PR2012 Jun 5

By Andrew Carroll Sports Writer

Tuesday

Jun 5, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Hiller Named ASWA Player of the Year

By Andrew Carroll

Sports Writer

TUSCALOOSA | When Sean Hiller arrived at Shelton State, he decided to take advantage of every opportunity as a student-athlete.

Hiller, a 6-foot-1 guard who played two seasons of basketball with the Buccaneers, has been voted the Community College Athlete of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

“It caught me by surprise,” said the 20-year-old Hiller, an NJCAA Academic All-American and a member of the All-Alabama All-Academic team. “I didn’t realize I was up for it. I’m excited. It feels pretty good.”

Hiller had offers to continue his basketball career at other four-year schools, but he plans to attend the University of Alabama on a Presidential Scholarship, which pays full tuition.

“In high school I was a decent student,” said Hiller, who played for Class 1A Meek High School in Arley. “When I got to college, I just relied on my raising. My mom always taught me: Whatever you do, do your best. I always knew when I had a test coming up or there was something I had to get done. I was prepared for it. Being an Academic All-American blew my mind. It made me think, ‘Wow, maybe I’m not too bad.’ I had to make good grades so that if athletics didn’t work out I’d have a fallback plan. It just so happened that my fallback ended up being my main path.

“Shelton State was a great place for me. I know what I have to do, and I feel like I have the tools to get it done. I thought it was a great experience. It taught me about school and about life in general. After high school, everything changes. It’s a whole new game, and Shelton State helped me learn that game a little bit.”

Hiller said he is interested in exercise science and hopes to become a physical therapist.

As a freshman, Hiller played on the 2011 Shelton State team that won the Alabama Community College Conference title and qualified for the NJCAA Tournament in Kansas. 

“It was summer in Alabama when we left, and when we pulled into Kansas it was snowing,” he said. “At the stadium little kids were asking us for autographs. The people were going crazy. Looking at some of those teams, it made you realize that there were some future NBA players in that tournament.”

Hiller was primarily a reserve as a freshman, but he earned a starting role as a sophomore and provided the Buccaneers with a 3-point shooting threat.

“We ran a dribble-drive offense, and I was out there to stretch the floor with outside shots,” Hiller said. “I got lucky and hit a lot of them.”

He was picked for the 2012 ACCC All-North Division second team and was on the ACCC All-Tournament Team.

Shelton State coach Barry Mohun, who likes to utilize a lot of players, said he was impressed by Hiller’s dedication and development.

“I think Sean took advantage, basketball-wise and definitely academic-wise,” Mohun said. “On and off the floor he was an example for a lot of other players in the program.

“He takes pride in everything he does. People would be amazed at how much time he put in on the basketball floor to make himself a better player. That’s a compliment to him. You could see the progression, and you knew he was going to be one of those guys we could really count on. He shot the ball real well all year long for us. The other teams had to pay a lot of attention to where he was on the floor and not give him an open look.

“I really believe that good things happen to good people, and Sean is a good person. He deserves every bit of this. I’m happy for him.”

Reach Andrew Carroll at andrew.carroll@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0223