We got another one!
The Pack picked up another commit from the transfer portal, guard Marcus Hill from Bowling Green. Hill hails from Rockford IL.
Marcus played two seasons at Southern Union State Community College leading the NJCAA in scoring and being named NJCAA 3rd team All-American the season before enrolling at Bowling Green.
He started all 34 games last season at point guard for the Falcons and seldom left the floor averaging 36.3 minutes per game, including logging 8 games with 40 or more minutes. He averaged 20.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.0 spg, and 2.6 TO. For the season he was the MAC 3rd leading scorer, played the 3rd most minutes, and had the 3rd most free throw attempts. He was named All-MAC First Team.
He was the dominant player for the Falcons, he was the leading scorer taking 28% of their shots (16.9 per game), he led them in assists, steals, and turnovers. He shot 28.9% from 3PT, taking 15% of his shots from behind the arc (2.6 attempts per game). He had season highs of 35 points, 7 assists, and 5 steals.
In a very interesting stat, Hill shot 74% from the stripe, and made more free throws (162-219) than anyone on the Wolfpack attempted. (Jaden Taylor led the Pack with 143 FT attempts.)
Takeaways from the highlight reel:
- Marcus Hill is a scorer! He attacks the basket, plays through contact, and is a one-on-one nightmare to defend. He has a strong mid-range jumper, and despite the weak 3PT shooting percentage for the season, his form on the outside jumper looked decent.
The staff is going to need to help him work on that assist / turnover number. Hill had 10 (of 32) games last season with 4 or more turnovers! But to be fair, Hill had the ball in his hands a lot for Bowling Green (30.5% usage www.barttorvik.com ), he took more than twice as many FGA (575) as the next closest player (282) on their team. (no one to pass to?) Going back through the archives, the last time Coach Keatts had a player average that many turnovers coupled with that assist/turnover ratio was … never. In 2018 & 2020 Markell Johnson averaged 3.2 & 3.3 turnovers per game but offset that with 7.3 & 6.8 assists. (No complaints!) Coach Keatts knows and can develop guards! In the staff we trust!
At 6’4” 185 lbs., he is the same height as, but a few pounds short of, Jayden Taylor. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Welcome to the Pack!