WINFIELD, Kan. - The 2025 summer, saw two of Southwestern College's standout basketball alumni—Cameron Hunt and Andrew O'Brien—returned to Stewart Field House to train with the current Moundbuilders.

For the coaches, the players, and the community, it was a vivid reminder of what makes Southwestern basketball special: a deep-rooted brotherhood that spans years, continents, and professional careers—and always finds its way back home.

Cameron Hunt's legacy from 2015 to 2019 is the stuff of program legend. The National Player of the Year in 2019, Hunt remains Southwestern's all-time leader in career points, points per game, and assists in a season, guiding the Builders to an impressive 104–31 record. A three-time NAIA All-American, three-time KCAC First Team selection, and 2019 KCAC Player of the Year, he set the bar for excellence at SC. Now competing professionally for Joventut Badalona in Spain—alongside greats like Ricky Rubio and Sam Dekker—Hunt could train anywhere. Yet this summer, he chose to return to Winfield—back where his journey began.

Andrew O'Brien's collegiate career from 2022 to 2024 made a different but equally compelling mark on Southwestern history. He became the program's career assists leader, and ranks second all-time in career rebounds and second in rebounds in a single season, helping the Builders to a 75–21 record. As a two-time KCAC Second Team honoree and KCAC All-Defensive Team selection, O'Brien embodied consistency and leadership. Now playing professionally in Germany for MLP Academics Heidelberg, currently on loan to Uni Baskets Münster, he's lined up alongside rising talents like Julian Larry, who played at the University of Texas, and Nick McMullen, who was one of the top rebounders in NCAA Division I last season.

For Head Coach Matt O'Brien and his staff, having two high-caliber pros back in the gym wasn't just motivational—it was a teaching moment. "When players who can train anywhere in the world choose to come back here, it says something about what we have," he said. "It's not just about basketball—it's about the relationships, the tradition, and the people who make Southwestern special."

For the current roster, working alongside Hunt and O'Brien—and seeing them interact with the coaching staff and community—offered an immediate, tangible blueprint of what success can look like. It was a lesson in the legacy that's rooted just as much in heart and community as in talent and stats.

In a sport where careers can take players far from home, Hunt and O'Brien's return was a powerful affirmation: the Southwestern brotherhood is more than a chapter in their lives; it's the foundation. No matter where the game takes them, Winfield will always be a place worth coming home to.