Following his junior season in which he averaged 23.8 points and shot 44% from three-point range, Hill verbally committed to Illinois and former head coach Bruce Weber on September 12, 2011.[1] Prior to verbally committing, Hill listed Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio State, Providence, UCLA, Xavier, and Wisconsin as the other schools he had considered.[2]
During his senior season, Hill broke his previous single season scoring mark he set during his junior season increasing his scoring total from 666 points to 708 total points.[3] He averaged 25.3 points, 6.1 rebounds 2.3 steals and 1.9 blocks during his final year at Belleville, and also finished in third place for Mr. Illinois Basketball voting, finishing behind Simeon's Jabari Parker and Whitney Young's Jahlil Okafor.[4]
After head coach John Groce was hired on March 29, 2012, Hill reaffirmed his verbal commitment to Illinois, and officially signed his National Letter of Intent on November 14, 2012.[5][6]
Hill made his first start, along with fellow freshman Kendrick Nunn, for the Fighting Illini on February 9, 2014, against Penn State, scoring 11 points and helping the team end an 8-game losing streak.[7][8]
On January 7, 2015, Hill scored a career-high 28 points as a sophomore to lead the Fighting Illini to a win at home against 11th-ranked Maryland when Illinois' leading scorer Rayvonte Rice was sidelined with a broken hand.[9][10]
As a junior, Hill was named one of ten finalists for the 2016 Jerry West Award which is awarded by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the best collegiate shooting guard in the United States.[11] In a double-overtime loss to Penn State at the end of the 2015–16 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season, Hill set another career high scoring 39 points. Hill's 39 points were the most since Brandon Paul scored 43 points against Ohio State in 2012 and the seventh most points scored by an Illini player in program history.[12] Following his junior season, Hill became the only Illinois basketball player to record 600 points, 200 rebounds and 100 assists in a single season.[13] On November 13, 2016, Hill bested that career mark with 40 points in a 79–64 victory over Northern Kentucky.[14] Following his senior season, Hill was invited to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which is held annually in Portsmouth, Virginia to showcase college basketball's best seniors.
On August 16, 2019, Hill signed with BC Astana of the Kazakhstan Championship,[21] where he averaged 20.2 points, 4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Hill joined House of 'Paign, a team composed primarily of Illinois alumni in The Basketball Tournament 2020. He scored 14 points and had four rebounds in a 76–53 win over War Tampa in the first round.[22]
On October 9, 2021, Hill signed with the New Orleans Pelicans.[24] However, he was waived on October 12.[25] On October 25, he signed with the Birmingham Squadron as an affiliate player.[26] In 14 games, he averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.6 minutes per game.[27]
Atlanta Hawks (2021–2022)
On December 22, 2021, Hill signed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks.[27] In his 3 appearances, he averaged 5.7 points, 2 rebounds and 0.3 assist in 15.3 minutes per game.
On September 7, 2022, Hill re-signed with the Bulls on a new two-way contract.[30] On February 21, 2023, he was waived by the Bulls.[31]
New Orleans Pelicans / Return to Birmingham (2023–2024)
On February 24, 2023, Hill was re-acquired by the Birmingham Squadron.[32] On September 30, he signed with the New Orleans Pelicans,[33] but was waived on October 22.[34] Eight days later, he re-signed with Birmingham.[35]
On January 27, 2024, Hill signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, but didn't play for them[36] and on February 8, he returned to Birmingham.[37] On February 22, he signed a two-way contract with the Pelicans[38] and on October 21, he was waived by the Pelicans.[39]
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hill moved with his family to a nearby Metro East suburb Belleville, Illinois when he was four years old. Up until fifth grade, Hill also played soccer and baseball, but chose to focus on basketball. Hill's father, Malcolm, played NCAA Division II basketball for UMSL Tritons during the early 1990s.[42]
During the summer of 2012, Hill was diagnosed with Thoracic outlet syndrome, and underwent surgery to repair the blood clot in his upper right arm. Hill took several months to recover from the operation and made a full recovery.[42]
Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi "Emeka" Okafor is an American former professional basketball player. Okafor attended Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas and the University of Connecticut, where in 2004 he won a national championship. In his first season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2004–05, Okafor played for the Charlotte Bobcats and was named Rookie of the Year. He was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in 2009 and was then dealt to the Washington Wizards in 2012. However, a herniated disc in his neck caused Okafor to miss four consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2017 before being medically cleared to play.
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