Ginebra pins hopes on H2

With reports of several NBA veterans coming to play in the PBA second conference starting Feb. 8, fans are wondering how Barangay Ginebra import Herbert Hill will fare against big-name stars like 7-2 Bruno Sundov of Rain Or Shine, 6-8 Renaldo Balkman of Petron, 6-10 Justin Williams of Global Port, 6-8 Al Thornton of Barako and 6-9 Eric Dawson of Meralco.

Nobody is confirming which imports are showing up until they fly in but the word is Sundov, Balkman, Williams, Thornton and Dawson – all NBA veterans – are almost sure to invade the PBA. There’s an outside chance that even 12-year NBA pro Kenyon Martin will play if a team agrees to his condition of a month-to-month deal.

Player agent Sheryl Reyes said she’s got a line on Martin but which team will sign him up without an assurance of staying until the end of the conference? Apparently, K-Mart is still hoping to hook up with an NBA team. If no offer comes along to return to the NBA, Martin would prefer to play in a league close to home so that he’ll be readily available to jump in case of a call-up. Puerto Rico and Mexico may be more appealing to Martin for this purpose.

Sundov, 32, is a monster who’s an immovable force at the post. He’ll be a perfect fit for the Painters’ physical game and a 270-pound addition to the Extra Rice brigade. Sundov has played for Dallas, Indiana, Boston, Cleveland and New York in a seven-year NBA career so the wealth of experience should go a long way in the PBA. The downside is Sundov is slow and getting on in years. Balkman, 28, is another long-serving NBA cager who played five seasons with New York and Denver. He was the Knicks’ first round pick in the 2006 draft from the University of South Carolina. Balkman has played for the Puerto Rico national team in at least three FIBA competitions, including the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara. Williams, 28, saw action in two NBA seasons with Sacramento and Houston despite never having been drafted. Thornton, 29, was the Los Angeles Clippers’ first round choice in the 2007 draft and played four seasons with the Clippers, Washington and Golden State. Dawson, once the NBDL Impact Player of the Year, logged four games with San Antonio last season.

* * * *

Although he never played in the NBA, Hill is no slouch. The 6-10, 240-pound center polished his skills at Providence where former PBA imports Marques Bragg and Dickey Simpkins matriculated. Providence was also the school where Marvin Barnes, Lenny Wilkens, Austin Croshere, Eric Murdock and Ryan Gomes played. Hill, known as H2, was only the third Providence star to lead the Big East Conference in scoring after Murdock and Gomes so his credentials are quite impressive. He was chosen on the second round by the Utah Jazz in the 2007 draft. Hill came close to suiting up for Philadelphia in 2007-08 and Dallas in 2009-10.

At Providence, Hill finished his career No. 4 in all-time blocked shots at 189. He shot .640 from the field as a senior in 2006-07, the third highest in school history. Hill averaged 18.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.9 swats in his final year at Providence, establishing a reputation as a tough inside offensive player and an intimidating shot blocker.

Providence coach Tim Welsh said Hill’s confidence got a major boost after his junior year. “He worked to the point where he was confident in himself,” said Welsh quoted by Michael Bradley in the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. “We kept telling him he was good enough but he had to do it on the court. He won the Rutgers and DePaul (20 points, 11 rebounds) games for us by dominating around the basket. He has a great array of post moves.”

Hill, 28, hit at a 9.0 clip in 2005-06 then raised his norm to 18.1, earning the Big East’s Most Improved Player award. Writer Kevin McNamara said H2 went “from a nondescript, backup big man to perhaps the league’s premier frontcourt scorer.” Bradley said Hill is armed with a deadly jump hook and has the ability to finish strong close to the basket. Hills’ career scoring high as a Providence player was 29 points in a 2006-07 game against Syracuse where he also compiled 15 rebounds and eight blocked shots.

NBA scouts filed this scouting report on Hills’ strengths – ”possesses a solid package of low-post skills and footwork with his back to the basket, runs the floor well for a big man, good lateral quickness and leaping ability make him a solid defensive presence.” A social science major, Hill has two brothers Dominique and Marcus. His parents are Herbert Sr. and Iris Brown. He was born in Ulm, Germany.

Hill has played in the Korean league the last three seasons, moving from the Daegu Orions to the Inchon ET Land Elephants. Last season, he averaged 21.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.4 blocked shots and 38.5 minutes with the Elephants while shooting .604 from the floor and .681 from the line.

* * * *

In the Commissioner’s Cup last season, Ginebra registered an 8-6 record and finished third, bowing to B-Meg in four games of a best-of-five semifinal series. The Barangay started the campaign with Chris Alexander as import. Jackson Vroman took over in the fourth game and was widely criticized for his atrocious free throw shooting (.323).

How Hill will live up to expectations remains to be seen. Newly appointed Ginebra head coach Alfrancis Chua was informed of his new assignment by PBA Board chairman and team representative Robert Non the other day and they met yesterday to plan out a direction for Ginebra. Chua, 46, was Norman Black’s assistant when Sta. Lucia Realty won the 2001 Governors Cup title and led Tanduay to seven titles in nine finals in the PBL. He was named a Ginebra coaching consultant early last year and takes over a team that hasn’t won a PBA championship since the 2007-08 Fiesta Conference.