Few opposing players probably know each other as well as NC State fifth-year senior shooting guard Sam Hunt and Presbyterian fifth-year senior wing Reggie Dillard.
The duo played together for Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High and the Chris Paul All-Stars. Dillard left Dudley for Greensboro Day for his senior year in 2011-2012, but the two have remained good friends. Hunt and Dillard get to potentially guard each other at times at 7 p.m. tonight with Presbyterian playing at NC State.
“I’ve known Reggie for a while, since I was 8 years old,” Hunt said. “That is my guy. It’s going to be fun.”
Hunt and Dillard’s paths haven’t crossed on a college court. Hunt started his college career at Jacksonville and then he left following a coaching change his freshman year to North Carolina A&T for two years. When the chance to play for NC State popped up last spring, he grabbed it and has carved out a starting role.
Hunt is averaging 8.0 points per game and is 6 of 20 on three-pointers for the 3-0 Wolfpack. He helped spark a crushing 17-0 run with three three-pointers in the 78-56 win over Charleston Southern on Sunday.
Dillard has been at Presbyterian all five years, but is around as a fifth-year senior due to an ACL tear his sophomore season.
“Every summer, Reggie and I are around each other,” Hunt said. “I haven’t talked to him [about this game] since the summer. We worked out a couple of times during the summer together. I’m ready to see him. That is my man and I’ve known him a while.”
Hunt, Dillard and former North Carolina and NBA shooting guard P.J. Hairston were a tough trio for Dudley under coach David Price. Former NC State offensive lineman Daris Workman was also part of that crew. Hairston left after his junior year to play for NC State head coach Kevin Keatts, back when Keatts coached at Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy. Keatts later coached point guard JaQuel Richmond last year at North Carolina Wilmington, and he was with the Panthers in 2009-2010.
“It would be nice if P.J. and Coach Price and [current Dudley] Coach [Brian] Seagraves to come to the game,” Hunt said. “It might be a stretch to get all of them to the game.”
The 6-4, 222-pound Dillard is fresh off of scoring 25 points and making 3 of 5 three-pointers in a 107-87 win over Johnson (Tenn.) University on Saturday. His younger brother, Greensboro Day senior point guard Will Dillard, signed with Georgia Southern this week.
Dillard has gone 124 of 351 from three-point range for 35.3 percent, just edging Hunt by a smidge. Hunt has gone a collective 163 of 472 from beyond the arc for 34.5 percent. Hunt is by far the better free-throw shooter.
“That’s a tough one,” said Hunt on who is the better shooter. “I’ll give it to my boy Reggie. He got it.”
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