Burlington's Hunnicutt not about personal records

Burlington Central guard Ray Hunnicutt will chase two significant achievements as the boys basketball season winds down, but he said this week the individual milestone he's flirting with would pale in comparison to the realization of an elusive team goal.

A fourth-year varsity guard, Hunnicutt has scored 1,399 career points. That's good for third on Central's list of all-time leading scorers behind 1995 graduate Gavin Schairer (1,504) and 2002 graduate Andrew Nolan (1,404).

If Hunnicutt continues to average his Fox Valley area-leading 17.6 points through 6 remaining regular-season games, he could tie or set the Central career scoring mark against Richmond-Burton on Senior Night, Feb. 24. If not, he'll likely pass Schairer in Central's Class 3A regional opener at Rochelle.

"It's a great honor if that were to happen, but I don't care what happens with me personally," said Hunnicutt, an 18-year old resident of unincorporated St. Charles. "Winning is the most important thing to me. Scoring, that comes and goes. That's my role on the team and I just play that role. If it happens to turn out that way, that would be awesome."

Those who know Central's captain well say his humility is no act. It's a genuine trait.

"I think that's one of the most special things about Ray he's one of the most humble people I've ever been around and he's just a really great person," third-year coach Brett Porto said. "I don't know how much he really likes the spotlight or talking to (reporters). He just really likes winning games.

"The record would be something nice for him to look back on, but I'm telling you he'd rather win conference and a regional championship more than any of those things."

Hunnicutt's preeminent goal, indeed, is to win a Class 3A regional championship at Burlington Central (12-9). "I need it. That's what I'm going for," he said. The Rockets have won 8 regional titles in program history but none since March of 2008, when their senior leader was still in eighth grade.

In fact, Hunnicutt has yet to experience a basketball postseason victory of any kind. The Rockets lost to Sycamore 74-67 in a regional play-in game when he was a freshman, they lost 66-61 to Sycamore when he was a sophomore, and they dropped a 75-52 decision to Crystal Lake Central in a regional semi last year.

"Every year we've gotten knocked out of the playoffs right away, but I want to go past that," said Hunnicutt, who has experienced 53 varsity victories and 48 defeats in three-plus seasons. "That's been the hurdle my whole career. I just want to get past that this year and continue on in the playoffs."

Hunnicutt's reputation preceded his arrival on Rocket Hill. At the recommendation of then-sophomore coach Porto in the summer of 2008, former Central head coach Chris Payne gave the freshman a shot at varsity ball during a summer-league shootout at Morris.

"The first thing that stuck out with him was how good a kid he was," Payne recalled. "He was respectful and worked very hard. Our plan wasn't to bring him up, but when we went to Morris he scored 20 points against a pretty good team in one of the first games he played. I remember saying to my assistant coach, Mike Malloy, 'Well, he made that decision easy.'"

Though Hunnicutt is 5-foot-10, he has thrived in the Big Northern Conference due to a naturally strong physique made stronger via weight training. He first hit the weight room as a sophomore when Porto instituted a new lifting program. He has gained muscle each season. Such strength allows Porto to use him defensively against taller players.

"Against Hampshire, I have Ray guard 6-foot-7 (Tyler) Watzlawick the whole game," Porto said. "And when Watzlawick goes out I have him guard the point guard. There are not too many kids around who have the athleticism and the will to do that. He goes into games knowing coach is going to put me on a 6-5 guy, but he finds a way and just runs with it. He's one of the most physically strong guards I've seen around."

Hunnicutt is being courted to play basketball by Augustana, but he'll soon have to make a choice between the sport he loves and baseball, a sport in which he excels. He hit .402 for the Burlington Central baseball team last spring with 9 doubles, a triple, 4 home runs, 34 RBI and 23 steals in 24 tries.

Hunnicutt has taken an unofficial baseball visit to Ohio University and has been offered by Ohio and Judson University. He said he won't make any decisions until after the basketball season concludes.

"I've talked to a lot of people and the majority say I should probably go to baseball because of my height, but I love the game of basketball," he said. "It's hard to give that up, so I'm not completely sure yet."

First things first. Hunnicutt and his teammates have some unfinished business on the hardwood. With his remaining high school basketball games dwindling to a precious few, he wonders where the time has gone.

"I just remember way back being a little freshman," Hunnicutt said with a laugh. "Now I'm the old guy. I don't understand how quick it went, but I plan to make the most of what's left."