SHOOTING STAR: Hun School boys’ basketball player Mac Kelly puts up a shot in a game last season. Senior guard Kelly figures to be a key offensive threat this winter for Hun. The Raiders were slated to tip off their 2023-24 campaign by hosting Compass Basketball Academy on November 28 and then playing at the Haverford School (Pa.) on November 30. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It is early but Jon Stone is sensing that his Hun School boys’ basketball team could grow into something special.

“The vibe has been really good, we clearly have a lot of things to work on but we have been getting there,” said Hun head coach Stone, whose team went 14-13 last winter and was slated to tip off its 2023-24 campaign by hosting Compass Basketball Academy on November 28 and then playing at the Haverford School (Pa.) on November 30. “The guys have been working hard, the energy has been good.”

Senior guard Mac Kelly is bringing plenty of energy to the court for the Raiders.

“Mac is looking great, he is the only returning starter from last year’s team,” said Stone. “He can certainly score. He continues to improve and get other people involved. His feet defensively are really, really strong as well.”

Joining Kelly in the backcourt will be sophomore Sage Mateo, senior Matt Land, senior Derrick Melvin, and senior Sam Wright.

“Sage is going to be in the rotation for sure; he is going to play a lot if he doesn’t start, he is a 6’2, 6’3 guard,” said Stone, noting that juniors Jasai Vargas and Mismi Iroka along with sophomore Eshan Kulkarni will also see some time at guard.

“Matt will certainly give us shooting power. Derrick didn’t play last year, but has progressed greatly. He has played two years ago on the JV team, he has really, really worked hard this summer. Just the other day, he hit eight 3-pointers in a scrimmage. Sam will certainly be one of our main guards as well.”

In Stone’s view, junior A.J. Mickens could emerge as the X factor for Hun this fall.

“A.J. does a little bit of everything for us, you can call him a guard, you can call him a forward, you can call him a wing,” said Stone. “He is going to be one of our main guys the year. He has really progressed well. He has got size, he has got length, he has got versatility. He is really playing well.”

The pair of junior Drae Tyme and senior Giorgos Xoxakos should give the Raiders some good work in the paint.

“Drae returns to us; he is from the football team and is looking terrific,” said Stone. “He has got size, he has got speed and he has got energy. He is a terrific rebounder and a terrific passer. Giorgos is from Greece, he is really steady and consistent. The word I would use to describe him the best is efficient. He shoots at a high percentage and he takes good shots. He is a really good passer and is a good rebounder. He is pretty versatile for a 6’6 guy, as most of the Europeans are.”

Two other football players, senior Markus Brown and sophomore Luke Wafle, will provide some depth in the frontcourt.

“Then we have Markus, he played football; he is new to Hun this year, he is from Rumson,” said Stone. “He might be 6’7 — he is pretty long and a great athlete. He is going to Penn for football. He is pretty aggressive. Luke is another football player. He is really athletic and versatile and is similar to Drae that way. He has got a terrific first step offensively and he can really rebound. He is a big body defensively.”

In order to have a terrific season, Hun will need to keep building team unity and utilize its athleticism and versatility.

“We seem to have a better chemistry than maybe we have had in the past, it has been good so far,” said Stone. “We are going to be a lot smaller than we have been in the past. It is bunch of 6’5, 6’6 guys but I think we certainly have the ability to rebound. We are going to be a lot quicker than we have been because of that. We do have a lot of guys who can shoot the three and we have a lot of interchangeable parts.”