Georgia State men’s basketball coach Ron Hunter has several reasons to be happy.
He’s pain-free for the first time in two years.
His son R.J. and wife Amy will soon move to Atlanta. They’ve been mostly living apart from the time Hunter accepted the job in March 2011.
Lastly, on Monday he gets to coach again. Because of an NCAA rule change he helped to create, he will begin working with his team, which will include eight new players in what he calls a home run recruiting class, for eight hours each week.
“I’m really excited about it,” he said. “It gives us access to our kids.”
Hunter was a part of a committee that crafted the rule, something he said he’s been trying to accomplish for several years. In years past, coaches weren’t allowed to work with their players during the summer. If a coach walked into the gym and a player was there, one of them had to leave.
Now, they can spend eight hours a week, two of which can be basketball instruction.
That time will be especially important for Hunter. His team won 22 games last year but lost six seniors, including four starters.
Hunter will rebuild with a class that includes several heralded signees: R.J., T.J. Shipes of Buford and Markus Crider, a one-time Providence commitment, as well as some unheralded players like David Travers, who signed in December and then led his team to the California state championship game.
However, none, not even R.J., have played for Hunter. So just like in last year’s debut season he must teach his offensive and defensive systems all over again. However, last year he didn’t have the luxury of a summer session.
“I can slow it down, can work in fundamentals and improve the defense,” he said. “I don’t have to rush it.”
Hunter said the team will be deeper than last year with seven players at least 6 feet, 7 inches of tall. The new players will complement returners Devonta White, Rashaad Richardson, James Vincent and Manny Atkins, who sat out last year after transferring from Virginia Tech.
“If I could have said a year ago, ‘Here’s what I want to bring in next year,’ it will be what we brought in,” he said. “We have length, have athleticism and we’ve got guys who can shoot.”
The summer will also give the players more time to get used to Hunter, who can be slightly intense. Fans got used to seeing and hearing Hunter stomp his foot last year whenever he was displeased. After years of slamming a dress shoe into hardwood, his hip wore out.
Hunter underwent replacement surgery in early April and is already out playing golf. He said he hasn’t developed a habit to replace the stomp, but joked that perhaps because he has better players his feet and hip won’t receive so much damage this year.
There’s one more thing he has to adjust, which he and R.J. were going to talk about this weekend: They must decide if R.J. will call him dad or coach.
Hunter thinks he has a good solution.
“When he’s playing well, it’s dad,” he said. “When he’s awful, it’s coach.”
Rule change
How will some of the state's other basketball coaches take advantage of the new 8-hour rule:
Georgia
Coach Mark Fox said he will treat the summer workouts much like the does the fall workouts. They will use the gym time to improve fundamentals and to develop skills. The other hours will be used in the weight room and conditioning areas.
Georgia Tech
Coach Brian Gregory will either do two 1-hour sessions or three 40-minute sessions on the court each week, primarily individual instruction, but some team work. The other six hours will be devoted to strength and conditioning work.
Kennesaw State
Coach Lewis Preston will begin by doing a lot of two-man drills so that the players can get used to each other and grow accustomed to the effort required. He will then transition to four-man groups building up to full-team drills by the end of the summer.
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