New Haven boys basketball star Manny Hunter follows mentor to Wayne CCCD

In the end, Manny Hunter couldn't pass up a chance to play for his mentor. 

The New Haven boys basketball star committed to Wayne County Community College District last weekend. 

The recent Rockets graduate originally committed to Macomb Community College in May after the Monarchs hired former Roseville coach Hassan Nizam to lead the program. Nizam wasted no time in sending scholarship offers out to some of the best players in the Detroit and Macomb areas, including Hunter. 

Hunter jumped on the opportunity because of his past relationship with Nizam. However, shortly after committing, Wayne hired assistant Terrell Polk, Hunter's mentor, and then the Wildcats soon offered the 6-foot-4, 180-pound small forward. 

"It was a tough choice to make," Hunter told the Times Herald on Thursday night. "It was really tough because me and Coach Niz also have a great relationship, and I hate to tell people no, especially since I had already committed. Me and him are still on good terms, and he stills looks out for me. Everything is still fine between us."

Polk was one of the first coaches to believe Hunter could be a talented player.

Hunter met Polk at one of Greg Kelser's youth basketball camps over a half-decade ago. Polk took an interest in Hunter and followed him throughout his high school career, which originally started with Hunter playing at Dakota before transferring to New Haven for his final two seasons.

"Wayne's just a better fit for me, and I like it a lot better, especially with Coach Polk there," Hunter said. "He's helped me out a lot, and he's kept in touch with me since that camp. He's always watched me and touched based with me. He would also help me interact with different schools (colleges) and get different looks. I knew when he got the job at Wayne that I wanted to play with him and be by his side."

Hunter will commute each day from his home in northern Macomb to downtown Detroit while playing for the Wildcats. His goal is to catch on with a four-year school and, hopefully, earn a full scholarship while doing so. 

He averaged 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists while helping the Rockets claim a Division 2 district championship this past winter. 

"Emmanuel's size and strength, at 6-4 playing the guard position, created matchup problems for a lot of teams with his ability to shoot the 3-point shot, take you off the dribble and score efficiently in the paint," New Haven coach Tedaro France said. "Watching his growth and maturity over the last two years, not just as a basketball player but as a young man, has been a blessing. 

"Emmanuel is a hard-working, high-character young man who also excels in the classroom. Emmanuel is going to have great success at the college level, and I am excited to see him begin his next chapter."

Earlier this summer, Brent Wiles, Hunter's teammate at New Haven, joined Jackson Community College's basketball team. 

Brandon Folsom is the sports reporter at the Times Herald. Do you have a story idea? Email him at bfolsom@gannett.com. Click here to follow him on Twitter.