Darweshi Hunter: ‘As a team I expect us to win the whole thing’

Cameron Johnson The Miami Student

RedHawks’ faithful fans can expect this upcoming season.

a position she has held since 2019. Morrow helped lead the team to a strong 28-8 record and its first NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 30 years in 2022-23. The 2022-23 team had its best start in program history, going on a 19-0 run and being one of three teams across the country to be undefeated in January 2023.

Prior to OSU, Morrow was an assistant coach in the WNBA, working for the Chicago Sky for three years where she helped develop stars Diamond Deshields and Allie Quigley. She also was an assistant coach for Xavier University for 11 seasons, solidifying her experience in Ohio’s recruiting territory.

Melissa Jackson

Jackson’s head coaching contract with the University of Akron was not extended this February, making the 2022-23 season her last at UA. The team finished with a 17-13 record and an appearance in the MAC tournament. Jackson finished her term with a 72-69 record over her five seasons. In the 2021-22 season, Akron made an appearance in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

As head coach, Jackson had multiple tournament wins including the 2019 Puerto Rico Clasico. During her time at Akron, which included six years as an associate head coach, Jackson became the all-time winningest first-year head coach with 16 wins.

Carlos Knox

After winning in his debut game as a head coach, Knox failed to make a strong impact on the Indiana Fever, missing the playoffs with a 5-31 record in 2022. But his coaching showed promise that Miami could take advantage of.

During his term with the Fever, Knox had many bright spots, especially in playmaking. His coaching can be heard on many Fever broadcasts from this past season. The most prolific scorer in Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) history and a former NCAA player of the year, Knox is a vocal leader with more than 20 years of coaching experience. Along with coaching the Fever and playing professionally for the Indiana Pacers, Knox has experience playing abroad and coaching with IUPUI, the University of Cincinnati and the University of North Texas.

@NissoSacha sachanz@miamioh.edu

On April 12, it was announced that the RedHawks would be getting some much needed help at the guard position with the addition of 6-foot-5, 200-pound senior Darweshi Hunter.

Hunter’s decision to come play for the RedHawks was fueled by multiple factors.

“It was a few things,” Hunter said.

“It’s close to home, I trust in what Coach Steele has going over there at Miami. Of course, we played them last season; I like what they did over there. They beat us once. We beat them once. Both games were competitive, and I enjoy the MAC conference, so that also played a factor.”

Born in 2000, in Phoenix, Arizona, to Dwayne and Natasha Hunter, Darweshi attended high school only 22 miles away from Oxford at Princeton High School on the outskirts of Cincinnati. There, he averaged 17.5 points per game and 1.5 assists as a senior.

Hunter played his first year of college at the Division II HBCU Central State in Wilberforce, Ohio, in 201920. He averaged 20.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, earning all Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team and Freshman of the Year honors. He then transferred to Weber State in Utah, where he averaged 2.9 points, 1.0 assists and 0.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Hunter also described what the

“As far as me, I’m gonna play hard every night,” Hunter said. “I can definitely shoot the ball, so a lot of threes are gonna be going in. I’m good on defense, so a lot of good defense, and as a team I expect us to win the whole thing, win the regular season and the MAC and then go to the NCAA tournament. This is my last season of college basketball, so I’m trying to go all out.”

After his disappointing sophomore year, Hunter transferred to Northern Illinois, where he spent the next two seasons. Though he had another subpar year as a junior, he followed it up by averaging a solid 9.0 points, 3.0 assists and 0.5 rebounds per game in 30 games played and eight starts last season. He also shot 42.1% from three, which put him in the top 150 in the country. Considering that Miami shot 32% from three as a team last season, which was 225th in the country, Hunter’s shooting should provide a much-needed boost.

Miami Head Coach Travis Steele is happy to have Hunter on his side now.

“Having played against him, which was great for us, seeing him twice live as well as watching several game films over the course of the year preparing for Northern Illinois, Darweshi is going to bring a veteran maturity to our team that we really need,” Steele said. “He’s a guy that can really impact both ends of the floor. Obviously he’s a prolific shoot- er. You look at his numbers, he was one of the best shooters in the league last year, and he’s 6 ‘5” and strong.”

Steele is also excited about the potential of Hunter’s leadership, especially with a promising group of five recruits coming in for the 2022-23 season.

“He’s been through college basketball practices, he’s lifted, he’s been through some tough losses, he has seen some good wins, he has seen a little bit of everything, and I think that goes a long way in college basketball,” Steele said. “We are bringing in five freshmen, and our guys are going to be very young, but we have a good blend with some older guys as well, and I think you need that in the current landscape of college basketball.” Hunter also hopes to keep playing after graduation.

“I’m definitely going to try and continue my playing career.” Hunter said. “Hopefully the NBA of course but also overseas, just trying to keep playing and make some money from it.

In his two games played against the RedHawks this past season, Hunter scored 14 points and nine points respectively, with one loss and one win. His increase in production year after year is no doubt a positive sign for Miami, whose youth combined with Hunter’s veteran leadership can only mean there are brighter days ahead for the RedHawks.

@c__j30 john1610@miamioh.edu