Desperate for depth at the point next season, Ohio State is bringing in freshman juco transfer P.J. Hill to help Jamar Butler run the offense. The move comes as somewhat of a surprise however there's no question the Buckeyes are thin at the PG spot. According to The Dispatch, Buckeye assistant coach John Groce watched Hill play just last weekend at a juco camp in Tulsa.
I haven't uncovered much info on the 6'2", 165 pounder but I can share that he helped lead his Midland College Chaparral basketball team to the 2007 NJCAA Championship. On the season, Hill averaged 6.6 pts, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Hill went the juco route after not receiving a D-1 scholarship offer out of high school. It's hard to imagine Hill having a huge impact but it's worth a flyer to bring him in to bridge the gap to PG Noopy Crater's arrival in 2008. The move also keeps Matta from possibly having to play Evan Turner out of position as a PG backup versus his natural spot on the wing. It's worth noting that if Matta was willing to give up a scholarship in '08 and '09 for a juco transfer then he must see something in Hill.
Comments
did matta recruit foster? i was thinking that was obrien
You are absolutely correct, doug...O'brien was here when Je'kel decided to come to OSU...my bad. Matta was hired in the summer of '04 so Je'kel never played for o'brien but did commit to him versus matta.
As not to mislead anyone who doesnt read the comments, I edited the incorrect info.
This is a good move for Matta, I think he may actually have 10 players in practice this year. I wonder how good we can be, when we don't need managers to suit up and go 5 on 5. Do we have 10 scholarship players this year?
P.J is a lightning quick guard with great speed. He is very good in transition. If the buckeyes are going to play a fast pace style of basketball, he's your man.
OSU YOU SHOULD BE VERY EXITED ABOUT MY BROTHER PJ HILL, HE IS AN EXPLOSIVE GUARD…HE WASN’T A HUGE SCORER IN HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE BECAUSE HE IS AS UNSELFISH AS THEY COME… HE COULD HAVE EASILY GONE TO A HORRIBLE HIGH SCHOOL AND AVERGED 30 A GAME… BUT HE IS A WINNER SO HE WENT TO A SCHOOL THAT WAS STACKED AT EVERY POSITION JUST SO HE COULD WIN…OSU YOU CAN EXPECT BIG THINGS FROM PJ RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE HE IS JUST AS GOOD OFFENSIVELY AS CONLEY AND DEFENSIVELY HE CAN LOCK UP ANYONE IN THE NCAA
[...] final newcomer, juco transfer P.J. Hill, played 16 frantic minutes at the PG spot finishing with 4 points and 3 [...]
[...] but will be crucial defensively in Big Ten play. Hill must limit his turnovers this year, but he is a winner and should improve quickly as his comfort level [...]
P.J. comes from a fine tradition of Basketball Players, His Father Paul is extremely knowledgeable with the game and he taught his son and daughters well. His Mother is very supportive and grounded and she helped keep the kids on track. They were taught the game well at a very early age and they all have an excellent work ethic. P.J. will do very well with this squad both offensively and defensively.
Look for Great things from him.