De’Andre Hunter #12 of the Virginia Cavaliers. (Photo by NCAA Photos –
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Dre is away to the NBA.
De’Andre Hunter, the reigning National Defensive Player of the Year, announced on Instagram that he will forego his final two seasons at UVA, sign with an agent and enter the 2019 NBA Draft.
Hunter, a redshirt sophomore, earned consensus second-team All-America honors, NABC National Defensive Player of the Year, All-ACC first-team and ACC Defensive Player of the honors after his breakout season in 2018-19. He averaged 15.2 points and 5.1 rebounds, while shooting 52 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from 3-point range and 78.3 percent from the free throw line. Hunter racked up 10 20-point games, including a career-high 27 points against Texas Tech in the NCAA championship game. He averaged 12.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 71 career games.
De’Andre Hunter of the Virginia Cavaliers. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
“I have been dreaming about this moment for a long time and I’m excited to enter my name into the NBA Draft,” Hunter said in a statement. “My last three years at UVA have been magical and playing with this team has been amazing. I want to thank Coach Bennett, my family and teammates for this opportunity. Ending my collegiate career as a national champion means the world to me.”
The 2019 NBA Draft is Thursday June 20th.
In addition to his video message on Instagram, Hunter’s caption reads:
Being at the University of Virginia has been an amazing experience. From being a redshirt to winning a national championship, the journey has been unbelievable. I want to say thank you to Coach Bennett and the coaching staff for challenging me everyday to become not only a better basketball player but a better man off the court. I am forever grateful for them.
Winning a national championship has always been a dream of mine and accomplishing that with this team is something I will never forget. Thank you to all the fans for your tremendous support. You guys will always be in my heart.
My family has always been my backbone. I could never thank them enough for all of the work they have done for me. My mom, brother, and two sisters have always been there for me and without them I would not be the man I am today.
I want to Thank God for blessing me with this unique opportunity. Playing NBA was always a lifelong dream, with that being said I would like to announce that I will be entering the NBA draft and signing an agent. UVA will always be a special place to me. Wahoowa!
