NBA Could Be Up Next For National Championship Hero, Philly Native De'Andre Hunter
WYNNEWOOD, Pa. (CBS) – The University of Virginia authored one of the greatest see-saw journeys in basketball history on Monday night. More than 12 months ago, the Cavaliers became the first one seed to lose to a 16-seed. Now, they're national champions.
The Cavs won it all thanks to a Philadelphia kid.
De'Andre Hunter drilled a three-pointer against Texas Tech with 13 seconds left to force overtime. In the extra frame, the 6-foot-7 sophomore did it again.
Hunter scored a career-high 27 points on college basketball's largest stage.
Philadelphia Native De'Andre Hunter's Game-High 27 Helps Virginia Win National Championship
A couple of years ago, Hunter was a finalist for the Pennsylvania High School Player of the Year award at Friends Central High School.
"We had a long, embraceful hug that said what words can't describe," said Aaron Hunter, De'Andre Hunter's brother.
Aaron Hunter was courtside Monday to see his brother play the game of his life.
Last year, De'Andre Hunter was forced to watch the Cavs lose to a 16-seed because of injury. But not this time.
DID YOU KNOW: De'Andre joins fellow FCS grads Amile Jefferson '12 (@DukeMBB), Hakim Warrick '01 (@Cuse_MBB), and Jamie Sundheim '02 (@princetonwlax) who have also been part of NCAA D1 championship teams in recent years! pic.twitter.com/6tRrU3Gjfx
— Friends' Central (@friendscentral) April 9, 2019
"It was pretty emotional. I'm not a crier, I'm not a person who shows a whole of emotion, but I did yesterday," Aaron Hunter said.
Michael Cook is a former coach at Friends Central High School, which one day will retire De'Andre's prep jersey.
"Eight seconds left and he just started breaking down crying, right? I felt it, I'm sure everyone here in the Friends Central community felt it," Cook said. "You're just really happy for a guy like that."
Good luck @Dr_Dre14 and @UVAMensHoops ‼️ #NationalChampionship #GoPhoenix pic.twitter.com/I12gM8GaPP
— Friends' Central (@friendscentral) April 8, 2019
A kid that no one could dislike, Aaron Hunter said, who has a message for his younger brother.
"This is not it, you have other goals that you want to reach, you want to get to," he said.
One of those goals, of course, is reaching the NBA. There's no word just yet if De'Andre Hunter plans on entering June's NBA draft.