As he prepares for the rigors of the Big Ten Conference, Raytown South guard Corey Hilliard is eying a run through Missouri's Class 5 postseason.
As he turned to address his basketball team during a timeout in the waning moments of the title game at Lee's Summit High School's Culver's Classic boys basketball tournament, Brad Oestreich beheld a coach's desire.
Raytown South (Mo.) point guard
Corey Hilliard was already in front of his teammates firing them up and giving instruction.
Raytown South's Corey Hilliard.
Photo by Dean Backes
"He was telling the guys to take care of the ball," Oestreich recalled of his final timeout during the Cardinals' 52-47 win over Lee's Summit North. "'Be strong,' he told them. ‘We have to make our free throws.' Sometimes it can take a while to say what you want to say, but he had already said it.
"We're not out on that floor. They're in the game, so when one of my guys does that … that's huge."
For Hilliard, Saturday's setting was not a solitary episode. His high school career is chock-full of team-first experiences. Sure, it'd be easy for the 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pounder to rifle shot after shot and put up big numbers. But it just wouldn't be good for the whole of the team.
And Hilliard, who is 52-22 as a starter, just wants to win.
"I don't really bother about that," Hilliard replied when asked about the temptations to go on scoring binges. "I've had plenty of games where I had zero points. It's about winning more than it is about the individual. I want to go out there every night and play harder than the other team.
"I'm a competitor. I want to be the best. I had to work hard to earn this spot. I have a competitive fire and I want to beat anybody that we play. It keeps me hungry and working hard."
Hilliard earned his first start as a sophomore, scoring 10.8 points and dishing out close to three assists per game. A year ago, he improved slightly to just more than 13 points a game. Through 19 games this season, 10 of which he has played in, Hilliard is averaging 17.2 points per outing.
Continue reading{PAGEBREAK}One of the most glaring improvements in Hilliard's game is his ability to knock down free throws at a high percentage this season. During his sophomore campaign, Hilliard connected on 64 percent of his shots from the charity stripe and a year ago he made two-thirds of his attempts from the free throw line.
So far this season Hilliard has been good on 31 of 39 attempts – just a bit less than 80 percent.
"He is a gym rat," Oestreich said of Hilliard. "I've been doing this for a long time and if he's not the hardest worker that I've coached, then he's one of the hardest workers. He's the first one in and the last one out. After practice he's still in the gym shooting 100-150 shots.
"One day he may work on all of the 3-point shots. Then the next day he'll work on his mid-range jumper, or maybe his free throws."
Hilliard likens his game to that of Derrick Rose. The Chicago Bulls guard is strong and he likes to get to the basket. Plus his defense is incredible. Rose is a natural scorer who changed his game to play the point.
"My strengths as I see them are my aggressiveness and my competitiveness," Hilliard said. "I also have the ability to get into the lane and I get after it on defense. I really can do it all. I work hard to do it all."
When Hilliard goes nose-to-nose with a defender, that opposing player may be in for a long night. Hilliard will do whatever it takes to win the basketball game and he will find a way to get around that defender.
In the past, Hilliard admitted that there were times when the Cardinals relaxed a bit too much, and it cost the Suburban Mid Six school. Earlier this season the Cardinals became a bit too complacent. But Hilliard believes that Raytown South is a better basketball team thanks to lessons learned from that experience.
Raytown South's tournament title at the Culver's Classic was the first for the Cardinals with Hilliard running the show. But if all goes as planned, it won't be the last.
"It feels good to get that first tournament title," Hilliard said. "It tells us that we are capable of beating the good teams. We want to take this momentum into districts and then on to state.
"We can win it all. We play a good zone … good defense. We are a team that plays together. I have a strong feeling we will win it all. We just gotta keep working."
Once his senior season has come to a close, Hilliard will head north to play basketball for Doc Sadler at the University of Nebraska. Oestreich said the Cornhuskers were attracted to Hilliard's ability to get into the lane, putting plenty of pressure on opposing defenses. They also like his physical strength and his body.
"He's so explosive with the ball in his hands," Oestreich said. "He'll get playing time as a freshman. They're wanting him to come in and play as a freshman. They have a JUCO guy there so that's a perfect situation for him to be in. He won't get thrown in too early and he'll have somebody he can learn from."
