Over 1300 points, over 500 rebounds, over 400 assists, over 150 steals — quite a four-year career for Camren Hunter at Bryant High School. He led the Hornets in nearly every statistical category during the 2020-21 season.
But perhaps the most telling stat involving the four-time all-conference, two-time all-State performer is the fact that he had a hand in a shopping 76 wins at Bryant.
As clutch as he’s been, as versatile as he’s been, the primary description for Camren Hunter is probably just “winner.”
“He gave us what we needed every year,” said Hornets head coach Mike Abrahamson. “When we had K.K. (Robinson) and Traylon (Payne), he was like our glue. Whatever we needed. This year, we needed scoring and he came through with that as well as he did everything else. He was mister do-it-all for us.”
As best as can be determined, Hunter is the all-time leading scorer at Bryant.
His career will continue, along with his education, after he signed a National Letter of Intent to go to the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
“There’s a lot to celebrate today,” Abrahamson said. “We’re happy for him. To move on to a place like UCA where we can watch him. He’ll have a chance to play there right away.
“And, you know, as much as I’ve watched him grow the last four years, I’m excited to see how much he can grow the next four,” he added.
“We’re going to miss him as a team,” the coach said. “I’m going to miss him personally because we have been through it.”
Hunter didn’t hesitate to say that UCA assistant Brock Widders, who started talking to him during his sophomore season, was the main reason he signed with the school.
“He really took time out, personally, to just ask me little things like how’s my day going and how’s the family going,” Hunter related. “Things like that really matter to me.
“Generally, he just took it upon himself to ask me different things about my game, what I could do here,” he continued. “He just really attracted me as a person. He wanted to help me physically too when I get a chance to get up there.”
Before the Covid restrictions, Hunter went to camp at UCA. He attended a game between the Bears and UALR Trojans.
Hunter said his first offer came from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. UCA made its offer right after he completed his junior season.
“I knew where I was going, day one,” he said.
Asked what Widders and head coach Anthony Boone said their plans for him were, Hunter said, “Come up there and just work, earn everything I did here. They just want me to be the best version of myself up there and help UCA get to the next level that they’re trying to get to. I think we can do that.”
“I think they just want him to be him,” Abrahamson related. “With Cam’s physicality and his court vision, his ability to score and defend — he’s going to come in physically ready.
“Mentally, he was usually very far ahead of his peers,” the coach continued. “He’s a college player and he’s ready to go. I’m sure it will come with its rough days as any adjustment does but we expect him to be in there and compete.”
“I’m a competitor,” Hunter acknowledged. “I want to win. I’m going to do everything I need to. I’m in the gym constantly. If that means doing the little things that Coach A needs me to do, I do that. That’s where my love comes from, the competitive side.”
Abrahamson recounted the story that, after each game this year, opposing coaches told him they tried everything they could think of to stop Hunter, but nothing worked.
And the respect that earned was obvious right up to the end. In the quarterfinals of the 6A State Tournament in Fayetteville, moments after Hunter barely missed a three-pointer that would’ve lifted the Hornets to victory over the 6A-West champion Bentonville Tigers, he was the first one that several of the Bentonville players came to, to help him up and complement his effort. That was respect, something Hunter earned from every team the Hornets played.
