Top football recruit chooses hoops path
At 6-foot-7 and 200 pounds, Humble High School's Kyndahl Hill is one of the premier dual-sport athletes in the Class of 2012. As good a forward he is in basketball, Hill was expected to be a standout defensive end and a high-major football recruit.
After sitting and recently conversing with his parents, Hill decided to let one of the sports go -- and it wasn't the sport that many thought he'd eventually choose.
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Hill decided to shelve his football cleats permanently in exchange for his basketball sneakers full time. Hill spoke with Humble football coach Walt Beasley on Monday, informing him that he would not playing defensive end in the fall and not be participating in upcoming workouts.
Instead, Hill is currently preparing to play in front of hundreds of college basketball scouts in Las Vegas. He will suit up for his summer select team, the Houston Hoopstars, at the prestigious adidas Super 64, which tips off this weekend.
"This was something I've been thinking about since right after football season," Hill said. "[Football] just wasn't as fun to me anymore. I wasn't having as much fun as I had when I first started playing."
Hill had 29 tackles, six sacks and three interceptions as a junior. His play on the gridiron earned him scholarship offers to Kansas State, UNLV and North Texas. His play also garnered interest from Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama and Illinois.
"I had some friends that played on the football team try to talk me out of it, as well as a couple other people," Hill said of his decision. "You could tell that [Beasley] wasn't happy about it, but when we had the conversation, he kind of understood."
Hill's play in basketball has earned Division I scholarship offers, as well. He averaged roughly 13 points and eight rebounds for Humble and coach David Martinez, and as August slowly approaches, he is sitting on offers from Holy Cross, Weber State, Sam Houston, North Texas and UT-Arlington.
Hill is hoping for more offers after the Hoopstars' trip to Vegas. He's played well throughout the summer for the Hoopstars, forming a respectable inside tandem with 6-foot-10 Texas signee Cameron Ridley and 6-foot-9 rising big man Aaron Durley.
After a productive football career, Hill feels he can bring a particular element to the basketball court that can serve beneficial.
"I can bring toughness," Hill said. "I think being able to deal with tough situation and the physicality [of football] will help me out. I've thought about this a lot, and I knew it'd be tough, but I think I made the right decision."