Aussie Hoopla 2017/18 Rookie of the Year
February 19, 2018
James Hunter
- Nationality: AUS/NZL
- Date of Birth: 19/06/92
- Place of Birth: Nowra (NSW)
- Position: F/C
- Height (CM): 208
- Weight (KG): 113
- Junior Assoc: NSW - Sydney
- College: Gillette CC (2011-2012) / Washington State (2012-2014) / South Dakota (2014-2015)
- NBL DEBUT: 8/10/17
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 22/10/17
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 25
- NBL History: New Zealand 2018
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: James Paton Hunter was born in Nowra, New South Wales but spent much of his childhood living with his grandmother in Taumarunui, New Zealand.
He attended Cranbrook School in the eastern suburbs of Sydney where he was selected to represent Australia as part of the Australian Schoolboys’ basketball team which traveled to the United States to compete in tournaments throughout North Carolina over a two-week period.
He was also selected for the NSW Schoolboys State team and competed in the School Sport Australia Basketball Championship.
Hunter also played rugby during his time at Cranbrook and holds a New Zealand passport that he obtained as a teenager.
NBL EXPERIENCE
James Hunter made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 25 years of age. He scored five points in his first game.
After a injury decimated season, New Zealand looked to rebuild in Paul Henare’s second year as coach. Kevin Dillard, who joined the team for the last nine games, was retained and it was hoped that the on court success witnessed during the last month of the season would be able to be extended across NBL18. The major move of the off-season saw the Breakers cut ties with Corey Webster after multiple situations where the two parties no longer saw eye to eye. This led to Webster first signing a two-year deal with Perth, then after turning the heads of some European team’s whilst playing in the 2017 NBA Summer League, requested a release prior to the NBL season starting. The remainder of the roster was retained and with league expanding the number of import a team can sign from two to three, added backcourt duo DJ Newbill and Édgar Sosa.
New Zealand finished the regular season in fourth place (15–13) and went on to face Melbourne and former coach Dean Vickerman in the semifinals. United handed the Breakers back-to-back defeats in the semifinals, following a overtime loss in Game 2 (88–86). Club legend Kirk Penney played (10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) his final NBL game in the game two loss, finishing with a 17-point effort.
During his season spent as a development player, Hunter appeared in only two games, scoring a total of five points.
James Hunter played one season in the NBL. He averaged 2.5 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0 assists in 2 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 25 | New Zealand | 15-13 (4) | 2 | 8.4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 67% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2 | 50% | 63% | 0% | 5 | Totals | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 66.7% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 2 | 50.0% | 0% | 0% | 5 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 25 | New Zealand | 15-13 (4) | 2 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 67% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.5 | 1.0 | 50% | 63% | 0% | 5 | Total | 2 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 66.7% | 0.3 | 0.0% | 50.0% | 0% | 0% | 5 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Sydney 2009-11, 2020 | Knox 2019 | Maitland 2023
Was a part of the Maitland Mustangs squad who lost the NBL1 East Grand Final in 2023 to the Sutherland Sharks (80-83). Hunter racked up 20 points and 6 rebounds in the loss.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
Hunter was a member of the New Zealand national team that finished in fourth place at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Manawatu (2015), Southland (2017–2018) | Spain - Zamora (2015–2016)
Hunter joined the Manawatu Jets for the 2015 New Zealand NBL season, playing his first season in New Zealand after signing on 22 May 2015 and averaging 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 0.1 assists across 8 games.
In that 2015 stint with Manawatu, Hunter added 0.5 steals per game while working primarily as an interior finisher and rebounder across his eight appearances.
After the 2015 New Zealand NBL season, Hunter moved to Spain for the 2015–16 campaign with CB Zamora in the Liga EBA, marking his first European stop.
Hunter returned to New Zealand after signing with the Southland Sharks on 9 November 2016 for the 2017 New Zealand NBL season, and he averaged 7.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 0.4 assists across 18 games while sharing the roster with players including Dom Raukawa, Leon Aston, Reuben Te Rangi, Nik Kay, and Mitch Norton.
Hunter returned to play for the Southland Sharks in 2018 and averaged 10.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.4 assists across 20 games, and he was part of Southland’s 2018 New Zealand NBL championship season alongside teammates including Orlando Coleman, Conor Morgan, and Alex Pledger.
COLLEGE
Hunter played college basketball at Gillette College during the 2011-12 season before transferring to Washington State, where he competed from 2012 to 2014, and he later finished his college career at South Dakota in 2014-15.
Hunter’s first U.S. stop was Gillette College in Wyoming, where he redshirted as a freshman in 2010-11 and then played the 2011-12 season under head coach Shawn Neary.
In that 2011-12 season at Gillette, NJCAA team leader totals list Hunter with 30 games played and 389 points (13.0 per game), and Washington State’s announcement of his signing also cited averages of 13.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game; those school bios further note he recorded five blocks in a game twice and logged nine offensive rebounds in a single game against Western Wyoming in January 2012.
Hunter transferred to Washington State and appeared across two seasons for the Cougars under head coach Ken Bone, with Sports Reference and South Dakota’s transfer announcement both crediting him with 18 total games at Washington State, 46 total minutes, 17 total points, and seven total rebounds while shooting 6-for-13 from the field across that two-year stint.
In the 2012-13 season, Washington State finished 13-19 overall and 4-14 in Pac-12 play, and Hunter played nine games, scoring his first career points in his debut against Eastern Washington (Nov. 10, 2012) and posting a Washington State career-high four points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 24, 2012).
In the 2013-14 season, Washington State went 10-21 overall and 3-15 in Pac-12 play, and Hunter again appeared in nine games; Sports Reference credits him with 17 total minutes for the season as his role remained limited before he left the program following that year.
Hunter joined South Dakota for the 2014-15 season as a graduate transfer, and he started all 32 games for first-year head coach Craig Smith as the Coyotes finished 17-16 overall and 9-7 in Summit League play, reaching the Summit League tournament quarterfinals before losing to South Dakota State; across the season, Sports Reference credits Hunter with averages of 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game while shooting 49.4% from the field, and the full-season totals shown in the same stat line include 184 points, 111 rebounds, nine assists, and 18 blocks.
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