Riverdale resident is UofT basketball’s all-time leading scorer

Hill surpassed the former Varsity Blues’ record total of 1,269 points compiled by Dave West in a post-secondary career that ended nearly half a century ago in 1965.

"It’s an honour. It’s kind of overwhelming because I wasn’t really thinking about it and, now, as my dad put it to me, not only is it a 50-year record, but the school’s been around for almost 200 years..." he said in a phone interview.

In his final year of university ball, Hill has ramped up his game, averaging 26.1 points per game – which is currently tops in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and second best in the country after a dozen games.

He’s improved his point total every year from 18.1 last season, 15.9 in 2011 and 14.9 in 2010. He kicked off his first year of university basketball in the United States.

"I think this summer I really focused a lot more on my diet and my training. I was in the gym probably six hours a day either lifting weights, conditioning or playing basketball," he said.

While his half-decade university hoops career is fast drawing to a close, he makes it clear he’s not ready to hang up his well used sneakers.

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• Dec 31, 1969
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"Hopefully, barring any injuries, I’ll have an opportunity to play professionally over in Europe. That’s the goal right now," he said

"So after the season’s done I’ll probably take a few weeks off and then see where my options are and start training again."

Europe is littered with professional leagues and Hill said he’ll literally go anywhere to play: "I have no preference."

About the only downside to his final year of school ball, he conceded, has been his team’s struggle to put up wins of which the Varsity Blues only boasts two in their first 12 games.

"It’s actually been kind of weird with all the congratulatory stuff and then when we look at our record and then it’s not that great," he said.

"It’s hard, it puts a strain on things. Because first and foremost I want to win games and especially this being my last year, I want to go out – we want to go out – on a high note...

"Hopefully we can turn it around a little bit and pick up some wins to finish the year."

After deciding to come back to Canada to play there was not much question he would suit up for the Varsity Blues. After all, father Sam played there and was an OUA all-star in 1985-86; and mother, Pam, was a member of the varsity track and field team and was the Canadian national triple jump champion in 1987.

Hill led his powerhouse Eastern Commerce Saints team in scoring in his senior year, averaging 14 points per game. The Saints earned a silver medal at the provincial high school championships, but when asked what his fondest highlight from high school was, he said, with a chuckle:

"I would say winning Toronto south (division) every year against Oakwood."

He also played club basketball for Scadding Court and Toronto Mission.

Like mother, like son, however, he also excelled at the triple jump, his highlight being a fourth place finish in midget triple jump at the 2006 provincial high school championships. He also finished sixth in triple jump at the Canadian junior national championships in both 2007 and 2008.

A multi-sport athlete, he also excelled at hockey as a youth:

"I was the captain of Ted Reeve Hockey when I was in Grade 6. I played single-A and then I played double-A for the Leaside Kings in Grade 7."

Hill’s rise to all-time scoring leader for the UofT gives east-enders a stranglehold on that honour for downtown Toronto universities.

Ryerson’s all-time leading scorer in basketball is East York born and raised Boris Bakovic, a grad of East York Collegiate. Bakovic is actually the highest scoring player in Canadian university basketball history.

Backovic played professionally in Bulgaria last year and France the previous year.