Aug. 27, 2001

LAS VEGAS - Demetrius Hunter has transferred to UNLV from Georgetown University, men's basketball head coach Charlie Spoonhour announced Monday.

The 6-2 junior guard has enrolled in classes at UNLV and will not be eligible to play during the 2001-02 season because of NCAA transfer rules. He will be permitted to practice with this year's team and be a non-scholarship player.

Hunter will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2001-02 season and will become a scholarship student-athlete for the 2002-03 year.

"I recruited Demetrius when I was coaching before so I am very familiar with him," Spoonhour said. "I liked him very much as a player and as a person then and when I saw him the other day, I was reminded of what an excellent young man he is.

"He is a proven player and is exactly what we need in our program. Anytime you can get a local player of his caliber, you feel exceptionally fortunate. It can impact your program in so many positive ways."

Hunter graduated from Las Vegas' Cheyenne High School in 1999 before attending Georgetown. He played for the Hoyas for two seasons.

Hunter averaged 9.2 points per game as a sophomore last season, starting all 33 games as GU went 25-8 and advanced to the NCAA West Regional semifinals. He scored a career-high 21 points last year on Feb. 24 against Syracuse, led the team in scoring four times and had 18 games in which he scored 10 or more points.

Hunter shot 43 percent from the field last season and led the Hoyas in 3-point percentage at 38.9. He was third on the team in points with 305, second in minutes with 817 and second in assists with 72.

As a freshman, Hunter averaged 6.0 points per game, starting 12 of 34 games.