College Hoops Video

Jordan Hill is one of those players that you just have to sit back and smile about. Why? Simple. Here is a young man who wasn’t recruited very heavily out of high school, even though he was 6ft 10in. tall, just due to the fact he hadn’t been involved in organized basketball for that many years. When he signed on with Arizona State most thought he would be a so called “project”. Needless to say, he proved his critics wrong. And now, Jordan Hill, through hard work and dedication has put himself into a position to make millions in the upcoming 2009 NBA Draft.

Jordan Hill’s Collegiate Career at Arizona

When you look at Hill’s 3 years as an Arizona Wildcat, what stands out in most observers eyes is the consistent and at times dramatic improvement from season to season.  Hill’s sheer athleticism and work ethic garnered him an average of 14 minutes a game in his debut season. As his first season was winding down, Hill began showing the Wildcat fans a preview of things to come by blocking 18 shots in the last 14 games of the campaign. It was during his sophomore year that people finally started to take notice of Hill. He doubled his minutes to over 28 per game. He tripled his scoring average to over 12ppg and he continued to develop into an even better shot blocker. His season was so outstanding that many felt he would declare for the NBA Draft as a sophomore, but he didn’t. It was his junior year that really put him into a national spotlight. During the 2008-2009 campaign, Hill averaged over 34 minutes a game and was the considered to be the Wildcats “go to” player. Hill ended the season with an 18.1ppg scoring average and this young man still has room to blossom even further as a professional.

Jordan Hill’s 2009 NBA Draft Prospects

Although Hill played both power forward and at times center in college, there is a consensus among NBA scouts that Hill will be a better power forward for whatever NBA team picks him in the upcoming 2009 NBA Draft.

His strengths include a nice turnaround jumper, explosive quickness on the inside, tough and physical, and he has shown the potential to develop into a dominating shot blocker. His body could use a bit more bulk to withstand the long NBA season, but that should come as he matures even more.  Do not be surprised if Hill ends up being chosen within the first 5 players taken in the upcoming draft.

Refs:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=31643

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jordan-Hill-1222/

http://www.arizonaathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/hill_jordan00.html

http://www.collegehoopsvideo.com/2009/06/complete-2009-nba-mock-draft-rounds-1-and-2/

Arizona Wildcats

Arizona finished the 2008-09 basketball season at 21-14, 9-9 in the PAC-10 and squeaked by to get into the 2009 NCAA tournament. New head coach, Sean Miller, has been able to salvage a decent 2009 recruiting class with getting small forward prospect, Solomon Hill to re-commit to Arizona. With Nic Wise returning for the 2009-10 season, Hill and Wise with give the Wildcats a hard-to-match 1-2 combo in the starting lineup next season. Coach Miller was also able to land big man, Kyryl Natyazhko and forward Kevin Parrom to round out his 2009 NCAA recruiting class for next season to try and help the Wildcats get into the NCAA tournament a bit easier than last seasons last minute bid!

2009 Arizona Wildcat Recruits

#1 – 2009 Arizona Wildcat Recruit – SF – Solomon Hill
Ht: 6′6″
Wt: 195lbs
Rank: 27

Solomon Hill is the cornerstone of the 2009 Arizona Wildcat recruiting class. He’s able to drive to the basket and beat defenders off of the dribble. Hill is considered more of a Point Forward than a Small Forward by most that have seen him play. He’s also very unselfish with the ball which combined with his already high basketball IQ will likely make Hill a starter in the 2009-10 NCAA season.

#2 – 2009 Arizona Wildcat Recruit -  C – Kyryl Natyazhko
Ht: 6′10″
Wt: 250lbs
Rank: 81

Kyryl Natyazhko is a Ukraine national who has been playing basketball in the United States for about a year. He’s very versatile for his size and brings a good mid-range jumper to the Wildcats to complement his excellent post play. His main area for improvement is on the defensive end where his shot blocking capability needs work.

#3 – 2009 Arizona Wildcat Recruit – SF – Kevin Parrom
Ht: 6′6″
Wt: 200lbs
Rank: 122

Kevin Parrom has great athleticism and is able to get to the rim quickly. He’s show the ability to be able to take hits and still score. His ball handling needs some work and his mid-range jumper is considered a bit weak at this point o fhis career. Defensiviely, Parrom has demonstrated an excellent ability to get into passing lanes and create steals.