Hunter Amon Sallis (born March 26, 2003) is an American college basketball player for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He previously played for the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Hunter Sallis
Sallis with Gonzaga in 2021
No. 23 – Wake Forest Demon Deacons
PositionShooting guard
LeagueAtlantic Coast Conference
Personal information
Born (2003-03-26) March 26, 2003 (age 21)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolMillard North
(Omaha, Nebraska)
College
Career highlights and awards

High school career edit

Sallis did not start on his middle school basketball team but earned a spot on the varsity team as a freshman at Millard North High School in Omaha, Nebraska.[1] He was nicknamed "Bambi" due to his lack of coordination at the time.[2] As a senior, Sallis averaged 22.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, leading Millard North to its first Class A state title in 2021.[3][4] He finished with 1,819 career points, the third-most in Class A history, behind only Andre Woolridge and Erick Strickland.[5] He was named to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.[6] Additionally, he was named the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year.[7]

Recruiting edit

Sallis was rated a five-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports, and a four-star recruit by Rivals. He was the first five-star basketball recruit in Nebraska history.[8] On March 26, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for Gonzaga over offers from North Carolina and Creighton.[9] He became the highest-ranked recruit in program history until Chet Holmgren committed a month later.[10]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Hunter Sallis
PG
Omaha, NE Millard North (NE) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Mar 26, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 93
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 36  247Sports: 9  ESPN: 16
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Gonzaga 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  • "2021 Gonzaga Bulldogs Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 9, 2021.

College career edit

Gonzaga (2021–2023) edit

Sallis averaged 4.3 points, 2.0 rebounds per game as a freshman.[11] As a sophomore, Sallis averaged 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.[12]

Wake Forest (2023–present) edit

After two seasons at Gonzaga, he transferred to Wake Forest.[13] On November 29, 2023, Sallis scored 24 points and 4 assists in a 82-71 win against Florida.[14] On December 30, 2023, Sallis scored 20 points and 9 rebounds in a 86-63 victory over Virginia Tech.[15] On January 2, 2024, Sallis scored 21 points and 3 assists in a 84-78 win over Boston College.[16] On January 13, 2024, Sallis scored 21 points and 9 rebounds in a 66-47 win against Virginia.[17] On February 3, 2024, Sallis had 24 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds in a 99-70 win over Syracuse.[18] On February 10, 2024, Sallis scored a career-high 33 points and 6 rebounds in a 83-79 victory against NC State.[19] On February 24, 2024, Sallis scored 29 points and 6 rebounds in a 83-79 win over Duke.[20] On February 26, 2024, Sallis earned Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) player of the week honors after averaging 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.[21]

Career statistics edit

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College edit

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Gonzaga 32 0 13.6 .564 .263 .708 2.0 .6 .6 .2 4.3
2022–23 Gonzaga 37 0 16.8 .466 .256 .780 2.2 1.4 .6 .2 4.5
Career 69 0 15.3 .509 .258 .754 2.1 1.0 .6 .2 4.4

Personal life edit

Sallis' mother, Jessica Haynes, led Omaha Central High School to two Nebraska Class A state basketball titles and played for San Diego State at the college level.[22] Haynes' cousins include professional basketball players James Harden and Ron Boone.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Grace, Erin (March 8, 2020). "As Hunter Sallis learns to fly, the Millard North star is on an upward trajectory in the hoops world". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  2. ^ Bennett, Brian (August 28, 2020). "Recruiting notebook: The offers are pouring in for late bloomer Hunter Sallis". The Athletic. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  3. ^ Roberts, Ben (March 26, 2021). "Five-star point guard Hunter Sallis picks Gonzaga. So what's next for Kentucky?". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  4. ^ Powell, Ron (March 13, 2021). "Class A boys: 'We've had redemption on our minds ever since' — Sallis, Johnson lead Millard North to first state title". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  5. ^ Pospisil, Stu (April 4, 2021). "Meet the 2021 All-Nebraska boys basketball team". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  6. ^ Kendeigh, Andy (February 23, 2021). "Hunter Sallis named McDonald's High School All-American". KETV. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "Hunter Sallis 2020 - 2021 Boys Basketball Player of the Year". playeroftheyear.gatorade.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Paniagua, Hunter (February 4, 2021). "Millard North's Hunter Sallis a semifinalist for national player of the year". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  9. ^ Meehan, Jim (March 26, 2021). "5-star guard Hunter Sallis commits to Gonzaga, becomes highest-rated recruit in program history". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  10. ^ "Hunter Sallis, 5-star guard, becomes highest-ranked recruit in Gonzaga history". The Athletic. March 26, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  11. ^ McGavic, Matthew (April 7, 2023). "Report: Louisville Showing Interest in Gonzaga Transfer Hunter Sallis". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  12. ^ "Hunter Sallis – 2022-23 Men's Basketball Roster". Gonzaga Bulldogs. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  13. ^ "Former Gonzaga guard Hunter Sallis transfers to Wake Forest: How he fits with the program". The Athletic. April 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  14. ^ "Sallis scores 24 points, Carr 22 and Wake Forest pulls away late to top Florida in ACC/SEC Challenge". ESPN.com. November 29, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  15. ^ "Sallis scores 20, leads Wake Forest over Virginia Tech 86-63". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 30, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  16. ^ "Andrew Carr makes a 3-pointer with 11.5 seconds left to help Wake Forest beat Boston College 84-78". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 2, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  17. ^ "Sallis scores 21 points to lead Wake Forest past Virginia 66-47". ESPN. January 12, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  18. ^ "Sallis scores 24, white-hot Wake Forest beats Orange 99-70". ESPN. February 3, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  19. ^ Thayer, Essex (February 10, 2024). "Wake Forest grits out revenge win over NC State". Blogger So Dear. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  20. ^ "Wake Forest edges No.8 Duke 83-79, Court storming leaves Filipowski shaken up". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 24, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  21. ^ "WF's Sallis, ND's Burton Claim ACC Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". Atlantic Coast Conference. February 26, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  22. ^ Biga, Leo Adam (March 12, 2020). "Basketball legacy binds legend, Jessica Haynes, and her basketball star, Hunter Sallis". NOISE Omaha. Retrieved April 2, 2021.

External links edit