Basketball preferred by All Black's son

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33283, 21 July 1973, Page 4

Basketball preferred by All Black's son

(By

R. O. DEW)

The youngest member of the New Zealand men’s basketball team, 17-year-old Stan Hill, made a big impression in the “tests” against the Venture for Victon' tourists earlier this winter.

Now, with a three-match series against the American Latter Day Saints in the offing, he seems destined to enhance his repution even further.

Standing 6ft Bin and weighing about 17st, Hill is one of the biggest players in the national side. And

he has the ability to make good use of his size. The New Zealand coach (Mr S. R. McKean, of Auckland) already rates him as the most promising tall plaver the country has so far produced. "If he stays with basketball, he will become the first truly great tall player in New Zealand.” Hill’s father is the former All Black forward. S. F. (Tiny) Hill, and at one time there seemed a possibility

that young Stan would follow in his footsteps. He played Rugby as a lock for St Andrew's College, combining this with basketball.

However, when he left school at the end of last year and moved to Southland. it was basketball which claimed his full attention.

“I tried Rugby but I didn’t like it as much as basketball,” he explained. Hill’s interest in basketball goes back several years. He was only 15 when he was playing A grade basketball for Burnham in the Christchurch inter-club competition.

Last season, Rugby took precedence on Saturdays and his club basketball was restricted to mid-week matches. But he was persuaded to enter the trials for the New Zealand junior team to tour Australia and was successful in gaining a place. In Australia, he showed his true potential by averaging 10 points a game against strong opposition. This season. Hill has been a key figure in the Southland senior team and has been scoring 20 points a game with remarkable regularity. He was chosen for the New Zealand team to play in three matches against Venture for Victory.

This was largely, it was felt at the time, to give him a chance to realise his potential. But Hill did much more than this. He played with skill and temperament beyond his years and quickly graduated from a bench warmer to a member of the starting five. Comprising a high proportion of former professional players, the Latter Day Saints team is probably the strongest to visit New Zealand. Whether or not the national side emerges from the "tests” with honour will depend greatly on the form of Hill and the other big men in the side.