Rashaun Hill: Remember his Name, Admire his Family

Lee Edwards | As of Wednesday, May 27, 2015

L-R Reginald Hill, Jr., Rashaun Hill, Jamel Hill, Theresa Hill and Reginald Hill, Sr. say that their love for basketball is overshadowed only by their love for God and family.
L-R Reginald Hill, Jr., Rashaun Hill, Jamel Hill, Theresa Hill and Reginald Hill, Sr. say that their love for basketball is overshadowed only by their love for God and family. Photo by Lee Edwards.

Keep your ears and eyes open for Rashaun Hill, 14, a freshman and basketball player at Carver Military Academy (Carver), 13100 S. Doty Ave., Chicago. Chances are, you’ll be hearing a lot about him real soon.

Hill stands 5’7” and was the star player at Alice L. Barnard Elementary School, 10354 S. Charles St., Chicago, and averaged roughly 30 points per game by the end of last season. He also played in the American Athletic Union (AAU) competitive basketball league for the Mac Irvin Fire.

The young star has three more years in high school to perfect his craft, and by then, he is sure to be a force to be reckoned with. But will he be drafted into the NBA?

It wouldn’t be the first time someone in Hill’s family was a draft prospect. Highly ranked National Basketball Association (NBA) prospect for the 2015 NBA Draft, and Duke University star Jahlil Okafor just happens to be Hill’s cousin. Talking about great genes!

Did we mention that Hill also has great parents?

“God is first in our home, second is the academics,” Hill’s mom, Theresa told the Chicago Citizen Newspaper. “We stress academics more than anything. We let our children know that it doesn’t matter how good you can play. If you do not have an education you don’t have nothing.”

Hills parents wake him up before 5 a.m. every morning to work out. They then ensure that he attends a full school day at Carver, where he is also a member of United States Junior Reserves Officer Training Corps (U.S. JROTC). Hill then attends basketball practice, does his homework, and concludes with 100 sit-ups and 100 push-ups before he goes to bed at night.

“The way I was brought up [was] work hard [on your basketball skills] and it will pay off,” said Hill’s dad, Reginald, Sr., about honing his son’s skill set.

The Hill’s three other children Ashley, 22; Reginald, Jr., 19; and Jamel, 10 have all been bitten by the basketball bug thanks to their father’s love of the game.

“For all of us, [basketball] was the first thing to came to us,” said Reginald, Jr. “As kids we always played basketball and that’s all we knew because that’s what our father played and that’s all we watched at the time so it came naturally to us.”

Both Reginald, Jr., and Ashley played varsity high school basketball at Morgan Park High School.

Mrs. Hill was not always comfortable with the rigid demands that basketball placed on her children, but eventually warmed up to the idea after realizing how much the game meant to them.

“I have truly learned the importance behind the great game of basketball and investing the time in the gym,” said Mrs. Hill. “I understand what their goal is and what they’re trying to do so I am here to support.”

The Hill children are definitely on the path to success. Ashley currently attends Northern Illinois University (NIU) on a full academic scholarship where she is studying to be a pediatrician. Reginald, Jr. is studying computers at Moraine Valley Community College. Jamel will be attending Alice L. Barnard Elementary next year. Rashaun and Jamel both want to attend Duke University and want to go to law school afterwards.

The Hills are looking forward to Rashaun competing for state championships and are rooting for cousin Jahlil Okafor as he aspires towards the upcoming NBA draft.

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