Two teams met up in Muncie, Ind. It was only an exhibition. Ball State hosted Mansfield University. The game didn’t count. It was more of a glorified scrimmage. Several D1 teams do this in the preseason. This contest featured two local standouts. Brothers Hill. David and Davion. David is a junior guard for the Mounties. Younger brother Davion is a sophomore phenom for the Cardinals. They are my guys. I know them well.

I also have a close relationship with Mansfield’s Head Coach, John Szentesy. He and I are chums. Our families are super tight. John’s two younger siblings both went to school at Lycoming. Eric actually spent a few years working for my father. His lovely parents are very friendly with mine. They have spent some time together in Florida. I understand that the elder Szentesys attended Ball State. The entire family was in the stands. The plot thickens.
Disney was in a scrum with YouTube. ESPN3 was blocked. I had to watch the game via LIVE STATS. I reached out to my pops in California. Jim mentioned that he had spoken to Mr. Szentesy, who had already given him a heads-up. We were tied to our phones. Mansfield hung in there early. But Ball State went on a run. My father and I went back and forth the entire evening. It was grand.

There was one thread in particular that we both loved. Again. We weren’t there. But our spirits were. David hit a jumper. Davion then drove to the lane. He made the layup and was fouled by Dave. Five seconds apart. I have the screenshot. Davion went on to make the free throw. And 1. The stat line made me smile. These two were going at it like they were in the backyard. Or gym. Jim and I started sharing memories. We were texting old St John Neumann hoops tales. Remember when? It was fun.

I had the privilege to coach Brothers Hill in high school. They made me look good both on and off. David and Davion were both ALL-STATE guards. These two helped Neuman win 3 district golds. When David graduated, Davion became a stud. They made each other so good. Competitive. Hungry. No quit. I had to step in a few times at practice.

I still marvel at Davion’s junior season. It will never be duplicated. He scored 783 points that season. Davion was named the 2022 PIAA Class A Player of the Year. He was even better in the playoffs when our backs were against the wall. Davion averaged 29.2 points and 10.2 rebounds during SJNRA’s impressive postseason run. Davion was an animal. It was incredible. He went for 31 and grabbed 19 rebounds against Linville Hill. Davion then dropped 39 points and played stellar defense vs Pottsville Nativity in the Final Four. We faced an outstanding Bishop Canevin squad in the state final. They were tremendous and threw everything at him. Davion still scored 30 points. I still get goosebumps when I watch the tapes.

David is averaging 15 minutes off the bench for Mansfield. He is tallying 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per clip. David is a class act. He will give the Mounties some depth. The older Hill was at Lamar CC last season. Davion is just getting started. He is averaging 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds for Ball State. Davion leads the team in assists and minutes played. I saw him on TV against Wisconsin. That was neat. Davion was in FL last year at a high-level Junior College. Both brothers started their careers at Missouri State.

David and Davion continue to work hard on their games. I am so proud of them. I enjoy reaching out, and they do the same. I look forward to watching them do their thing. I already made plans to watch them play. Coach Szentesy offered me court-side seats. Davion will be heading to Lafayette soon. Fantastic. Best wishes, boys. Man. They made me look good. Cheers.