In a story that ran today, Darrun Hilliard was named The Express-Times Boys Basketball Player of the Year for the second straight season. Hilliard arrives at Villanova next season as a 6-5, 175 lb. shooting guard. ESPN has not assigned Darrun an overall rank, but ranks him the #40 shooting guard and grades him 91 on a 100 point scale. They write, "Hilliard is a versatile talent who can impact the game in a variety of ways. When at his best he locks up defensively, rebounds the ball, and hits open teammates. At his worst he settles for long threes and gets too caught up in his individual offense."
Here are some highlights of today’s Express-Times article on Hilliard:
- "Darrun really took on a leadership role this year," coach Chad Landis said. "He worked harder than anyone in all aspects of his game."
- Hilliard, a good student, credits his mother for encouraging him to do well in the class room.
- "He's seen a little bit of everything," Landis said. "Sometimes there were four guys on him. He gets discouraged at times, but no matter what he's a team player. He wanted to do whatever it takes to win."
- No matter what defense he faced, Hilliard had no trouble filling up the stat sheet. He led the team in scoring (19.8 points per game) and steals (44) and was second in rebounds (179), blocked shots (21) and assists (83).
- One of Hilliard's many virtues is his ability to come through with the game on the line. "He hit more big shots than anybody I've seen in my 11 seasons at Liberty," Landis said.
- 'I'm definitely going to Villanova to play," he said. "I'm not going there to red-shirt or sit on the bench. I want to be the killer in a basketball sense. I'm going to step on somebody's throat and not let go. I want to put Bethlehem on the map."