Reigning Summit League Player of the Year projected as second round pick
IUPUI'S HILL TO FOREGO SENIOR SEASON, REMAIN IN 2008 NBA DRAFT
Ed Holdaway, IUPUI Sports Information
6/14/2008 6:23:20 PM
INDIANAPOLIS - IUPUI basketball standout George Hill has opted to hire an agent and forego his senior year to remain in the 2008 NBA Draft. The reigning Summit League Player of the Year had until Monday to reach a decision.
"I’m excited," Hill said. "It’s been my dream to play in the NBA and this takes me one step closer to making that dream a reality."
Hill performed well at the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando and has had stellar individual workouts with various NBA teams since then. He is projected as a second round pick by numerous publications.
This past season, Hill averaged 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game on his way to Honorable Mention All-America honors. The 6-foot-2 guard shot 54.5 percent from the floor and a team-high 45 percent from three-point range, helping the Jaguars to a school record 26 wins. Defensively, he led IUPUI with 57 steals and averaged just under 37 minutes a night.
He led The Summit in double-doubles (9) and was a four-time conference Player of the Week in 2007-08. After earning a spot on the league’s All-Newcomer Team as a freshman, he was a two-time First Team All-Conference pick as a sophomore and junior.
Hill’s departure leaves senior guard Gary Patterson as the Jaguars’ top returning scorer at 12.9 points per game. He and junior-to-be Billy Pettiford started all 33 games this past season while 6-foot-7 junior Jon Avery chipped in 10.7 points per game off the bench.
The incoming recruiting class includes a pair of Indiana All-Stars in Larry Stone (Indianapolis, Ind./Howe) and Alex Young (Indianapolis, Ind./Northwest), a Kentucky All-Star in Aaron Morris (Richmond, Ky./Madison Central) and an Honorable Mention JUCO All-American in Robert Glenn (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis).
"We’re definitely excited for George," IUPUI Head Coach Ron Hunter said. "Selfishly, I would have loved to see him come back to school next season, but I’m behind him 100 percent. He and I have talked about him playing in the NBA for a long time, and now it’s going to happen for him.
"I have no doubt in my mind that he’s going to have a long, long, successful NBA career."
Hill concludes his IUPUI career with 1,619 points, ranking fifth on the program’s all-time list. In addition, he ranks among IUPUI’s top 10 all-time in rebounds, assists and steals.