A Montgomery County high school student has been named a finalist for a prestigious national basketball award after raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl following the death of his brother last year.
Walt Whitman High School senior Hunter Hausman was selected as one of 10 finalists for the award. He was secretly nominated by Chris Lun, his coach, for being a steady voice of reason to high schoolers who may be at risk of buying Percocet.
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WATCH HERE"With Hunter's whole situation and the work he has done, raising awareness of the fentanyl situation, I think it fit him perfectly," Lun said.
Hausman's brother, Landon, died of an accidental fentanyl overdose after returning from a basketball game in January 2022. He was 16 years old.
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SIGN UP Hausman testified before a federal grand jury as part of the prosecution of the dealer now indicted for selling counterfeit Percocet to his brother.
A 24-year-old Silver Spring man faces federal charges for distributing fentanyl to Landen Hausman, according to the Department of Justice.
The Hausman brothers both played on Walt Whitman's basketball team.
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The Naismith High School Basketball Courage Award is the only award that honors players' efforts on and off the court, celebrating courage among students. The award is named after James Naismith, the man credited with inventing basketball.
The two winners of the award will be announced on March 7.
