Huntley Invited to Participate In Portsmouth Invitational Tournament

BOONE, N.C. – App State Men’s Basketball graduate forward CJ Huntley has received an invitation to participate in the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (P.I.T.). The 2025 P.I.T. is set to take place from April 16-19 at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Va.
 
Huntley becomes the first player in program history to be invited to play in the tournament. He is one of two Sun Belt players to be invited to the P.I.T. (Obinna Anochili-Killen, Marshall) and one of 14 players from Mid-Major schools to partake in the event.  
 
“This is a tremendous honor for CJ and our program, and I am so proud of him,” Kerns said. “To be the first player in our program’s history to be invited to this prestigious event is a well-deserved accomplishment. It has been an honor to coach him over the last five years, and I wish him nothing but the best as he competes in the P.I.T.”
 
The Huntersville, N.C., native recently completed his fifth year with the Mountaineers and posted career highs across the board. He averaged career highs in scoring (15.7 points per game), rebounding (8.1 per game), 3-point field-goal percentage (35.9 percent) and assists (1.1 a game). Huntley was a second-team All-Sun Belt selection, marking his first career postseason honors. He finished the year with the seventh-best scoring average in the Sun Belt Conference, while also finishing sixth in rebounding.
 
Huntley posted a career-best nine 20-point games in 2024-25 and recorded a team-best 11 double-doubles. His 11 double-doubles were the third-most by a Sun Belt player this season. All 11 of his double-doubles came in league play. Additionally, the fifth-year forward closed his campaign by averaging 19.3 points a game and 9.6 rebounds over his final seven games.
 
He became the first Mountaineer since Marshall Phillips in 1998 to tally a 20-point, 15-rebound game after recording 21 points and a career-best 15 rebounds against Coastal Carolina on Jan. 8. He was also one of three players in the country to make four 3-pointers and grab 15 rebounds in the same game in 2024-25, doing so on Jan. 8 against the Chanticleers. Huntley finished his illustrious career in the Black and Gold with 1,324 points (22nd-most at App State), 153 games played (T-most at App State), 93 blocks (11th-most at App State) and three postseason appearances (2021 NCAA Tournament, 2022 Basketball Classic and 2024 NIT).
 
About the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
Every year since 1953, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament has invited 64 senior college basketball players from across the nation to compete before professional scouts. Eight teams of eight players play a 12-game tournament over 4 days, with each player hoping to reach their dreams of becoming a professional basketball player.
 
Over the years, the P.I.T. has welcomed players that are now household names, like Rick Barry, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Dave Cowens, Scottie Pippen, Tim Hardaway, Dennis Rodman, Jimmy Butler and more. Run by the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Foundation, the P.I.T. has gained a highly valued reputation with interest from college players stronger than ever. 
 
2025 P.I.T. Roster
Chris Youngblood, Alabama
CJ Huntley, App State
Johnell Davis, Arkansas
Jonas Adoo, Arkansas
Jonathan Pierre, Belmont
Tyson Degenhart, Boise State
Earl Timberlake, Bryant
Jahmyl Telfort, Butler
Chase Hunter, Clemson
Ian Schiefflin, Clemson
Viktor Lakin, Clemson
Steven Ashworth, Creighton
Nate Santos, Dayton
Ben Gregg, Gonzaga
Khalif Battle, Gonzaga
Nolan Hickman, Gonzaga
J’Wan Roberts, Houston
Oumar Ballo, Indiana
Curtis Jones, Iowa State
DaJuan Harris Jr., Kansas
Zeke Mayo, Kansas
David N’Guessan, Kansas State
Andrew Carr, Kentucky
Daniel Batcho, Louisiana Tech
Chucky Hepburn, Louisville
Terrence Edwards Jr., Louisville
Cam Carter, LSU
David Joplin, Marquette
Obinna Anochilli-Killen, Marshall
Julian Reese, Maryland
Matthew Cleveland, Miami
Cam Matthews, Mississippi State
Tamar Bates, Missouri
Kobe Sanders, Nevada
Nelly Junior Joseph, New Mexico
Jaemyn Brakefield, Ole Miss
Sean Pedulla, Ole Miss
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Sebastian Thomas, Rhode Island
Erik Reynolds II, Saint Joe’s
Augustas Marciulionis, Saint Mary’s
Mitchell Saxon, Saint Mary’s
Malik Thomas, San Francisco
Adama Bal, Santa Clara
Deivon Smith, St. John’s
Igor Milicic Jr., Tennessee
Jahmai Mashack, Tennessee
Jordan Gainey, Tennessee
Kadin Shedrick, Texas
Andy Garcia, Texas A&M
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
Chance McMillian, Texas Tech
Bent Leuchten, UC Irvine
Darius Johnson, UCF
Kobe Johnson, UCLA
Saint Thomas, USC
Gabe Madsen, Utah
Max Shulga, VCU
Wooga Poplar, Villanova
Cam Hildreth, Wake Forest
Great Osobor, Washington
Zach Freemantle, Xavier
Bez Mbeng, Yale
John Poulakidas, Yale

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