to succeed in the long run.

Why Central?

With a strong reputation both on the court and in the classroom, it should come as no surprise that Hunter had several collegiate courtiers to choose from.

“I felt that CMU was a place where I know I can go in and make an impact as a freshman," he said. "I like what coach Zeigler is doing with the program and I want to be a part of turning the program around. Also, CMU offers law classes that will prepare me for law school.”

For a high school student to have this mature of a thought process is astounding. Hunter clearly has a keen awareness of his gifts and talents and is seeking the best possible ways to cultivate them.

The Leader

While his aforementioned exploits are impressive, what strikes me most about Hunter is his leadership.

“Adrian's strong suits are his work ethic and ability to lead.  He is willing to do anything the team needs to make us successful, from playing

 in the post to pushing others to work hard in practice,” explained Coach Chris Belcher, Grand Blanc's first-year head coach. 

To see this leadership in action all you have to do is go watch a game. Though Hunter is going to play guard at the collegiate level, it is not where 

you will see him, until crunch time comes around. I have never seen a player sacrifice so much in order to have his team succeed. To me this 

is the greatest example of leadership that I can offer. 

If that doesn’t suffice, all you had to do is witness two of the gutsiest performances I have seen this year. Act one came against 

Carman-Ainsworth in their first matchup of the season. Down 21 at half, Hunter led the Bobcats back, refusing to let them give up. 

In this game it was crucial 3-pointer with a hand in his face that gave the biggest push to close the deal. 

A few weeks later Hunter repeated this performance with a huge second half to ensure that Grand Blanc would beat Powers, sweeping the 

season series. In this game Hunter hit another clutch, “there’s no way that goes in” type of triple and seven free throws down the stretch to key 

Grand Blanc’s 20-3 run to close the game. 

Leaders and big-time players step up when their team needs them the most; Hunter has done this better than any other Flint player this season. 

Back to the Beginning

This article started with a brief discussion of what a student athlete is. Some say the best way to explain something is to give an example of one. Sometimes it

helps to have things put in simple terms.

“To be a student athlete you must not only have a competitive attitude in the classroom as well as in the sport you are participating in," explained Hunter. "To go

out and excel at a sport means nothing if you don’t excel in the classroom also. Like it was always preached to me, there is a reason the student comes before the athlete in student-athlete."

Hunter not only talks the talk, he walks the walk.