The New England Prep School Athletic Council is one of the most prestigious basketball leagues in the nation, a collection of schools that produces numerous college players on an annual basis, including current Wildcats Boo Buie and Casey Simmons.
So winning the NEPSAC AAA Player of the Year award is a pretty big deal. It's an honor that is not lost on 2022 Northwestern signee Luke Hunger.
The three-star big man from Canada was named the recipient of the award last week, after averaging a double-double for Gill (Mass.) Northfield Mt. Hermon during the 2021-22 season.
"It felt amazing," said Hunger, who signed with Northwestern last November. "It was great to see my three years at NMH really pay off."
"All of the work I put in during COVID really showed. It’s a great league with a lot of great players and teams so to be named MVP felt great."
Hunger averaged 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in leading the Hoggers to a 33-6 record and a trip to the NEPSAC championship final, where they lost to Putnam Science Academy.
An inside-out threat, NMH often relied heavily on 6-foot-10 workhorse in the middle. Hunger scored 76 points in back-to-back games against Hoosac and Brewster Academy in early February. He put up 30 points and 23 rebounds in a win over Vermont Academy on March 2.
But ask Hunger how he took home the trophy, and he says it was his consistency. Night-in and night-out, NMH could depend on Hunger getting points with his moves in the post, or with his jumper. He shot 57% on two-pointers, an impressive 39% on threes, and 81% from the free-throw line.
"I think consistency was the main reason," said Hunger, who is a Montreal native. "I averaged a 23 and 11 in league games. I never took a night off and was always locked in to battle. We had a lot of injuries during the season and I think me just being a constant presence on the court helped us a lot."
Northwestern can certainly use Hunger's presence next season to help bolster a seriously depleted front court. The Wildcats lost leading scorer and rebounder Pete Nance and solid role player Elyjah Williams to graduation. Then Ryan Young, the heir apparent starting center, announced his intention to transfer last week.
So right now, the Wildcats' depth chart at the 4 and 5 positions is made up of starting forward Robbie Beran and seldom used center Matt Nicholson. That's it. The program will no doubt address their need in the transfer portal in the coming months, but, regardless, Hunger could see quite a bit of playing time next season.
Hunger says he wants to bring "toughness and energy" to Northwestern. He has a skill set comparable to Nance's, though he's quite a bit heavier than Nance already.
Head coach Chris Collins sees him fitting in as a center or as a stretch-4.
"I want to be able to play strong inside while also stretching it out to the [three-point] line," said Hunger. "I just want to be a good teammate and learn from everyone. Coach Collins thinks I can bring in versatility by being able to play both the 4 and 5 in his system."
Hunger weighs 255 pounds, but he knows that the step up from the NEPSAC to the Big Ten is a steep one. He's trying to develop his game so that he can be an early contributor for the Wildcats.
"Right now I am working on getting stronger to be able to guard the bigs in the [Big Ten]," he said. "I am also working on post and mid-range moves to have a more versatile skill set."
It was quite a senior season for Hunger. The NEPSAC didn't play basketball in 2020-21 because of COVID. Then, in December, Hunger was dealt a blow personally when his teammate at NMH, four-star point guard Rowan Brumbaugh, decommitted from Northwestern after helping recruit him to the program.
But Hunger put that behind him and focused on being the best he could be in his final season of high school basketball. The result was the Player of the Year award.
"We made a great run to the national prep championship final, so it was definitely a memorable season," he said.