Bee boys basketball Player of the Year Joseph Hunter ready to elevate at Fresno State
Extra work paid off for San Joaquin Memorial boys basketball senior guard Joseph Hunter.
The Fresno State recruit spent the time heading into his final high school season doing three-a-day workouts splitting his time between the court, the weight room and the track.
“Had a talk with (former Fresno State standout) Demetrius Porter and we just talked about things I needed to work on basically, to separate myself. I did all of those things and separated myself for sure.”
The 6-foot-5 Hunter led the Central Section in scoring with a 31.8 points per game average and finished his career with 2,337 career points — sixth best in section history and second best in school history behind current NBA rookie star Jalen Green, according to section historian Bob Barnett.
Oh, and Hunter broke the school record for most points in a game when he scored 54 against Madera South in early February. The previous mark was 52 points, set by Roscoe Pondexter in 1971.
Hunter is The Bee’s boys basketball Player of the Year.
“I accomplished stuff that I can only dream about,” he said. “My last high school year. I had to put on a show.”
Hunter led Memorial to a 23-8 overall record and a 10-0 championship run in the County/Metro Athletic Conference.
Panthers coach Brad Roznovsky said he noticed a different game in Hunter this season.
“He put it together. He was a joy to coach. I think his shooting, his mid-range and his three ball really progressed because of the time he put in the gym. He was an OK shooter when he came in as a freshman. A little better each year. ... I won’t call him an elite shooter (now) but he turned out to be a very good shooter.
“He’s a very good attacker. He can get from point A to point B very fast. Now you gotta lay off him defensively because he’s so good with the ball in his hands, which means if you’re not contesting, he can shoot it. He’s a got a two-way game that’s going to be deadly at the next level.”
Hunter stayed committed to Fresno State since Bulldogs coaches offered him when he was in eighth grade. He said he wants to play in front of family and friends at the Save Mart Center. He’s hoping to lead the Bulldogs to a Mountain West championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
“It’s just I felt most comfortable. We just talked about plans they have for me and family and friendship and playing in the league.”
