By Ben Dickison, Back Page Editor
“My head’s high. We brought Xavier back,” Xavier men’s basketball forward Jerome Hunter said to the media following Xavier’s loss to Texas in the 2023 Sweet Sixteen.
In head coach Sean Miller’s first season back at Xavier, the Musketeers had advanced to the Big East Championship game and their first NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons. At that point, Hunter professed an unwavering commitment to taking Xavier’s program to new heights the next season.
But Hunter’s aspirations would be halted by a series of health issues that have kept him out of the game until now.
Hunter was in the midst of growing his role on the team according to Miller on the “Sean Miller Podcast.” Miller quickly followed up those words with “and then…”
Miller was referring to the onslaught of chest pains Hunter began feeling during summer league play in late June 2023. Hunter suffered a heart attack, which he discovered after reporting his symptoms to his brother and then being urged by his mother, coaches and athletic trainer to seek medical help.
As Miller described, Hunter would’ve likely suffered heart attack symptoms during a team practice the day he was admitted to hospital care. Coach Adam Cohen and athletic trainer Connor Barnes helped Hunter get the medical attention he needed quickly after his symptoms first began.
Hunter navigated his recovery process from June through January, when he was cleared to return to full-contact basketball activity. He was set to be an impact player and fan favorite in his final season of college basketball, which had been delayed to the 2024-25 season as he completed his recovery. “And then…”
On Feb. 5, 2024, just weeks after returning to full contact basketball activities, Hunter tore his Achilles tendon in practice.
“The things I endure for this sport is crazy. But I love it. God has a plan and one day this will all be for something,” Hunter wrote in a post on X, breaking the news.
After the 2023-24 season was full of setbacks for Jerome Hunter, he is now ready to take to the court for his final season of collegiate basketball.
Now, eight months after the tear, Hunter is about to step back on the floor at Cintas Center for one last ride. He has been practicing fully since late September and is fresh off of a 10-point performance in Xavier’s win over the Dayton Flyers. The 98-74 Musketeer victory was the first chance for the Xavier faithful to see Hunter in action since the 2023 Sweet Sixteen game.
Hunter remembers that game against the Longhorns as a marker for depth in a college basketball roster.
“I remember we all were gassed. We only really had five guys that year, nobody off the bench. And then Texas had a whole new five coming off the bench. I was like, oh, so that’s what can happen,” Hunter said.
That 2022-23 Xavier squad, which sported the 11th highest-scoring offense in the country, lost forward Zach Freemantle for the end of conference play and postseason play due to a foot injury. Freemantle injured the same foot before the 2023-24 season, leaving Xavier with the need to engage in stopgap recruiting during the offseason to fill his and Hunter’s places in the front court. Last year’s front court rotation all came and went; now, Hunter feels like he holds a spot on one of the deepest rosters in college basketball.
“We have an older team. Coach Miller made sure he got himself an older team,” Hunter said. “We’ve got guys who have been through the grind.”
Hunter sees potential in this team to reach heights unseen even by the 2022-23 squad, affirming the importance of buying into the seven new transfers on this year’s roster.
“The most important thing is that we all trust Coach Miller,” Hunter said. “(All of our transfers) were the best players on their teams. So now, I have to make sure they’re learning to win together.”
Hunter is continuing to build his leadership skills through the basketball program, but also feels he has made leaps in skill development over the course of his rehab. Hunter expressed his dedication to improving his three-point shot. He has not been able to excel from beyond the arc in his Xavier career thus far, shooting just over 20%. However, he appreciates Miller’s openness to growth.
“With Coach Miller, it’s all about you,” Hunter said. “If you want to shoot threes, show that you can do it in practice.”
Hunter said this year’s team mantra, “ALL IN,” can be attributed to the consensus among the players that Miller and his staff will not put them in a position to fail.
Hunter has had many trials laid before him during his Xavier career, but he is now ready to return to the court and play in his final season of collegiate basketball. As the Xavier Nation anticipates the return of Hunter, he is ready to meet the moment.
“All my injuries are in the past. I’m so thankful for the support I’ve had along the way. It’s time to win,” he said.