Quick Chat: Justin Hill

By John Frierson
Staff Writer

Justin Hill has basketball in his blood. The Georgia guard's mother, Donna, was an All-American at Virginia and a member of the ACC's 50th Anniversary Team, while his father, Keith, was an All-Big West player at New Mexico State. Winning a game of HORSE at the Hill household wouldn't be easy.

A 6-foot junior guard from Houston, Texas, Hill played for two seasons at Longwood in Farmville, Va., before transferring to Georgia. During his two seasons with the Lancers of the Big South Conference, Hill played in 58 games and averaged 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Last season, he helped Longwood to a 26-7 record and led the team in scoring (14.2) and assists (4.2).

During a recent Quick Chat, just a few days before the Bulldogs opened their season, Hill talked about joining a team loaded with new players and a new coaching staff, his favorite Halloween candy, his first dunk, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:

Frierson: What has the transition to Georgia been like for you?

Hill: It's been fun, really. We've got a lot of different personalities on the team, a lot of different emotions, we've got a lot of competitors, and it's fun every day in practice — I look forward to practice. Normally, in the years before, you didn't really look forward to practice, but practices here are fun.

Seeing those guys every day, I like where I chose to go to school and play.

Frierson: How did you get started in basketball? Did you play a bunch of different sports when you were younger?

Hill: It has really just been basketball my whole life. I've grown up in a basketball environment, in a basketball family, so no football or anything like that. It's just been basketball, mainly.

Frierson: What is the basketball scene like in Houston?

Hill: There's a lot of talent in Houston. Texas is a big place, Houston is a big place, so I think that's great, but it also means that so many different areas, I don't think, get seen (by coaches and recruiters). There's a lot of talent around Houston, for sure.

Frierson: Were you a big Rockets fan when you were young?

Hill: Not growing up, but the past few years I was, when James Harden and them were there. I really wanted to see them do something, but hey, you know how that went [laughs].

Frierson: Who was your favorite player while you were growing up? Was there someone you tried to model your game after?

Hill: When I was young, probably Dwyane Wade, and then it got to Derrick Rose — I liked those two players a lot. I just liked how aggressive they are; they're not the biggest players, but they make a big difference on the court.

Frierson: Speaking of not being the biggest, you're listed at 6 feet tall. Can you dunk? Do you remember your first dunk?

Hill: My first dunk in a game was probably my freshman year (of high school), probably around AAU time. It was something light, nothing too crazy. Off of two feet, one hand, at the end of a fast break.

Frierson: As a guy that never came close to dunking, I've always wanted to know what it felt like. Does it feel as satisfying as I think it would be?

Hill: Yeah, it does. [Laughs] When you're little, it takes a lot to get up there. When you finally do it and put the ball in, it feels really good.

Frierson: Once you dunk that first time, are you dying to try it again?

Hill: Oh, yeah, but when you get older, your body, your knees [laughs], stuff like that, you've got to take it easy.

Frierson: We're doing this interview on Halloween, so do you have a favorite Halloween candy?

Hill: No, not really. I like Twizzlers; a lot of people don't like Twizzlers, but I like that type of candy.

Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?

Hill: The funniest guy? I don't even know. They're all some clowns, really [laughs]. I really don't know. I've been on some teams sometimes where you have groups or cliques, but this team, we're all together and nobody's left out. We're always together.

Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?

Hill: American Deli [laughs]. I get the shrimp, the shrimp fried rice, with everything in it, and I'll get the 5-piece wings with the honey lemon pepper.

Frierson: Is the food in Houston as good and interesting as I've heard it is?

Hill: I'd say it is. There are a lot of different things to try, and you'll probably never try everything because there are so many different places. The food there is really good.

Frierson: How much better are you now than when you first got to college? And where have you improved the most?

Hill: I think I'm a lot better. I see things, I see the value of things, like we did this so that we can do this. Ball-screen reads and stuff like that. I see the value of talking to your teammates more — growing up, people probably shy away from being a leader, but it's really essential to have, especially as a point guard.

(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)

Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.

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