Hun’s Hilliard improved all-around skill
By: Bob Nuse
Idris Hilliard had a very good first season for the Hun School boys’ basketball team when he arrived as a sophomore a year ago.
But he was determined to make his junior year even better.
"I thought I got better this year and improved in a lot of different aspects of the game," said Hilliard, now a junior at Hun. "My outside game was much better. I also felt like I got stronger and had a better understanding of the game from having been out there last year."
After averaging a team-high 11.1 points a game as a sophomore, Hilliard improved to a team-high 16.8 points a game this season. But even more than his improved scoring, Hilliard made an impact on other areas of the court for the Raiders.
"I think he has developed into a more well-rounded player," said Hun coach Jonathan Stone. "Last year he was more of an inside player. This year, he was still able to do that, but he had also developed the other areas of his game. He worked a lot on his outside shot and handling the ball. He was more of an all-around player this year."
His all-around play helped the Raiders to a 17-9 record and a share of the regular-season title in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League. He also established himself as someone who will be one of the top players in the state as a senior next year.
Idris Hilliard is the Princeton Packet Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year.
"I think last year he came in as a sophomore and deferred to some of the older players," Stone said. "They were guys that had been around and he was the new kid, so he sat back and he learned from those guys. We talked about him being more of a leader this year. He was elected a captain and I think that showed that the other kids saw him as a leader.
"He’s a very unselfish kid and this year we had a lot of kids that were unselfish. I think part of that was because of the way Idris is as a player. The other kids see how unselfish he is and it rubs off on the rest of the team."
Hilliard wanted to make sure his game was more well-rounded this season, so in the off-season he spent his time working on areas that might have been perceived as a weakness.
"Whenever I picked up a ball I would focus on my ball-handling and I also worked a lot on my outside shot," said Hilliard, who scored a season-high 26 points in a win over Lutheran of North Carolina. "I knew that I had to get better in those areas and I think I did improve there. Whenever I would play pickup games in the fall, I would never post up. I always just worked on handling the ball and also on my outside shooting."
Stone was able to see the progress Hilliard made, and used that to the Raiders’ advantage during the season.
"That was one of the things we emphasized in every game," the Hun coach said. "We wanted to be able to do all kinds of things. I think Idris was even more of a threat this year because of the different things he was able to do. That was something that we really talked about.
"This year he really stepped up to the challenge of being the main guy. He was able to do that. This year for sure and also next year, he goes into every game as a marked man. The other team gears their defense around him. But he was able to handle that."
Hilliard noticed the difference as well. And he accepted the added responsibility that came with being a team leader. He also had to deal with knowing that every team the Raiders faced set up their defense with stopping him as the primary objective.
"It was different this year because our team was different," said Hilliard, a Roselle resident who missed two games this season with an injury. "I had teams that would double team and triple team me. So I had to look for the open man and try to get the ball to the right spot. I knew that each game I had to get ready for whatever the defense would try to do against me.
"It’s nice to know that the other coaches think you’re a good enough player that they have to do that on defense. But it can also be frustrating. Overall, I was real comfortable this year. I came in last year and everything was pretty new to me. But this year coming into the season, I felt like I had to be more of a leader and help the younger guys like Lance (Goulbourne) and Kenny (Ross)."
The Raiders used a lineup that often included a freshman (Ross), and a pair of sophomores (Goulbourne and Matt Florio). Even as a junior, Hilliard was counted on to be the leader of the group. He’ll have the same role next year. And Stone feels like the player that takes the court next year will be even better than the one that made so much progress this year.
"Being a junior, he still has a long way to go," Stone said. "We feel like he has still not reached his potential as a player. We’re looking forward to watching him progress and elevate his game as a player."
And next year, Hilliard hopes the Hun team takes the next step and winds up winning some championships to go along with its stellar record. The Raiders won 16 games last year and 17 this year. Now, Hilliard would like to add a tournament title to those wins.
"We were pretty young this year and we did well," said Hilliard, who scored at least 20 points in seven of his games this season. "But I think at the end of the year we still wanted to do better, especially in the MAPL tournament. After we had beaten Blair twice in the regular season, it was tough to lose to them in the MAPL and then in the prep tournament.
"I really like playing the MAPL games. When you’re on the road, the crowds are always pretty vocal and into the games. And the same is true when we’re home. We have real good fans and it makes the games a lot of fun to play."
And Idris Hilliard makes them fun for the Raiders, who are glad to have him on their side.