SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Spurs recently exercised their option on former IUPUI standout George Hill's contract to keep him through the 2010-11 season. Hill led the Spurs in scoring during the preseason at 15.3 points per game and had nine points and four assists in the season-opening 113-96 win over New Orleans on Wednesday night.

The 2008 Summit League Player of the Year averaged 5.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game as a rookie and made seven starts in 77 games. Hill was thrust into a starting job early in his rookie campaign when All-Star point guard Tony Parker went down with an ankle injury.

A first round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Hill was immediately a fan favorite among Spurs fans and has been dubbed Gregg Popovich's favorite player this season by the longtime Spurs head coach.

Hill finished his IUPUI career with 1,619 points in three-plus seasons and was an Honorable Mention All-America selection his junior year. After declaring for early entry into the NBA Draft, he became the first draft pick to come out of The Summit League since 1998.