Hunter Te Ratana Hunter Te Ratana 6'5" | SG Darrow | 2026 State NY is a Kiwi hailing from New Zealand, playing for Darrow School. He attacks closeouts with ferocity, catching the ball already in motion, and heads to the rim with reckless abandon. He’s a high energy consitstently impactful guard who can handle defend and initiate offense in sets. He hit the dagger three for Darrow school in this game and finished with an uber efficient 20 points.

Te Ratana is a constant impact player who finds ways to influence the game on both ends of the floor. His high motor stands out, allowing him to make winning plays through effort, activity, and toughness. He’s a talented player with the skill to score, facilitate, and defend multiple positions. Ratana’s consistency and competitiveness make him one of the most reliable contributors on his team.

Te Ratana looks a lot different for Darrow than he does for BABC. The 6-foot-5 wing is a little-things guy for BABC, but he takes on a larger offensive role for Darrow and shows some more of what he can do on the offensive end of the floor. He looks more advanced off the dribble than he did in the past; he’s able to make multiple dribble moves in small spaces and can use his quickness, agility, and athleticism to get by other wings. He always understands how to move without the ball and how to get his feet set for a shot, and he has one of the more pretty releases in the entire NEBL. Te Ratana is committed to Mercyhurst and should make an immediate impact for them next season.

Hunter impressed with his ruggedness scoring grown man points frequently. He is a good athlete who can play above the rim. He was able to convert shots from behind the arc an area that has been a calling card since he got to the states at the start of last school year. Hunter has a nose for getting into the paint. His frame allows him to eat up space and plays with a swagger and toughness about him. He has several division one offers and is tracking as a mid major prospect.

I love Te Ratana ability to play in a variety of situations. For BABC, he does all the little things, like flying around defensively, getting 50/50 balls, and rebounding aggressively on both ends. But with Darrow, he showed off some really impressive scoring chops in the mid range, and I was especially impressed with his fallaway shot off of one foot that he hit with tons of consistency. He also gets off the floor SO quickly and surprises everybody with his athleticism. Watch your head if he’s driving at you in the paint.

Te Ratana, a member of the 17U 3SSB squad, is a versatile wing out of the Darrow School in New York. A jack-of-all-trades out of New Zealand, he plays incredibly hard, gives up his body for the good of the team, and makes winning play after winning play for his squad. A high level athlete, he has a nose for the ball on the offensive glass, finishes plays through contact at the rim, and shows good footwork in and around the paint as a scorer. He can make plays for others off the bounce, is terrific in transition, and doesn’t need to have the ball in his hands to be impactful. Defensively, he’s a multi-positional defender that’s seemingly everywhere on the floor making plays, whether that’s blocking shots, rebounding, or taking on the toughest perimeter assignment.

This was my first time seeing Te Ratana and I was very impressed. Even in a setting where they won by 50, he was playing so hard and doing all of the little things consistently. He rebounds the ball very well for his size because of his incredible hops and toughness in the paint, and he attacks the paint with ferocity and strength on the offensive end. He’s got a beautiful stroke that looks clean and compact coming out of his hands. He’ll be a super important piece for this BABC 17U squad moving forward if I had to guess, and he should have a great year at Darrow next HS season.

No one on this list plays a bigger role for their team than Te Ratana, who’s frequently served as Darrow’s leading scorer this year since coming stateside from his native New Zealand. With prototypical size for his position and a high release to boot, his fluid stroke should translate seamlessly to the next level with his ability to run off screens and fire on-balance from deep range. Te Ratana has an aggressive mindset, coming out firing but also showing real punch attacking closeouts with some athleticism as a finisher at the rim. He brings a tough-nosed mindset to the defensive end as well. Having performed and produced consistently while acclimating to the American game, Te Ratana figures to break out on the recruiting scene once coaches see him on the Adidas circuit this spring and summer.

Te Ratana made an impact from behind the arc converting on 3 chances from deep. He makes plays on both ends of the floor. He ran the floor and was able to finish inside. He found a way to come up with rebounds and steals. Te Ratana does a good job of staying relevant in the game. He even made plays for others.

Te Ratana is a 3 point marksman who converted from deep early and often. He has good positional size for a guard and uses to overpower smaller opponents. He really knows how to play and has a high feel for the game. Te Ratana was in the right spots on the floor often and was active on the glass. He is a prospect who will see his fair share of colleges tracking him in the coming months.