Bakersfield (CA) Liberty point guard Isaiah Hill had a terrific summer of AAU basketball with the Compton Magic, which earned him numerous scholarship offers, including one from the University of Tulsa on July 23.
The 5-foot-11 guard took an official visit to the Tulsa campus in August, and two days later, he announced his commitment to the Golden Hurricane. Fast forward three months, and Hill officially signed his letter of intent with TU during the early basketball signing period.
“They play in a great conference and have great facilities,” Hill told Inside Tulsa Sports shortly after committing in August. “My deciding factor was definitely Coach (Frank) Haith and the staff. I felt I had the best relationship with him and also felt, with him and his system, I can max out as a player after my four years are over, because in his past he has done a great job with point guards my style, helping them reach their potential.”
At Tulsa, Hill will team up with fellow Californian Chris Barnes, who also played with Compton Magic. Barnes, who played his freshman season at UTEP before redshirting at Angelina College last year, is a sophomore at TU this season.
“Yes, I would say so that is definitely a plus,” Hill added.
Another big factor in Hill’s decision to pick Tulsa appears to be the time he spent on the Golden Hurricane campus and around the city.
“My visit to Tulsa was great – I had a great time,” he described. “I got to spend quality time with the coaches and also the players. I got along really well with all of the guys, and the campus was beautiful. I loved it.
“The city was also great. The people are great to be around, and I could tell that they take pride in Tulsa and the University, but especially men's basketball. So I felt the love, and the environment of Tulsa was just overall spectacular.”
As a junior at Liberty last season, Hill averaged 22.8 points, eight rebounds and six assists, earning first-team All-Area honors from the Bakersfield Californian.
“Just being a floor general all the way around, I make my teammates better,” Hill said of his strengths on the court. “I am a playmaker that can score for myself or make a play for another player, and I can shoot the ball.”
Hill was also the starting quarterback for Liberty football, but earlier this year, he decided to focus solely on basketball. He has big goals for his senior season.
“Individually, I want to have my best year yet in terms of scoring, assists and winning,” he said. “As a team, of course I want to win our section, but more than that, just have an unforgettable senior year with the dudes I've been doing it with since freshman year.”
Hill chose Tulsa over offers from Fresno State, Boise State, San Diego, Pacific, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine and others.He is rated No. 42 nationally at his position by Rivals.com.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Isaiah to the Tulsa Family,” said Tulsa head coach Frank Haith. “We identified Isaiah early on as a priority in this recruiting class for a number of reasons. He is a natural leader that fits the culture of our program. He is a smart, savvy lead guard that can impact the game with his playmaking, scoring and desire to do whatever it takes to win.
"Isaiah is going to mesh extremely well with the student-athletes that we have returning next year and he is a tremendous fit for The University of Tulsa academically, athletically and he is a terrific young man. Tulsa fans are going to love watching and getting to know Isaiah Hill over the next four years.”
