No one ever said getting to the NBA would be easy for Ohio forward Brandon Hunter.
An abundance of big bodies at the Chicago pre-draft camp kept Hunter from establishing a dominant presence in the first day of action.
Ohio coach Tim O'Shea, in attendance at Moody Bible Institute to offer support for his former player, said the competition is at a high level on day one.
"(Brandon) played well, I think he's clearly in a position where he can be drafted," O'Shea said.
The more impressive players from Hunter's team are on the perimeter - Alabama guard Mo Williams, New Mexico guard Ruben Douglas and UCLA forward Jason Kapono - but Hunter will still have to fight Kentucky center Marquis Estill and Memphis center Chris Massie for attention of scouts on his own team.
Hunter displayed some versatility, playing a combination small forward/power forward position in his first game of the camp, O'Shea said.
The statistical line was not typical to Hunter, going 1-for-4 from the field with two points and four rebounds.
Hunter did not get a lot done, but did not get blasted either, •Sporting News• senior college basketball writer Mike DeCourcy said.
"The one shot he made was a nice inside out one from about 16 or 17 feet," DeCourcy said. "He just needs to get a little more done to stand out."
Wyoming center Uche Nsonwu-Amadi matched up against Hunter for most of the contest, notching five points and five rebounds.
The biggest victory for Hunter might have been with the measuring tape. With rampant speculation Hunter's undersized reputation would take a hit when he measured in, he proved critics wrong, measuring 6-foot-6.75 inches without shoes and 6-7 3⁄4 with shoes.
More impressive than his official height was the length of his arms. Hunter's wingspan came in at 7-2.75, longer than Massie and Indiana center Jeff Newton.
Hunter's team plays in the 11 a.m. session tomorrow in Chicago.
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Chris Littmann
