The story of Nate Dunlop is an interesting tale that ultimately dates back to two years ago, when he absolutely dominated at our SC 150 camp and placed himself firmly on the radar. We saw, wrote, and appreciate Dunlop prior to this point in time but that individual showing reaffirmed his abilities. He played for noteworthy teams, such as the Georgia Stars, but was in one of the smallest, least-recruited high school leagues in the region at Augusta Christian. Would his career/recruitment have gone differently if he were somewhere like Dorman' Absolutely. However, Dunlop learned how to carry the load while putting up unbelievable numbers across the board. He averaged at least 23.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG in each of his three seasons at Augusta Christian and became arguably the most productive player in the school’s history.
After collecting scholarship offers from American, Navy, Salem, and UNCP, Dunlop decided to take his talents elsewhere. It’s easy to understand his decision to attend Hargrave Military Academy, as they’ve put forth an undeniably impressive track record over the last twenty-plus years. Coaching icons like Kevin Keatts (NC State) and A.W. Hamilton (Eastern Kentucky) established a winning culture and paved the way for their current coach, Lee Martin, to follow directly in suit. Although Dunlop wasn’t the star of this team, he learned how to coexist and find his place alongside a bevvy of high-level players. He carved out his role and eventually earned his final offer from Lincoln Memorial.
Dunlop joins a team that went 24-6 and had twelve players from North Carolina last season, which makes the paring seem like a perfect fit. He’s a tweener forward from the same mold as freshman Jace McKenny, with eye-popping athleticism, perimeter shooting, and the ability to exploit mismatches with his blossoming versatility. It might take some time for Dunlop to get acclimated but it wouldn’t be far-fetched to believe that he could earn some early playing time with this group.