JEROMIE Hill believes his decision to defer college for a year and head instead to the Australian Institute of Sport will pay immediate dividends when he starts at the University of Texas at San Antonio next year.
The former Cairns High School student accepted a basketball scholarship to the AIS this year, rejecting offers from several US colleges.
But he will take up a place at UTSA next year and believes the improvements he has made in his game will help him make an immediate impact.
"I could have gone (straight to college) and played limited minutes. Now, having spent that year developing my game at the AIS I should be able to go into my first year and play minutes and play effectively," Hill said. A late developer, Hill, 18, always had great skill but lacked the height early on to go with it.
But he has shot up in the past few years, now standing at 203cm.
"I always had the skill because I was playing against bigger guys and once I got to this height (203cm), the skill and the physical side came together," he said.
His early lack of height may have been a blessing though, with Hill boasting the versatility and ball-handling skills to play anywhere from small forward to centre.
"Playing inside and outside is great for me and that’s where the AIS has helped me, in my outside game.
"My shooting range is out past three-point range and I can take it off the dribble and still post up."
With the new college season having just started, Hill faces a wait of almost a year before he hits the court as a UTSA Roadrunner.
Having spent the past year in Canberra and facing another four years away from home, Hill has elected not to return to the AIS and will instead train with the Taipans Academy and possibly play the ABA season with the Marlins before heading to the States.
"There’s no doubt in my mind being here is going to be just as beneficial for me," Hill said.
"The junior program in Cairns is one of the best in Australia behind the AIS.
"It’s proven that by producing player after player after player — it’s not just a one off."
Hill has great examples to follow in Far Northern products Nathan Jawai and Aron Baynes – two players that took the AIS and US college route before forging strong professional careers – and Kerry Williams who went to college in the States before being named in the Boomers training squad.
"Baynesy, Kerry and Nate, you want to follow in their footsteps," he said.
