ACC Basketball: 5 most intriguing players entering 2019 NBA Draft

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 15: Cam Reddish #2 of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles down court against the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game in the semifinals of the 2019 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 15, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 22: De’Andre Hunter #12 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrates after a play in the second half against the Gardner Webb Runnin Bulldogs during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

De’Andre Hunter – Virginia Cavaliers

De’Andre Hunter is the player that I believed raised his NBA draft stock the most over the college basketball season. Hunter improved in every key statistic from his freshman to sophomore season and this improvement was drastic. Playing for the University of Virginia, where the team is valued much more highly than any individual player, Hunter was able to distinguish himself as a leader, especially in March.

As mentioned in the previous Kyle Guy slide, if recency bias is to be considered, then Hunter went out on top. His team-high 27 points along with nine rebounds were the deciding factor in Virginia being able to edge Texas Tech in overtime of the National Championship game. Many mock draft experts project Hunter to be a top ten pick in the upcoming draft and some even have him being selected in the top five.

My concern with Hunter is that he is not a franchise changing player and is better as a complimentary piece. His skills are undeniable, but he would be better served as a bench role player early in his NBA career as opposed to a player that a team is depending on to change the course of the organization.