McDonald: Spurs Rookie Goes Home To Face Pacers

[duncan228]

Spurs rookie goes home to face Pacers (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_rookie_goes_home_to_face_Pacers.html)
Jeff McDonald

INDIANAPOLIS — Not long ago, Ron Hunter found himself in another living room, making another sales pitch, trying to convince another 17-year-old basketball recruit why he should spend the next four years of his life at a school the kid probably never heard of.

Hunter, the head coach at little-known IUPUI in Indianapolis, was wrapping up his spiel when the recruit's father spoke up.

“Didn't you used to have that guy with the San Antonio Spurs?” he asked.

“They had heard of George Hill,” Hunter recalls. “Because of that, we now have a chance to sign the kid.”

For IUPUI, Hill's rookie season has been the gift that keeps on giving.

Born and raised in Indianapolis, Hill returns to his old stomping grounds tonight when the Spurs face Indiana at Conseco Fieldhouse, three blocks from his college campus.

Hill's homecoming is all the rage at IUPUI (full name: Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis).

“I'm looking forward to coming back,” Hill said. “I'm hoping a lot of people are looking forward to me coming home.”

Until recently, Indianapolis was the only home Hill had ever known. Before moving to San Antonio, he had never lived outside the Indianapolis city limits.

Hill was a schoolboy star at Broad Ripple High, though his exploits were often obscured by a 7-foot behemoth named Greg Oden across town.

After graduation, Hill stayed to play at IUPUI, in part to be near his dying grandfather. There were other reasons, too.

“I wanted to go to a place that didn't already have a name,” Hill said. “I wanted to build my own tradition.”

Hunter, out on the recruiting trail, should send Hill a thank-you card.

Hill averaged 21.5 points per game as a junior, earned Summit League MVP honors, and then entered the NBA draft in June, when the Spurs made him the 26th overall pick.

Even though he's gone, Hill is still big news in his little corner of Indianapolis. His photo still graces the IUPUI Web site.

The school boasts among its alumni a former U.S. Vice President (Dan Quayle, class of 1974). Before Hill came along, however, it had never produced an NBA player.

“I've watched more NBA games this season than the past 20 years combined,” Hunter said. “I bought the NBA package so I could watch George.”

What Hunter has seen from Hill has been a typical NBA rookie season, full of highs and lows.

An off-guard in college, Hill struggled to morph into an NBA point guard. He seemed to thrive after Spurs coach Gregg Popovich moved him to backup shooting guard, but has earned a “DNP-Coach's decision” in two of the past four games.

Hill still might find a place in Popovich's playoff rotation.

Popovich loves two things about his rookie guard — his defense and his demeanor.

He showed off both early in his Spurs career, when he was asked to defend Chris Paul in a preseason game. Another snapshot came March 12, when Popovich assigned Hill to cover Kobe Bryant on the most important possession of the game.

Bryant drilled a shot over him, but even the reigning league MVP had to admit Hill had acquitted himself well.

“He just has a great way about him as far as not being intimidated about things,” Popovich said. “It was easy to see he was someone who could contribute.”

Hill considers his rookie season to be just the first course in his basketball education.

“The first thing I learned was that basketball was a job,” Hill said. “You just go out there and do your job.”

Hunter recalls another moment with Hill, this one not long ago. The coach was in San Antonio for a visit, and met up with his former pupil for lunch.

“The bill came, and he said, ‘Coach, I got this,'” Hunter said. “That's when I knew things had changed for Mr. Hill.”

Hill, the gift that keeps on giving, picked up the tab.

[SenorSpur]

What does it matter? Hill probably wont play anyway. Especially now that he's been relegated to the 3rd or 4th backup PG slot.

[timvp]

Yeah, I just can't wait for Jacque Vaughn to sprint to the scorer's table. :sleep

[Borosai]

His family and friends will get a really good view of Georgie if they can get close enough to the bench.

[duncan228]

From the Indy Star.

George Hill "an inspiration to the community" (http://www.indystar.com/article/20090403/SPORTS04/904030338/1088/SPORTS04)
George Hill's climb from IPS to IUPUI to the NBA shows what is possible
By Jeff Rabjohns

George Hill's story isn't simply about making it to the NBA against long odds.

He did accomplish that, coming out of Broad Ripple High School and IUPUI, a college barely on the national basketball landscape.

But Hill's journey is about something more.

Hill, who will play his first NBA game in his hometown tonight as a rookie with the San Antonio Spurs, has stamped himself as someone who is still very much a part of his neighborhood.

"He gives these young kids hope," said Mike Saunders, one of Hill's first coaches. "When these kids go to Municipal Gardens or Riverside Park, they see him in the gym with them.

"He goes to my godsons' games and he's cheering on everybody. He's giving speeches. He shows what's possible. He doesn't give them hope that you're going to be in the NBA; he tells them, if you do right, you'll go to college and you'll succeed in life."

When Hill takes the court tonight against the Indiana Pacers, his presence will be a celebration for an entire community.

He came out of the Indianapolis Public Schools system, where fewer than half the students who start high school graduate.

Hill and Northwest's Rodney Carney, a forward with the Minnesota Timberwolves, are the only two IPS graduates in the NBA.

"I'm very happy to be an IPS guy who has made it," Hill said. "It gives a lot of hope to city kids who may be overlooked to feel they can make it.

"Me and Rodney Carney, we make it 10 times better for a city kid who doesn't have a great background, who may not be from a great neighborhood. They can say, 'Hey, that kid made it, why can't I?' "

Hill started playing basketball and soccer at Tabernacle Presbyterian, a city church on 34th Street. Soon, he gravitated toward basketball.

" 'I got to play B-ball, Mom.' That's what he'd always say," said his mother, Tina Hill Woods. "It was always 'I gotta play B-ball.' "

Affable and gregarious even as a child, Hill assimilated to any situation.

When he joined a youth team coached by Saunders, Hill was a part of Saunders' family almost immediately.

"He was so polite and so respectful to his mom," Saunders said. "If you had a grandmother, she was George's grandmother, too. He called my grandma 'Nana' and my grandfather was 'Grandpa.' "

Hill wasn't one of those prodigies pegged as a future basketball star.

His first goal was modest: Make the Broad Ripple varsity as a freshman. He did that. Three years later, he led the state in scoring.

Still lightly recruited, Hill enrolled at IUPUI and became the school's first NBA draft pick. Even before the Spurs picked him, Hill was so popular on the mainly commuter campus that his coach, Ron Hunter, nicknamed him "Mr. IUPUI."

"I don't think there's a soul on campus who didn't know George," Hunter said. "He'd show up at soccer games. If there was a dance on campus, George was there.

"Our administrators loved him. Our faculty loved him, and he loves IUPUI. He's IUPUI's adopted son."

During one of Hill's first breaks from the NBA's day-to-day grind, he joined IUPUI on its trip to Oral Roberts University.

During Hill's first All-Star break, he came back to Indianapolis and threw a daylong party for the first-grade basketball team he sponsors.

"He came from an IPS school and nobody thought he'd make it, then with him going to a small college, people always said, 'Why'd he go there? He ain't going to the NBA from there,' " his mom said.

"He wanted to come out of IUPUI and make a name for IUPUI."

Out of IPS.

Out of IUPUI.

Hill pushed through all the doubters.

That's part of his story.

But don't be confused. It's not as if he's simply from the community. It's as if he's taking the community with him on the ride.

"When those kids see him on TV," Saunders said, "it's like, 'That's my brother playing. That's my friend playing.' They all feel like, 'My buddy has made it.' "

Hill file

• Born: May 4, 1986.

• High school: Graduated from Broad Ripple after leading state in scoring as a senior.

• College: Summit League Player of the Year as a junior at IUPUI. First member of his family to attend college.

• Personal: Sponsors a first-grade basketball team.

• NBA: Selected 26th by San Antonio in the 2008 NBA draft, the only first-round pick in IUPUI history and the second from the Summit League.

• IUPUI coach Ron Hunter: "When he first came for a visit, he told me he wanted to be an NBA player, which is no different than any other kid. But he put everything into it. I don't think George was one of those kids born to be an NBA player. He made himself into an NBA player."

George hill by the numbers

• High School: Averaged 36.2 points per game as a senior at Broad Ripple.

• College: Averaged 10.7 points as a freshman at IUPUI. As a redshirt junior, led the Jaguars in scoring (21.5), rebounding (6.8), assists (137), steals (57) and 3-point percentage (45.0). Scored in double figures 76 times, 20-plus 36 times and 30-plus seven times.

• Pro: San Antonio rookie is averaging 6.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Has played in 70 games with seven starts. Started the sixth game of his rookie season, scoring 12 points to go with five rebounds and one assist as the Spurs beat the Knicks 92-80.

[crc21209]

Hill > Vaughn by a TON.

[Cry Havoc]

Amazing how badly people are hating on Hill. The kid has a ton of upside and potential.

[kace]

Amazing how badly people are hating on Hill.

:bang what are you talking about ??

everyone keeps saying he should play more.

[polandprzem]

Good for Hill.

During a game he can go home and eat good dinner :tu

[angelbelow]

From the Indy Star.

George Hill "an inspiration to the community" (http://www.indystar.com/article/20090403/SPORTS04/904030338/1088/SPORTS04)
George Hill's climb from IPS to IUPUI to the NBA shows what is possible
By Jeff Rabjohns

George Hill's story isn't simply about making it to the NBA against long odds.

He did accomplish that, coming out of Broad Ripple High School and IUPUI, a college barely on the national basketball landscape.

But Hill's journey is about something more.

Hill, who will play his first NBA game in his hometown tonight as a rookie with the San Antonio Spurs, has stamped himself as someone who is still very much a part of his neighborhood.

"He gives these young kids hope," said Mike Saunders, one of Hill's first coaches. "When these kids go to Municipal Gardens or Riverside Park, they see him in the gym with them.

"He goes to my godsons' games and he's cheering on everybody. He's giving speeches. He shows what's possible. He doesn't give them hope that you're going to be in the NBA; he tells them, if you do right, you'll go to college and you'll succeed in life."

When Hill takes the court tonight against the Indiana Pacers, his presence will be a celebration for an entire community.

He came out of the Indianapolis Public Schools system, where fewer than half the students who start high school graduate.

Hill and Northwest's Rodney Carney, a forward with the Minnesota Timberwolves, are the only two IPS graduates in the NBA.

"I'm very happy to be an IPS guy who has made it," Hill said. "It gives a lot of hope to city kids who may be overlooked to feel they can make it.

"Me and Rodney Carney, we make it 10 times better for a city kid who doesn't have a great background, who may not be from a great neighborhood. They can say, 'Hey, that kid made it, why can't I?' "

Hill started playing basketball and soccer at Tabernacle Presbyterian, a city church on 34th Street. Soon, he gravitated toward basketball.

" 'I got to play B-ball, Mom.' That's what he'd always say," said his mother, Tina Hill Woods. "It was always 'I gotta play B-ball.' "

Affable and gregarious even as a child, Hill assimilated to any situation.

When he joined a youth team coached by Saunders, Hill was a part of Saunders' family almost immediately.

"He was so polite and so respectful to his mom," Saunders said. "If you had a grandmother, she was George's grandmother, too. He called my grandma 'Nana' and my grandfather was 'Grandpa.' "

Hill wasn't one of those prodigies pegged as a future basketball star.

His first goal was modest: Make the Broad Ripple varsity as a freshman. He did that. Three years later, he led the state in scoring.

Still lightly recruited, Hill enrolled at IUPUI and became the school's first NBA draft pick. Even before the Spurs picked him, Hill was so popular on the mainly commuter campus that his coach, Ron Hunter, nicknamed him "Mr. IUPUI."

"I don't think there's a soul on campus who didn't know George," Hunter said. "He'd show up at soccer games. If there was a dance on campus, George was there.

"Our administrators loved him. Our faculty loved him, and he loves IUPUI. He's IUPUI's adopted son."

During one of Hill's first breaks from the NBA's day-to-day grind, he joined IUPUI on its trip to Oral Roberts University.

During Hill's first All-Star break, he came back to Indianapolis and threw a daylong party for the first-grade basketball team he sponsors.

"He came from an IPS school and nobody thought he'd make it, then with him going to a small college, people always said, 'Why'd he go there? He ain't going to the NBA from there,' " his mom said.

"He wanted to come out of IUPUI and make a name for IUPUI."

Out of IPS.

Out of IUPUI.

Hill pushed through all the doubters.

That's part of his story.

But don't be confused. It's not as if he's simply from the community. It's as if he's taking the community with him on the ride.

"When those kids see him on TV," Saunders said, "it's like, 'That's my brother playing. That's my friend playing.' They all feel like, 'My buddy has made it.' "

Hill file

• Born: May 4, 1986.

• High school: Graduated from Broad Ripple after leading state in scoring as a senior.

• College: Summit League Player of the Year as a junior at IUPUI. First member of his family to attend college.

• Personal: Sponsors a first-grade basketball team.

• NBA: Selected 26th by San Antonio in the 2008 NBA draft, the only first-round pick in IUPUI history and the second from the Summit League.

• IUPUI coach Ron Hunter: "When he first came for a visit, he told me he wanted to be an NBA player, which is no different than any other kid. But he put everything into it. I don't think George was one of those kids born to be an NBA player. He made himself into an NBA player."

George hill by the numbers

• High School: Averaged 36.2 points per game as a senior at Broad Ripple.

• College: Averaged 10.7 points as a freshman at IUPUI. As a redshirt junior, led the Jaguars in scoring (21.5), rebounding (6.8), assists (137), steals (57) and 3-point percentage (45.0). Scored in double figures 76 times, 20-plus 36 times and 30-plus seven times.

• Pro: San Antonio rookie is averaging 6.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Has played in 70 games with seven starts. Started the sixth game of his rookie season, scoring 12 points to go with five rebounds and one assist as the Spurs beat the Knicks 92-80.

thats a nice article. always nice to read stuff like this.

[TDMVPDPOY]

ghill > pops fkn pg he wants him to be

ghill is the real deal...

[1Parker1]

Yeah, I just can't wait for Jacque Vaughn to sprint to the scorer's table. :sleep

Seriously...I don't get it. Pop praises Hill only to bench him in favor of...Vaughn??

[FTLSpur]

Yeah, I just can't wait for Jacque Vaughn to sprint to the scorer's table. :sleep
I have never read timvp so pessimistic :wow

[bdictjames]

I really hope Hill gets minutes at this game. Pop doesn't want to crush the whole crowd's feelings by not playing Hill at all, while alienating Hill at the process.

:lol

Soap opera thread.

[AussieFanKurt]

Hill is the mannn!

[FTLSpur]

IIRC on road games:

Bonner won the game vs the Celtics, he was at his home town
Mason won the game vs the Wizards, he was at his home town

:pop:... do you get what i'm saying?

[Flux451]

So much pessimism, how can yall so called fans shi* on your own players at the drop of a dime.

Great reads. I can't wait to watch Hill grow.

[silverblackfan]

I am hoping Hill will be playing backup PG for the rest of the season. Also Bruce will be back in the starting lineup. Up until now, Pop has been getting other players time on the court, just in case. Now it is time to solidify the lineups and get to business.

[Borosai]

ST needs to disable asterisks.

[timvp]

Amazing how badly people are hating on Hill. The kid has a ton of upside and potential.

Link?

[Dex]

Weird timing on this article. Unless Pop decides to throw Hill in for the hometown game, I think McDonald is now working on being preemptively wrong.

[SenorSpur]

Hill > Vaughn by a TON.

Someone should remind Pop of that. :bang

[Bulwark]

So much pessimism, how can yall so called fans shi* on your own players at the drop of a dime.

Great reads. I can't wait to watch Hill grow.

I'm not really getting that from this thread, but OK.

[Spurs Brazil]

I hope we'll see Hill as TP backup today

[lurker23]

I always love to read articles like this about Hill. Hard worker with the potential to be a great player. Small part of me holds out hope that he'll get the chance to contribute during the playoffs, but I think the light at the end of the tunnel is that next year he will lose the "rookie" label, and that in itself should give Pop a lot more confidence in him.

[Spursmania]

IIRC on road games:

Bonner won the game vs the Celtics, he was at his home town
Mason won the game vs the Wizards, he was at his home town

:pop:... do you get what i'm saying?

I bet you Pop lets him play a bit. He's going to unleash him in his hometown. I just wish he had been playing him more. He's going to be a great player someday. Hopefully he can contribute to the PO as well.

[sananspursfan21]

spurs need george hill!!!!

[Obstructed_View]

Spurs Rookie Goes Home To Watch Pacers Game From Bench With Bruce Bowen.

[amy020]

Poor Geoge has no chance to play.

[Capt Bringdown]

Pop's gone CEO on us. Confiscate his bonus and his wine cellar, he's f'ning up our team.

[Don Quixote]

Good for Hill.

During a game he can go home and eat good dinner :tu

Right. And NBA players eat only lousy food when they travel!! :rollin