Wednesday, Jul. 09, 2008

Former Coyote excites Tarleton Texans’ coaching staff

By Joey Roberts

Tarleton State Sports

The Tarleton Texans have added another important piece to the 2008-09 recruiting puzzle with the signing of Fort Worth native Cortney Hill to play for the men’s basketball team next season. Hill, a 5-11, 175-pound guard, will transfer to Tarleton after playing two seasons at Weatherford College. He went to WC after playing varsity basketball at Fort Worth’s Dunbar High School.

"Cortney comes from a very solid program at Weatherford College," said Tarleton head coach Lonn Reisman. "I have had the opportunity to see him play on several occasions, and we are getting a very good basketball player."

Hill averaged 16.7 points per game his freshman season at WC and was selected to play in the Jerry Mullens Top 120, a jamboree of top junior college players in the country. He was a first team all-conference selection as a freshman and scored 35 points against Grayson County CC. He also scored 22 points against eventual national champion Midland College in his first collegiate season.

During his second collegiate campaign, Hill helped his squad to a 24-6 record, losing to eventual national champion South Plains in the regional semifinal matchup. He averaged 10.2 points, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Among Division I junior colleges, Hill ranks 17th in assists per game, 24th in three-point field goal percentage (.386) and 25th in steals per game. He scored 25 points against Oklahoma Baptist last season (hitting 10 of 14 field goals) and 23 points against Southwest Christian CC. Hill was also a repeat first team all-conference selection.

"Cortney brings us a very experienced basketball player with great athletic ability," Reisman said. "He has the ability to play more than one position and the ability to be an excellent defensive player."

Signing with a school close to home was important for Hill, but having a chance to win was also a factor in signing with the Texans.

"I chose Tarleton because it’s such a great program and because it is close to home where I have a lot of support," Hill said. "My goal is to win a championship, and I think playing for Tarleton will provide an opportunity to achieve that."

Associate Head Coach Chris Riesman said he, too, is thrilled to have the guard on the Tarleton roster.

"Our program is very excited to add Cortney," the younger Reisman said. "He’s got a great feel for the game, and he’s extremely quick and changes speeds well in the open floor. He’s a proven scorer, shoots the ball well, and he really has the ability to break down the defense to create for himself or his teammates."

Hill, the son of Cortney Hill, Sr. and Trenia Price, will major in education.