By Andy Lohman



Feron Hunt Interview

SMU men's basketball freshman Feron Hunt didn't have far to go for college. The Hilltop is just 23 miles north of DeSoto High School, where Hunt led the Eagles to a No. 6 ranking in the state of Texas.

Hunt, who averaged 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season, could have his transition to college eased by the fact that one of the only two other members of SMU's freshman class is Jahmar Young, Jr., who was also a double-digit scorer at DeSoto last season.

Still, going from high school to college is an adjustment period.

"It's very different," Hunt said. "You don't have your mom to wake you up every morning to get up and go to class."

Hunt will have to adjust to a different game on the court as well.

"Just the speed and physicality, there's a lot of things that come along with this that I didn't know about," Hunt said. "It's a lot of work."

Hunt has a unique opportunity to acclimate to a higher level of play. From Aug. 11-17 he will join his new SMU teammates Ethan Chargois and William Douglas on Global Sports Academy's European Select Team Goodwill Tour, playing six games across Belgium, Netherlands and Germany.

These trips abroad are becoming a staple of offseasons under Head Coach Tim Jankovich. Isiaha Mike and Jimmy Whitt just finished playing their way through Italy, and last year the whole team played several games in Canada before the season. The foreign trips not only test the Mustangs against top competition, but also give the team a chance to bond before the season starts.

Another staple of the Jankovich era is the versatile player, a mold that Hunt fits. Listed at 6-foot-8 and 190 pounds, he has the length to disrupt shots on the defensive end while also possessing the athleticism to run the floor and play above the rim on offense.

"Whatever Jank tells me to do, I'll hold it down and do it," Hunt said.

Hunt says that he's in good shape from all the running he did at DeSoto, but is looking to expand the mental side of his game in the coming year.

"Just growing mentally mature as a person," Hunt said of the area he sees himself growing in the most. "Making sure I never get too high and never get too low. Because you're going to have some good moments, you're going to have some bad moments."

Overall, Hunt is just excited to get the season underway.

"I think we're going to be really good this year," Hunt said. "I like my teammates. We all have the same goal and we're all on the same page right now. It's going to be pretty exciting."