Jordan Hunt

Jordan Hunt
Surrey 89ers
PositionPower forward / Centre
LeagueSuper League Basketball
Personal information
Born (1997-09-12) 12 September 1997 (age 27)
Wellington, New Zealand
Listed height206 cm (6 ft 9 in)
Listed weight104 kg (229 lb)
Career information
High schoolHutt Valley
(Lower Hutt, New Zealand)
CollegeSouthern Oregon (2016–2020)
NBA draft2020: undrafted
Playing career2015–present
Career history
2015–2016; 2018Wellington Saints
2020Otago Nuggets
2020–2021Cairns Taipans
2021–2023Hawke's Bay Hawks
2023–2024Surrey Scorchers
2024–presentSurrey 89ers
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  New Zealand
FIBA Asia Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Jakarta

Jordan Hunt (born 12 September 1997) is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Surrey 89ers of the Super League Basketball. He debuted in the New Zealand New National Basketball League (NZNBL) in 2015 with the Wellington Saints and won a championship with them in 2016. After four years of college basketball in the United States with the Southern Oregon Raiders, he helped the Otago Nuggets win the NZNBL championship in 2020 while earning grand final MVP. He subsequently spent the 2020–21 NBL season in Australia with the Cairns Taipans as a development player.

Early life and career

Hunt was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and attended Hutt Valley High School in nearby Lower Hutt.[1] In 2015, he debuted in the New Zealand NBL for the Wellington Saints, playing two games.[2] In 2016, he played eight games for the Saints and was a member of their championship-winning team.[3] He returned to the Saints for a one-game stint in 2018.[2]

College career

As a freshman at Southern Oregon in 2016–17, Hunt averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He scored a season-high 21 points against Oregon Tech on 31 January 2017.[1]

As a sophomore in 2017–18, Hunt was named All-Cascade Conference honourable mention and earned Academic All-conference honors. He averaged 13.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. He scored a season-high 20 points to go with 11 rebounds on 1 November 2017 against Maine-Fort Kent.[1]

As a junior in 2018–19, Hunt was again named All-Cascade Conference honorable mention and Academic All-conference. He averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, and became the 23rd player in Southern Oregon Raiders' history to reach 1,000 career points. He scored a season-high 22 points on 30 December 2018 against Multnomah.[1]

As a senior in 2019–20, Hunt averaged 12.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 28 games.[4]

Hunt finished his career at Southern Oregon with 1,147 points, ranking him 11th on the school's all-time scorers list. He also had 741 rebounds to finish eighth all time in school history.[5]

Professional career

In June 2020, Hunt was acquired by the Otago Nuggets of the New Zealand NBL in a draft prior to the COVID-altered 2020 season.[6] He helped the Nuggets reach the grand final, where they defeated the Manawatu Jets 79–77 to win the championship behind Hunt's team-high 21 points, which earned him grand final MVP.[7] In 16 games, he averaged 19.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.[8][9]

In December 2020, Hunt signed with the Cairns Taipans in Australia as a development player for the 2020–21 NBL season.[10][11] He averaged 2.8 points in five games.[4]

Following the Australian NBL season, Hunt joined the Hawke's Bay Hawks for the rest of the 2021 New Zealand NBL season.[12] He helped the Hawks reach the grand final, where they lost 77–75 to the Wellington Saints.[13] In 13 games, he averaged 11.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.[14][15]

In December 2021, Hunt re-signed with the Hawks for the 2022 New Zealand NBL season.[16][17] In 15 games, he averaged 15.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.[18][19]

In January 2023, Hunt re-signed with the Hawks for the 2023 New Zealand NBL season.[20] In 19 games, he averaged 10.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 blocks per game.[21][22]

In August 2023, Hunt joined the Surrey Scorchers of the British Basketball League (BBL) for the 2023–24 season.[23] In early January 2024, he sustained a fracture to the fibula of his left leg.[24]

Hunt had signed with the Franklin Bulls for the 2024 New Zealand NBL season[25] and had hoped to join the team a third into the season,[26] but a reaggravation on his ankle break led to him being ruled out for the entire season.[27]

In August 2024, Hunt signed with the Surrey 89ers of the Super League Basketball for the 2024–25 season.[28]

National team career

Hunt made his debut for the New Zealand national team in February 2021.[29] He helped New Zealand win bronze at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup.[30]

Personal life

Hunt's father Brett played in the NZNBL, while his twin sister Madison also played basketball in high school.[31]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Jordan Hunt". souraiders.com. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Jordan Hunt – 2015 and 2018". NZNBL. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Jordan Hunt – 2016". NZNBL. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Jordan Hunt". realgm.com. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  5. ^ "CAMERON NAMES 10 DEBUTANTS FOR TALL BLACKS AGAINST AUSTRALIA". nz.basketball. 17 February 2021. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  6. ^ "SAL'S NBL DRAFT – RECAP". nznbl.basketball. 11 June 2020. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  7. ^ "NUGGETS STRIKE GOLD IN SAL'S NBL SHOWDOWN". nznbl.basketball. 1 August 2020. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Jordan Hunt – 2020 statistics". nznbl.basketball. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Jordan Hunt – 2020 gamelog". nznbl.basketball. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Taipans sign development player Jordan Hunt". taipans.com. 22 December 2020. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  11. ^ Cheshire, Jeff (23 December 2020). "Hunt leaps at chance to join Cairns Taipans". odt.co.nz. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  12. ^ "HAWKS SOAR OUT OF BULLS' REACH". nznbl.basketball. 4 June 2021. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Wellington Saints continue NBL dominance with grand final win over Hawke's Bay Hawks". Stuff.co.nz. 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Jordan Hunt – 2021 statistics". nznbl.basketball. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  15. ^ "Jordan Hunt – 2021 gamelog". nznbl.basketball. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Pivotal post player Hunt back for the Hawks in 2022". hawks.org.nz. 28 December 2021. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  17. ^ Laing, Doug (29 December 2021). "Hawks giant Jordan Hunt signs-on for a second year". nzherald.co.nz. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Jordan Hunt – 2022 statistics". nznbl.basketball. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  19. ^ "Jordan Hunt – 2022 gamelog". nznbl.basketball. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  20. ^ "We are excited to announce Jordan Hunt as our first signing for the 2023 Sals New Zealand National Basketball League season". facebook.com/NZBayHawks. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Jordan Hunt – 2023 statistics". nznbl.basketball. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023.
  22. ^ "Jordan Hunt – 2023 gamelog". nznbl.basketball. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023.
  23. ^ "JORDAN HUNT SET FOR BBL DEBUT". surreyscorchers.co.uk. 3 August 2023. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023.
  24. ^ "JORDAN HUNT INJURY UPDATE". surreyscorchers.co.uk. 16 January 2024. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024.
  25. ^ "Another Hawk signs with Bulls". bullsbasketball.nz. 31 December 2023. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023.
  26. ^ "SAL'S NBL: THE THINK TANK – ROUND 1". nznbl.basketball. 27 March 2024. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. ...and Jordan Hunt will likely miss the first third of the season as he recovers from a broken leg.
  27. ^ "Injury Update". facebook.com/franklinbullsbasketball. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Surrey keeps Hunt for another season". australiabasket.com. 14 August 2024. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024.
  29. ^ "Hunt fully embracing Tall Blacks debut in Cairns". taipans.com. 19 February 2021. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022.
  30. ^ "Jordan Hunt". fiba.basketball. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  31. ^ Laing, Doug (1 September 2015). "Jordan Hunt stands tall on basketball court". stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.