Indiana's Kenya Hunter named college basketball's most successful assistant coach

Kenya Hunter is currently in his third season as an assistant coach for the Indiana men's basketball team. On Friday, he was named one of the most influential assistant coaches in the country by Silver Waves Media.

Hunter was one of eight coaches from the Big Ten named to the list. He joined other coaches from Illinois, Wisconsin, and Maryland, such as Dean Oliver and Grant Billmeier.

Hunter at Indiana

The Indiana men's basketball team made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in three years last season. They were able to reach the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. According to KenPom, the team was the best defensive team in the Big Ten.

The team was able to lead the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense. It was second in the league in blocked shots. Three of the team's players were also named to the post-season All-Big Ten team.

Hunter has received praises for his work in developing Indiana's players such as All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis. He also helped other players improve their skills, including Armaan Franklin and Xavier Johnson.

Assistant coach full of experience

Hunter came to Indiana after working for former head coach Archie Miller. He then stayed under Mike Woodson during the transition to the new head coach. He played a vital role in the team's first NCAA Tournament appearance in three years. According to 247 sports, Hunter was instrumental in Indiana's recruiting class of 2022, one of the country's best.

After working as an assistant coach in Connecticut for two seasons, Hunter moved to Indiana. During his time with the Huskies, he helped develop players such as Akok Akok and Josh Carlton, both named to the American Athletic Conference's Most Improved Player award. He also helped the team land two of the country's best recruiting classes.

Hunter became the head coach of the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team. He has experience working with various programs, including Duke, Duquesne, and Georgetown. Hunter has been a part of 12 teams that have made the NCAA Tournament.

Hunter spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Nebraska before coaching UConn, where he helped develop players such as Shavon Shields and Terran Petteway, in addition to helping the program reach the NCAA Tournament in his first season as an assistant coach. Under Hunter, Petteway was an All-Big Ten performer in 2013 and 2014, finishing his career with over 1,500 points and 600 rebounds.

Before coming to Nebraska, Hunter was a part of the Georgetown staff for six seasons. The team won multiple Big East titles and made numerous trips to the NCAA Tournament. He was credited for helping develop players such as Roy Hibbert and Otto Porter Jr.

Hunter was also on the staff at Xavier, where they had back-to-back 20-win seasons. They also made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2007.

Hunter grew up in Arlington, Virginia. He played both basketball and football at Wakefield High School. He then went to Duquesne University, where he played point guard for four years. Hunter started his coaching career at the Division I level when he was an assistant coach at his alma mater.