The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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22 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN illiam Brown fielded t h e sa m e q u e s t i o n from multiple Divi- sion I coaches who stopped by Southern Union State Commu- nity College to recruit Marcus Hill, a 6-foot-4 guard with a knack for getting to the rim. "Is he a one or a two guard?" they'd ask Brown, head coach of the Bison. Those visitors weren't sure if he was able to pass the ball at a high enough clip to play point guard, and some wor- ried he was too small to play as a D-I shooting guard. But that didn't matter to Brown. He knew what he had in Hill, an old- school guard who could score points in bunches. Hill could get to his spots on the court in a hurry to knock down an old-fashioned midrange jumper — a shot that has seemingly evaporated from the sport — while also finishing at the rim with either hand. Those skills convinced Brown that Hill's dream of playing at the highest level of college basketball was a real possibility. Hill earned third-team All-America honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association following his sophomore campaign at Southern Union State, a season in which he led the nation with 780 total points (25.2 per game) on 49.7 percent shooting. If the game was ever in doubt, Brown knew who to get the ball to. "I trusted his work," Brown said. "When you see a kid working like that daily, it's not hard for you to put the ball in his hands. He was that type of kid that you just wanted the ball in his hands, because you saw him do it every day in practice." That strategy paid off. Hill, who scored in double figures in each of his 30 games during that sopho- more season, was off to Bowling Green. And it was during his tenure with the Falcons that he not only proved he could hang with D-I talent, but that he was worthy of playing in an even tougher league than the Mid-American Confer- ence. Whatever Is Needed A Rockford, Ill., native, Hill earned first-team All-MAC recognition after averaging 20.5 points per game with 31 double-figure scoring performances. That caught NC State coach Kevin Ke- atts' eye in the transfer portal, so the Wolfpack nabbed Hill's services to reload its roster for the 2024-25 cam- paign. Hill has remained a bucket-getter for the Pack. He was averaging a team-best 12.5 points per game, along with 4 re- bounds and 2 assists, through his first 21 outings in Raleigh. Finding his stride in the first half of the season, Hill posted 12 consecutive double-digit scoring ef- forts, including a season-best 23 points in the Pack's 84-74 overtime win over Florida State on Dec. 7. Keatts has been gratified by Hill's progress. "He is a competitor," the coach said. "I like the way he's gotten bet- ter throughout the year. I think, at one point, he was trying to figure out how to score against a more athletic guy than what he played in his conference. I think he's figured it out." Even though he took a step up in the level of competition, that didn't seem to deter Hill from doing what he does best: driving to the rim. It doesn't matter if there's a 7-foot ACC post player in his way, Hill will slash through the lane to score — either with an acrobatic layup or a midrange jumper. He's unafraid. Or as Hill describes it, he's playing with his "heart." "I feel like that's what our team needs," he said. "So, that's what I'll do." Confident In His Game During scrimmages last summer, Hill's new teammates began seeing W DRIVEN TO SUCCEED 'Throwback' Guard Marcus Hill Emerges As NC State's Scoring Leader