4. De’Andre Hunter
Hitting the ground running his sophomore year, after starting ZERO games his freshman season, De’Andre Hunter is one of, if not college basketball’s best, two-way player.
While the top three prospects in the draft are seemingly set in stone, Hunter can fit a position of need at the power forward spot while not taking away from the kind of game the Suns want to play. If Phoenix lands the fourth or fifth pick in the upcoming draft, Hunter needs to be in serious consideration.
Not extraordinarily flashy, De’Andre is a steady, heady big time defender with the ability to defend at a high level and facilitate to shooters. Hunter has the ability to knock down clutch shots, and has a Kawhi Leonard-esque approach to his game. He plays his role, has exceptional footwork, and can play with his back to the basket.
Hunter has not been the leading scorer, or the flashiest of assets for Virginia through two games in the tournament, but his teammates perform well in many cases as a result of his game. As attention falls to Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome in the Sweet 16 and moving forward, expect Hunter to be the difference maker as Virginia continues it’s winning ways.
While prospects outside of the top three are in many ways interchangeable, Hunter would be a nice pick for the empty power forward position on the Suns. His game resembles gameplay at the professional level. He’s a safe pick if Phoenix were to fall lower than expected.