George Hill (article)

[lukeridenour]

IUPUI Jaguars - HILL PICKED 26TH OVERALL BY THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS


Hill selected by Spurs

Ed Holdaway, IUPUI Sports Information



INDIANAPOLIS - George Hill's lifelong dream became a reality on Thursday night when he was selected 26th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2008 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-2 guard declared for early entry in this year's draft after averaging 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season for the Jaguars, earning Summit League Player of the Year honors.

"It’s been a childhood dream," Hill said. “I’m excited to be going to a class organization like the Spurs. I worked out for them twice and really hit it off with (Gregg Popovich). They told me if I was there at 26, they’d take me.

“This was our goal from when the whole thing started, to be a first rounder. A lot of people doubted me, but that’s part of what motivated me the most.”

Watching the draft with friends and family from the clubhouse at the Auburn Hills Apartments, the former IUPUI standout was overcome with tears of joy after hearing NBA Commissioner David Stern make the announcement.

"I was just speechless," Hill said. “I didn’t even hear my full name called. Everyone around me just reacted.”

Hill becomes the first player in IUPUI's basketball history to be drafted and just the ninth in Summit League (formerly Mid-Continent Conference) to be chosen. He’s the first draft pick to come from the league since Valparaiso’s Bryce Drew in 1998 and is just the second-ever First Rounder in league history.

His resume at IUPUI leaves him ranked fourth on the program's all-time scoring list (1,619 points) and among the top 10 in rebounds, assists, steals, free throws made and field goals made. He earned two First Team All-Conference awards and was a member of the league's All-Newcomer Team in 2005.

"We're extremely excited for George tonight," IUPUI Head Coach Ron Hunter said. "This is something he and I have talked about for a long, long time and it's finally here. He's the best player I've ever coached and on top of that, he's one of the best kids I've ever been associated with.

"He's special and as much as we're going to miss him, they're going to love him in San Antonio."

While his on-court prowess had spoken for itself the past four years, the NBA puts players through a rigorous 'getting-to-know-you' process leading up to draft night. Since completing the four-day NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando in late May, Hill has conducted individual workouts for 16 teams, logging more air miles than hours sleep. Workouts vary from city to city with each team conducting different drills and asking different questions of each potential draftee.

"I've been living out of a suitcase for the last month and a half," Hill told The Indianapolis Star's Matt Baker.

Predicted by most pundits to be an early Second Round pick, Hill and his agent, Mike Whitaker from Reid Entertainment, will now be headed to Texas to meet members of the front office and media.

"I'm excited to get going," Hill said. "When you think Spurs, it's more than just (Tim) Duncan and Parker. Parker's a great guard, but they're a great organization. I'm excited to get to learn from some veterans like Mike Finley and Robert Horry.

"They're a class organization."

[lukeridenour]

another article:

Spurs go off the radar with Hill

Web Posted: 06/27/2008 12:20 AM CDT

Jeff McDonald
Express-News

When George Hill came to town to visit with Spurs officials for a pre-draft interview earlier this week, coach Gregg Popovich took him out for lunch with a local flair.

What Hill put in his gullet that day was definitely an acquired taste for the guard from Division-IAA IUPUI. Apparently, you can't get Tex-Mex, good or otherwise, in Indiana.

Hill wasn't quite ready to give his South Texas culinary experience two thumbs up, but he is willing to give it another shot.

“I think I could learn to like it,” Hill said.

What Hill is hoping now, after the Spurs made him the 26th pick of the first round in Thursday's NBA draft, is that San Antonio learns to like him.

A 6-foot-2 scorer who played both guard positions in college, Hill is projected as a point guard in the NBA. The Spurs expect him to compete with Jacque Vaughn for the backup position behind Tony Parker next season.

“He's a really solid player at both ends of the court,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I honestly believe he will make our team better right off the bat.”

Hill's selection marked the beginning of an unusually busy draft night for the Spurs, who had two second-round picks to use as well.

They spent the first on Slovenian guard Goran Dragic, then immediately swapped his rights to Phoenix for the rights to Malik Hairston, a 6-foot-6 forward from Oregon who the Suns had taken 48th. In the deal, the Spurs also netted Golden State's 2009 second round pick, which Phoenix also owned, and cash considerations.

With their final pick, the 57th overall, the Spurs took James Gist, a 6-8 forward from Maryland.

Popovich declared himself very pleased with the night's proceedings.

“The people we hoped to be there at all of our picks were there,” Popovich said.

They were particularly pleased to see Hill still lingering on the draft board at No. 26.

Hill, 22, is the first American born player the Spurs have drafted in the first round — and meant to keep for themselves — since 1997, when they took a senior from Wake Forest named Tim Duncan.

Their picks since were spent on a collection of foreign players and prospects drafted for other teams as part of pre-arranged deals. Hailing from a tiny college in the middle of a basketball hotbed, Hill might as well have come from the other side of the planet as well.

IUPUI — full name Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis — is a mid-major basketball school playing in the Summit League that, until Thursday, had never produced an NBA draftee.

Hill made averaged 21.5 points per game last season, earning Player of the Year honors in the Summit League for his efforts. The Spurs selected him over guards from bigger schools — like Kansas' Mario Chalmers and Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts — who were also on the board at the time.

Hill made his money at last month's pre-draft camp in Orlando, where he impressed scouts with his athleticism, defensive tenacity and basketball acumen.

“You couldn't tell if I was from IUPUI or Duke,” Hill said by phone from Indianapolis on Thursday. “I think I showed a lot.”

So good was Hill in Orlando that some in the Spurs' camp worried other teams might catch wind and steal him from out from under their noses.

“Nobody really knew who he was, and probably even now some people don't know who he is,” Popovich said. “A lot of people found out about him because of Orlando.”

When Houston took French forward Nicolas Batum at No. 25, there was much rejoicing in the Spurs' war room.

“I don't remember a draft since maybe Tony (in 2001) where we keyed in on a player or two, and they got there,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.

At about the same time the Spurs staff was exulting in San Antonio, there was also celebration in Indianapolis, where Hill was making school history in front of a collection of friends, family and fans.

“Everybody was speechless,” Hill said. “They can't believe a guy from this school has had this success.”

Now, Hill is champing at the bit to get to San Antonio. He'll need plenty of time to get adjusted to the Tex-Mex.

He — and his taste buds — can hardly wait.

“I was hoping I'd land a spot in San Antonio,” Hill said. “I feel like that's the perfect fit for me.”
MySA.com: MySanAntonio.com: Spurs

[Ballings7]

I definitely like George Hill a lot, it's just I thought we should of done better at #26.

I'm intrigued to see his game, and I like his personality.

They spent the first on Slovenian guard Goran Dragic, then immediately swapped his rights to Phoenix for the rights to Malik Hairston, a 6-foot-6 forward from Oregon who the Suns had taken 48th. In the deal, the Spurs also netted Golden State's 2009 second round pick, which Phoenix also owned, and cash considerations.

I really like that. I don't know much about Hairston but I think he's athletic.

[lukeridenour]

im glad the spurs got who they actually wanted in hill. i just hope they know something or see something in the this kid that the fans don't. suns want dragic to replace nash, if that was the case we might have been able to squeeze something else out of them.

[lukeridenour]

http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/draft_central08.html

interview with pop, hill, rc. seems like pop really likes all 3 of our picks, but he does mention that probably only 1 or 2 will be with us.

[jack_ketch]

Alright, I'm a visitor from the Knicks board, but more importantly a student at IUPUI. I got to follow George Hill's career and his amazing 07-08 season. Here is a couple points on Hill...

- Great team player, always did what was necessary to win. Scoring, passing, rebounding, defense. He was the best player on the court in every game they played last year...by far.

- Extremely focused and works as hard as anybody. Very humble coming up in a city that produced Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Eric Gordon, Josh McRoberts (Pacers), and Courtney Lee (Magic). He knows where he is, and where he needs to go.

- IUPUI should have been in the tournament no questions asked. The NIT committee told them they would be involved...and lied. They only lost 7 games last year, and if he returned for a senior year they would have easily won the conference and maybe done some damage in the tournament.

- George showed great loyalty to a great coach Ron Hunter to commit to IUPUI after being recruited early. Other more prestigious universities wanted George, but he stayed local and became the best player in IUPUI history. He would have broke almost every record had he returned for a senior year.

- Great handle. Hasn't run the point as much because he was needed to score, but no doubt that he can. Incredible shooter who shot over 50% for a guard that had to carry his team. One of the top rebounders in the conference as a guard. Deceptively strong for his size and works as hard as anybody. Tenacious on defense and suprisingly athletic.

He doesn't have elite NBA athleticism. But this isn't the Warriors, this is the Spurs. You play smart, tough nosed basketball. In Indiana there is no other way, and George Hill is the epitome of this style. I would believe Pop when he said Hill is the guy he wanted. He has a big mountain to climb and prove he belongs, but anybody who has watched him play believes he can do it.

I know this all may sound biased, but I think Hill is more well rounded than Eric Gordon right now. A lot of people around Indianapolis would agree.

Good luck next season. I'll have an eye on the Spurs and George Hill hoping for success.

[Ballings7]

Very good read, thanks

[HarlemHeat37]

definitely a great read, appreciate that post..

again, from what I've read, I don't doubt that Hill can be a good player, and even a GOOD ENOUGH backup next year..Parker does need a backup..I just thought we should have got a wing or a big man to cut some minutes from our aging frontcourt..

the positive is that there's obviously the possibility that the Spurs are going to acquire a wing or a big man that could help the team through free agency..if this is done, then the Hill pick looks much better than it does right now..

[Blame Rasho]

I hope I am wrong but I am disappointed given that I thought that there were better players and fits on the board.

[co_laper]

I agree. There were better players on board. I really wanted DeAndre Jordan. Other than the fact he could develop into the kind of defensive player we need next to Tim Duncan, we also needed a freak athlete on this team. And Parker could sure use a lob partner.