He will have 2 years of eligibility, because he was a medical redshirt as a freshman.
To his credit, Luke earned his diploma before departing Evanston.
When Hunger committed to Chris Collins and Northwestern in November of 2021, he was the only recruit in that class and was generally considered a good prospect, having chosen NU over Pitt, Mississippi and Boston College.
He came in as a perimeter-oriented big guy, despite his heavy frame and his lower body strength. He never really picked up the inside game that many expected from him at Northwestern, in part because he was limited vertically and wasn't particularly quick. He couldn't score over most Big Ten post defenders. He was generally not a good low post defender for the same reasons, but did have a knack for offensive rebounding. His perimeter shooting never became an asset. He always played hard and remained engaged in the game. However, Hunger's lack of development at NU was very disappointing.
Some thought Hunger was a natural power forward, or a player who slotted between the 4 and 5. That sort of physique can perform effectively at the 5 in the Atlantic 10, where the centers are not as big or athletic.
It will be unfortunate for NU fans if Collins is unable to replace Hunger via the transfer portal and ends up playing a true freshman (or two) for major minutes at the 5 - or if the backup center is a transfer who isn't as good as Hunger. It seems to me that Hunger would have stayed if he only had 1 year of eligibility and hadn't earned his degree, but expectations are high for incoming Cade Bennerman, so Hunger's minutes two years from now looked very limited at NU. The timing made sense to leave.
To his credit, Luke earned his diploma before departing Evanston.
When Hunger committed to Chris Collins and Northwestern in November of 2021, he was the only recruit in that class and was generally considered a good prospect, having chosen NU over Pitt, Mississippi and Boston College.
He came in as a perimeter-oriented big guy, despite his heavy frame and his lower body strength. He never really picked up the inside game that many expected from him at Northwestern, in part because he was limited vertically and wasn't particularly quick. He couldn't score over most Big Ten post defenders. He was generally not a good low post defender for the same reasons, but did have a knack for offensive rebounding. His perimeter shooting never became an asset. He always played hard and remained engaged in the game. However, Hunger's lack of development at NU was very disappointing.
Some thought Hunger was a natural power forward, or a player who slotted between the 4 and 5. That sort of physique can perform effectively at the 5 in the Atlantic 10, where the centers are not as big or athletic.
It will be unfortunate for NU fans if Collins is unable to replace Hunger via the transfer portal and ends up playing a true freshman (or two) for major minutes at the 5 - or if the backup center is a transfer who isn't as good as Hunger. It seems to me that Hunger would have stayed if he only had 1 year of eligibility and hadn't earned his degree, but expectations are high for incoming Cade Bennerman, so Hunger's minutes two years from now looked very limited at NU. The timing made sense to leave.
