NBA Draft Blog Interview with Jerome Hill

While seeing a player average a double-double in points and rebounds over a season isn’t all that unusual in college, it does raise some eyebrows when the player is 6’5. Gardner-Webb’s junior forward Jerome Hill did just that this past season, averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds, as well as over 2 assists, per game.

Hill’s impressive numbers weren’t limited to just Big South opponents. He scored 25 points on 12 of 17 shooting against two future NBA frontcourt players at LSU. Hill also had 13 points and 6 rebounds against Arizona, and 31 points and 9 rebounds against an improving Purdue team.

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After his big season, and helping the Bulldogs to their second 20-win season in the past three years, Hill decided to forgo his senior season and start his professional career.  As he prepares for this next step, Hill reflected on how the past few seasons matured him.

Hill’s time at Gardner-Webb taught him a lot about himself. “As a person, I grew closer to God,” said Hill. “I definitely became more of a people person than I was in high school.”

Hill’s growth continued on the court as well. “My game definitely expanded during my time in college,” said Hill. “I was recruited as a three, but I had to play more at the four. Because of that, I had to expand my post-game and how I played around the basket.”

After coming off his big season, Hill made the decision to forgo his senior season and turn pro, though he didn’t take it lightly. “First, I talked it over with my family, and my turning pro would help out a lot,” Hill explained. “Looking back at my play, my number kept improving each year, and I was ready to prove I could play at the next level. “

Hill also had the support of his team with his decision, specifically head coach Tim Craft. “Coach was behind the decision 100-percent,” said Hill. “He told me to give it my best shot and to keep God first.”

With his first opportunities to show pro teams what he can do coming up soon, Hill knows what parts of his game should be able to translate to the next level. “I think my ability to handle the ball and take defenders off the bounce will help me as a pro,” Hill said. “I think I’m going to have an opportunity to play loose at the next level when I move back to the two or three.”

Hill also knows that his game is still a work in progress, and some important areas still need work. “I’ve need to become more consistent with my three-point shooting,” explained Hill. “Plus, I want to work on becoming an even better ballhandler.”

Hill knows his college career was unusual in some ways, having to play as a 6’5 power forward, but he thinks it’s helped him in the long run. “It was a transition for me, and I had to work on playing stronger,” said Hill. “It helped the team win though, and once we started winning, it helped make it easier for me.”

He knows he needs team workouts to show what he can do, but Hill is confident that he can make a good impression. “Teams haven’t seen me play at the three, and while I did play out of position, I think it made me more versatile as a player,” said Hill. “I just want teams to know that I’m a hard worker who will bring it every day. I’ll be the first one in and the last one out. This is what I want to do.”

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