Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Kasey Hill Wants to Play With Julius Randle at Florida
By SEVE COUSINS & ADAM ZAGORIAROSELLE, N.J. – Julius Randle made quite a sensation in the recruiting world recently when he was asked what one player he would like to play with in college.
“I guess…you know a point guard is pretty important, so I like Andrew, Andrew Harrison,” Randle told Dave Telep of ESPN.com.
Harrison will be playing the point at Kentucky next season along with his brother, Aaron Harrison.
But another SEC-bound point guard would like to play with the 6-foot-9 Randle, too.
That would be Florida-bound Kasey Hill of Montverde (Fla.) Academy.
“I feel like we can run pick-and-pop, pick-and-roll,” Hill told SNY.tv Wednesday after he scored 10 points as his team crushed St. Peter’s Prep, 89-62, at the Holiday Hoops for Troops event at Roselle Catholic.
“I think it would be a perfect fit for us. Of course, everybody wants to say that they want to make it to the national championship. That’s a very hard thing to do. I haven’t experienced college yet but of course winning a national championship is what we all want.”
Randle, out of Prestonwood (TX) Christian Academy, is down to Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, N.C. State and Kansas. He will sign in the spring, along with fellow elite players Andrew Wiggins, Aaron Gordon, Dakari Johnson and Jermaine Lawrence.
Hill, meantime, will be joined by AAU teammate Chris Walker to form a powerful one-two punch at Florida.
But there is always room for a player of Randle’s talent.
Randle and Hill are very familiar with one another and the two speak whenever they get a chance.
“We always go on the same team at camps and stuff, we play well together,” Hill said.
Randle also has a Florida connection, having played for Gators coach Billy Donovan on the gold medal-winning U.S. U18 team this past summer.
After Randle went for 18 points and 12 boards in an 81-56 rout of Brazil in the gold medal game, Donovan told our man Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com of Randle:
“I’ve never seen a guy his size that quick and athletic off the bounce.”
The Gators, currently ranked No. 13, have not only signed Hill and Walker but also have two high-level transfers in forward Dorian Finney- Smith (Virginia Tech) and center Damontre Harris (South Carolina).
Randle, Hill and Walker could form a tremendous trio at Florida that would be very similar to the 2004 class when Florida boasted top recruits Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer.
That group went on to win back to back national championships, which is not lost on Kasey Hill.
Follow Seve Cousins on Twitter
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
By SEVE COUSINS & ADAM ZAGORIA
ROSELLE, N.J. – Julius Randle made quite a sensation in the recruiting world recently when he was asked what one player he would like to play with in college.
“I guess…you know a point guard is pretty important, so I like Andrew, Andrew Harrison,” Randle told Dave Telep of ESPN.com.
Harrison will be playing the point at Kentucky next season along with his brother, Aaron Harrison.
But another SEC-bound point guard would like to play with the 6-foot-9 Randle, too.
That would be Florida-bound Kasey Hill of Montverde (Fla.) Academy.
“I feel like we can run pick-and-pop, pick-and-roll,” Hill told SNY.tv Wednesday after he scored 10 points as his team crushed St. Peter’s Prep, 89-62, at the Holiday Hoops for Troops event at Roselle Catholic.
“I think it would be a perfect fit for us. Of course, everybody wants to say that they want to make it to the national championship. That’s a very hard thing to do. I haven’t experienced college yet but of course winning a national championship is what we all want.”
Randle, out of Prestonwood (TX) Christian Academy, is down to Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, N.C. State and Kansas. He will sign in the spring, along with fellow elite players Andrew Wiggins, Aaron Gordon, Dakari Johnson and Jermaine Lawrence.
Hill, meantime, will be joined by AAU teammate Chris Walker to form a powerful one-two punch at Florida.
But there is always room for a player of Randle’s talent.
Randle and Hill are very familiar with one another and the two speak whenever they get a chance.
“We always go on the same team at camps and stuff, we play well together,” Hill said.
Randle also has a Florida connection, having played for Gators coach Billy Donovan on the gold medal-winning U.S. U18 team this past summer.
After Randle went for 18 points and 12 boards in an 81-56 rout of Brazil in the gold medal game, Donovan told our man Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com of Randle:
“I’ve never seen a guy his size that quick and athletic off the bounce.”
The Gators, currently ranked No. 13, have not only signed Hill and Walker but also have two high-level transfers in forward Dorian Finney- Smith (Virginia Tech) and center Damontre Harris (South Carolina).
Randle, Hill and Walker could form a tremendous trio at Florida that would be very similar to the 2004 class when Florida boasted top recruits Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer.
That group went on to win back to back national championships, which is not lost on Kasey Hill.
Follow Seve Cousins on Twitter
