Men’s basketball team looks to rebound in conference play

The Hill College men’s basketball team looks to rebound from its 72-64 conference-opening loss to Southwestern Christian College to remain in the hunt among a very competitive and balanced North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference.

The Rebels (4-13 overall, 0-3 conference) are currently ranked No. 11 out of 23 teams in Region 5, averaging 64.2 points per game. Defensively, they are averaging 7.9 steals per game and 2.9 blocks per game.

“Although I'm not pleased about our record, I am very excited about what this team is beginning to turn into,” Hill College Head Men’s Basketball Coach Swede Trenkle said. “We have really come a long way.”

Trenkle also said the components of this year's team are made up of 13 freshmen and only two players who have played basketball at the collegiate level.

“These are very coachable young men,” he added, “and they are unselfish and play hard as a team.”

Currently, the Rebels are shooting an impressive 33.3 percent as a team from beyond the three-point line on the season with freshman Daylyn Martin leading the way with a 40.5 percent average (making 17-of-42 attempts).

Freshman forward Hamzah Abdullahi also leads Hill College in scoring with 158total points (45.3 FG percentage).

Trenkle also said he hopes the team’s challenging non-conference schedule will better prepare his team for the competitive NTJCAC season.

During the first half of the season, the Rebels played four national powerhouse teams, including Snow College which is currently ranked No. 1 in the country. They also played No. 10 Odessa College, No. 15 South Plains, as well as a top-30 team Connors State College (Warner, Oklahoma).

Hill College’s next home game is Jan. 23 against Strength ‘N Motion beginning at 5 p.m. in the Bob Bullock Sports Center. 

The NTJCAC consists of eight men’s basketball programs including Hill College, Collin College, Southwestern Christian College, McLennan Community College, Temple College, Grayson College, Ranger College, and Weatherford College.

The NJCAA Region 5 Tournament is scheduled for March 11 in Odessa.

For more information on the Hill College men's basketball program, please visit https://hillcollegeathletics.com.