PORTSMOUTH, VA (WTKR)- The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament brings 64 of the top senior college basketball players from all across the country to Churchland High School. That includes a few familiar faces to hoops fans in the commonwealth.
One of them is Hunter Cattoor. The Virginia Tech guard is suiting up for the Jani-King team during the four day event and took the floor for the tournament's first game Wednesday night.
"Just come out here and compete, do what I do best," Cattoor said of his hopes for the PIT. "Just trying to go out here and have fun, win games with these teammates and just compete."
The Hokies guard scored nine points and pulled down five rebounds in his squad's 85-79 opening victory, knocking down a couple of three-pointers to go along with three free throws. While he missed a few shots he hoped would have fallen, Cattoor impacted the game away from the scoring column as well, coming up with three steals, dishing out three assists and playing strong defense.
"I felt good," he said of his performance. "Obviously had some shots that I felt should have went down that didn't, but that's part of the game. You've got to affect the game in other areas, whether that's on the defensive end or getting assists."
The guard caught plenty of eyes as a senior in Blacksburg. He led Virginia Tech in three-point shooting (40.5 percent) and averaged 13.5 points per game.
Now Cattoor is working at showcasing his skills while getting used to working with new teammates at the same time. The Virginia Tech standout is connecting with seven other players, all from different college programs, but he says things are coming together nicely on that front.
"I think we've jelled well," he noted. "With our meetings together and our practices, I feel like we have good camaraderie and it really helped us out there today."
So what will the future hold for Cattoor? This week's tournament features scouts from every NBA team as well as overseas organizations, so he has a chance to make a good impression that can positively impact his future. Right now, however, the Hokie is focused on what's directly in front of him.
"Honestly, I'm just going out there day-by-day," he said. "I can't look into the future. I can control what I can control and just handle this tournament first, get the feedback that I get and then go from there."
Cattoor and his Jani-King teammates are back in action in the winners bracket Friday at 7:00 PM. For more information on the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, including schedules, rosters and ticket information, click here.
