The RoundHouse | 10/27/2024 10:11:00 AM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
P.J. Couisnard carries bad memories of Justin Hill, which is why he recommended him to Wichita State.
 
"Justin Hill was a pain in my butt," Couisnard said.
 
Couisnard, a member of Wichita State's 2006 Sweet 16 team, coaches youth, summer and high school basketball in Houston. His teams matched up against Hill numerous times. Couisnard prides his teams on tough guard play.
 
"He was just relentless," Couisnard said. "We couldn't rattle him."
 
Hill, who played at Fort Bend Travis High School, saw those matchups as a measuring stick.
 
"You want to win, try to prove you're one of the best in Houston," he said. "They bring out the best."
 

Wichita State needs that at point guard and the Houston connection worked to get Hill to Koch Arena. He played the past two seasons at Georgia, where he averaged 9.5 points and 3.2 assists in 2023-2024.
 
Turnovers hampered the Shockers last season and coach Paul Mills is thrilled to put Hill in charge. Oklahoma State pressured Hill in their scrimmage earlier this month and Mills approved of how Hill stood up against the aggressive defense.
 
"He's terrific at handling pressure," Mills said. "We saw that in the Oklahoma State scrimmage. He maintains ball security. He moves the ball and finds open people."
 
When Hill entered the transfer portal, he talked to Couisnard, who suggested Wichita State as a good option. The Houston roots of Mills, Couisnard and Hill won out. The makeup of the Shocker coaching staff – Kenton Paulino (Texas), Quincy Acy (Baylor and the NBA) and T.J. Cleveland (Arkansas) helped.
 
"P.J. talked to a lot of coaches for me," Hill said. "But it's like 'If you go somewhere else you might not have that trust in those people like you have here'. (Couisnard) went here. He knows people here. Paul Mills is from Houston. He has people who have actually played on the staff. This is the way to go."
 
Playing point guard at a new school comes with challenges. The work of gaining trust and growing into an extension of the coach must be accomplished quickly.
 
"It's my job to instill confidence into guys," Hill said. "It's me having that confidence in guys and telling them they've got a little more in them."
 
Mills sees Hill as a good option to push the basketball and make plays late in the shot clock.

"His best ability to score is going downhill," Mills said. "He knows how to use his body."
 
Couisnard saw those skills, and others, up close.
 
"He's not scared to make plays," Couisnard said. "You can't be scared to fail. No fear."
 
Couisnard liked the fit with Hill in Wichita for another reason. Zion Pipkin, who played for Couisnard at Legacy School of Sport Sciences, is a freshman guard. Hill, Couisnard knew, would provide a good example. Pipkin earned respect from Hill early in workouts when he picked him all over the court.
 
"I'm learning little things like going into the paint, pump-faking, playing off two feet," Pipkin said. "I watch everything he does. I'm taking little things out of his game that he does well and trying to add it to mine."
 
Houston's basketball scene produced Shockers such as Couisnard, Toure' Murry and others in recent seasons. Hill describes Houston basketball players as gritty who love to play defense.
 
That's been the case at Wichita State and the Shockers believe Hill will add to that reputation.
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.