Chris Hill Earns Third-Team Academic All-America Honors
3/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 6, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State sophomore guard Chris Hill (Indianapolis, Ind.) was named to the 2003 Verizon Academic All-America Third-Team on Thursday. He becomes just the fourth Spartan to earn Academic All-America honors, joining Ralph Simpson (1970), Greg Kelser (1979) and Matt Steigenga (1990, Third Team). Hill earned a spot on the team by posting a 3.90 grade-point average and earning first-team Academic All-District honors. He is one of just two sophomores to receive the honor.
"This is an awesome honor for Chris Hill and for the Michigan State basketball program," said MSU head coach Tom Izzo. "Chris is very deserving because he's worked hard in both the classroom and on the court. This is an honor that the coach, the university president, the administration and the fans can all be excited about."
"This is something of which I'm extremely proud," said Hill. "My parents are also very proud of it, which makes it even more special to me. Basketball takes up an incredible amount of time, so it takes time management and self-discipline to be able to excel on the court and in the classroom."
For the year, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Hill is averaging 14.0 points and 3.7 assists per game to lead the Spartans in both categories, while earning second-team NABC All-District 11 honors. He also leads the team in steals (1.64 spg), field goals made (126), field goals attempted (287), three-point field goals made (77) and three-point field goals attempted (189). Hill ranks seventh in the Big Ten in steals, eighth in assists (3.68 apg), third in three-point field-goal percentage (.407), second in three-point field goals made (2.75) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.47).
Hill ranks sixth in MSU history with 143 career three-point field goals and sixth with a career three-point field goal percentage of .424. His 77 three-point field goals this season rank fifth on the MSU single-season chart. In a Feb. 23 contest vs. Syracuse, Hill set Michigan State, Big Ten and Breslin Center records with 10 three-point field goals.
"Chris is so engaged by the academic process, you can tell that being a good student is important to him and he works hard to excel in every class that he takes," said Liz Friedman, Associate Director of Student-Athlete Support Services. "His ability to balance the pressures of this season with challenging coursework says much about his commitment to being a scholar-athlete."
A recently-declared finance major, Hill is currently enrolled in MSU's Honors College. He was the winter recipient of the Auto-Owner's Insurance Champions In The Classroom award, representing a combination of athletic and academic achievement and a commitment to community outreach. Last year, he was one of two male recipients of MSU's Provost Award, presented annually to the male and female Freshman Student-Athletes of the Year.
First TeamName School Year Hometown GPA MajorMatt Bonner Florida Sr Concord, N.H. 3.98 Business AdministrationClint Cuffle Evansville Jr. Riverton, Ill. 3.77 EngineeringAdam Mark Belmont Jr. Bremen, Ind. 3.94 Computer ScienceEmeka Okafor Connecticut So. Houston, Texas 3.73 FinanceBrett Starkey Denver Jr. Lakewood, Colo. 3.96 Biology/Pre-Medicine
Second TeamName School Year Hometown GPA MajorDavid Bennett Marist Sr. Salt Lake City, Utah 3.99 Business AdministrationJason Blair San Diego Sr. Phoenix, Ariz. 3.59 Business AdministrationAdam Hess William & Mary Jr. Grosse Point, Mich. 3.51 FinanceJames Jones Miami (Fla.) Sr. Miami, Fla. 3.40 FinanceMichael Lindeman Creighton Jr. Iowa Falls, Iowa 3.92 Finance
Third TeamName School Year Hometown GPA MajorDedrick Dye Wagner Sr. Clinton, Tenn. 3.72 Business AdministrationCarl English Hawaii Jr. Patrick's Cove, 3.28 Liberal Studies Newfoundland, CanadaBlake Stepp Gonzaga Jr. Eugene, Ore. 3.21 Business AdministrationJake Sullivan Iowa State Jr. Oakdale, Minn. 3.33 PsychologyChris Hill Michigan State So. Indianapolis, Ind. 3.90 Undecided*Jason Parker Tulsa Jr. Tulsa, Okla. 3.57 Management Information Systems
* Hill's major was listed as Undecided on the All-America ballot. He has since declared his major to be finance.