The University of Hawaii men’s basketball team has received a 2025 commitment from a 6-foot-6 point guard who competes on an elite basketball circuit for high school-aged players.

“It just felt like a family, it felt like home,” Hunter Carter said of his decision to join the Rainbow Warriors next summer. “That’s what really helped me make my decision.”

Since his freshman year, Carter played on teams from Oregon and Washington state that competed in the Elite Youth Basketball League. This past year, his team qualified for the Adidas national championship tournament in South Carolina. Carter said he embraces playing in front of large crowds and in meaningful situations.

“When the game’s on the line, I want to be the one who has the ball in his hands, and has an impact,” Carter said.

Carter grew up in Tacoma, Wash., with a passion for basketball. “Funny fact, my first word was ‘ball,’” Carter said. “I’d go around the house saying, ‘ball … ball … ball …’ to my dad, to my mom.”

Because he was one of the shorter players on his early youth teams, Carter developed ball-handling and shooting skills. Carter, who is right-handed, is equally adept on left-handed drives. “It’s just repetition,” he said. “I’ve been dribbling so long.”

From eighth grade through the start of his freshman year, Carter grew from 5-7 to 6-2. “Everywhere it was like, ‘what the heck?’” Carter said, “I’d go to a restaurant, I’d go to a local gym, everybody was like, ‘bro, that’s not you.’ It was crazy.”

To keep up, he started buying pants at thrift stores and shoes online. He then went from 6-2 to 6-4, and eventually to his current 6-6.

The past two academic years, he attended Accelerated Schools, a boarding school in Denver. “It helped me grow up a little bit,” Carter said.

This month, he transferred to Rosemary Anderson Prep in Portland. He lives with a host family. The school competes in the Grind Session, a winter circuit of elite high school basketball events.

Carter and his parents took a UH-sponsored recruiting trip in late August. They attended the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team’s five-set victory over SMU, then watched the UH football game against UCLA.

“Then we did an island tour,” he said. “It was amazing seeing all the beaches and some hiking spots and the views. It was amazing. We had great food. My family tied with Coach (Eran) Ganot’s family. That’s what made (Hawaii) stand out from all the rest. It’s so family oriented.”

Carter said he will put his commitment in writing on Nov. 13, the first day basketball prospects may sign national letters of intent.