Rebel Walk Recruiting: A Visit with Luke Hunger, Ole Miss’ Newest Basketball Target

OXFORD, Miss. — Luke Hunger has IT.

The Montreal native recently discussed his recruitment with The Rebel Walk following the scholarship offer from Ole Miss he received on August 18th.

Grateful to receive an offer from Ole Miss! Thank you to Coach Davis and Coach Hamilton! #SEC pic.twitter.com/chaUQXNXAO

— Luke Hunger (@luke_hunger) August 18, 2021

Hunger, who currently attends Northfield Mount Hermon, a well known prep school in Massachusetts, joined the U16 Canadian National Team in 2019 for the FIBA U16 basketball championships.

A 6-foot-10-inch power forward, Hunger has exploded onto the basketball recruiting scene catching the eye of scouts and coaches everywhere. Recently he performed in the Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC), one of the most prestigious amateur basketball clubs in the country, where he averaged 16.8 PPG and 6.6 RPG.

Hunger, who was also selected for the Canadian U19’s training camp roster that took place before the FIBA U19 World Cup, has racked up offers from many high and mid-majors. Some notable offers include Miami, Boston College, and Richmond as well as Ole Miss. An unranked player on 247Sports, Hunger is primed to shoot up the recruiting ranks.

Here is our conversation with Hunger:

RW: For those who haven’t seen you play! How would you describe your game?

Luke: I would describe myself as a stretch 4 who can pick and pop as well as roll. I like to drive from the perimeter to create scoring opportunities as well as battle down low in the paint. I like to run the floor on every possession. I can also play the 5 if need be.

College Coaches: We’d like to reintroduce you to 6’10” 255 lb Luke Hunger ‘22 who shot over 40% from 3 in over 30 scrimmages! #BeforeAndAfter pic is from September and Today! He’ll be playing with @babc_eybl! Click the link for highlights! https://t.co/GMD6yZLkNY #TheFarm #GoNMH pic.twitter.com/Pai1a0Pk6M

— NMHbasketball (@NMHbasketball) April 30, 2021

RW: Tell us a little about your offseason because a lot of schools have begun to take notice of you now.

Luke: Yes, so over quarantine I took the time to fix my jump shot in order to make it more consistent. When I got to school and started playing it showed that my work paid off and coaches started to take notice during the AAU season. 

RW: How was your personal EYBL experience?

Luke: The EYBL experience was amazing. I’m super glad I got to play for BABC. It was great matching up against the top players in the class at the most competitive event. It was also my first circuit event. There were truly no days off there. 12 games in 14 days.

🇨🇦 Luke Hunger (22p/11r/4a, 9/15, 4/4 FT) is feasting. #NikeEYBL #Peachjam #EYBL pic.twitter.com/SdJIiGSvWa

— BasketballBuzz.ca 🇨🇦🏀🍁 (@basketballbuzz) July 13, 2021

RW: How has your recruitment gone this summer?

Luke: Most of the schools that have offered me have been in heavy contact trying to set up official visits. In terms of new schools. After Peach Jam I heard from schools in the ACC, Big 10, Pac 12, SEC and a lot more.

RW: Ole Miss came with an offer recently. How did that conversation go?

Luke: It was great! I had a zoom call with the whole staff last week and they were showing me the campus, their new arena and practice facility, as well as their player development which is a big part of their program. They were telling me how the SEC is going to be a powerhouse conference in the future because of the new teams joining…

Luke Hunger on his zoom visit with Ole Miss basketball

RW: Who are some guys you emulate or try to learn things from watching?

Luke: For the NBA, I love watching a guy like (Denver Nuggets’ Nikola) Jokic for the simple fact that he is not the most athletic or strongest, but he uses his skill to impact the game in so many ways. So I try to get some inspiration from him. At the college level, I watched a lot of (Iowa’s) Luka Garza last year for the same reasons. He uses his skill and footwork to create scoring opportunities.

RW: Do you have a tentative timeline for your recruitment for visits and a commit date, or are you still waiting to see what happens?

Luke: Right now I’m still open and gathering information from different schools trying to see what fits me best. I want to start visiting schools in mid-late September and early October. After those visits I’m going to sit down with my people and see what’s the best plan of action for the next step. 

(Photo credit: Basketball Quebec)