EDINBURG — Late UTRGV men’s basketball has been named the unanimous choice for the Don Haskins Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award, according to a news release Tuesday morning from the conference’s headquarters in Denver, Colorado.
Senior point guard Javon Levi and sophomore forward Quinton Johnson II also received All-WAC honors.
Hill, who was in his fifth season leading the Vaqueros’ basketball program, died unexpectedly Feb. 7 at age 55, one day after coaching UTRGV’s nonconference game at Texas Southern.
Hill led the Vaqueros to an 8-4 overall record and a 2-0 mark in WAC play during the 2020-21 season, the program’s top start since 2001-02.
UTRGV notched a 33-point win over Dixie State in its WAC opener, the largest margin of victory ever for a Vaqueros team in conference play.
The Vaqueros also tallied a 6-4 mark in nonconference play, which included a season sweep of regional rival Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the South Texas Showdown and an 81-64 victory over UTSA, UTRGV’s largest win over the Roadrunners in program history.
After coaching his final game Feb. 6, Hill’s team ranked among the national leaders in numerous defensive categories.
Under Hill’s leadership, the Vaqueros ranked third nationally and first in the WAC in 3-point percentage defense (25.7%) and offensive rebounds per game (14.4).
UTRGV led the WAC with 18.3 turnovers forced per game (fifth nationally), 41.3 rebounds per game (eighth nationally) and 9.1 steals per game (14th nationally). The Vaqueros also ranked second in the WAC with a +3.9 turnover margin (19th nationally) and a 40.1% mark in field goal percentage defense (26th nationally).
Hill has also been tabbed as a finalist for CollegeInsider.com’s Ben Jobe Award, presented annually to the top minority coach in NCAA Division I men’s basketball, and the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award, given annually to those who achieve success on the basketball court and display moral integrity off the floor, as well.
“It’s special,” UTRGV interim head coach Jai Steadman said in a written statement. “All the things he did for this university … how much he cared about the WAC … he wanted to represent well both on and off the court. He brought this program to being ranked nationally in defense. I’m so proud of what he did, and we will continue to do what he did and try to win this WAC Championship. I’m so happy to see him honored this way.”
Levi earned a spot on the WAC’s All-Defensive team for the third consecutive season. The senior point guard was also previously named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year for both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
He leads the WAC in steals per game at 2.9 and ranks 82nd in the NCAA and second in the WAC in total steals with 38, despite only playing in 13 games this season.
Levi has also earned the designation of UTRGV’s all-time career steals leader and ranks sixth in WAC history with 242. This season, the senior has averaged 10.3 points on a career-high 40% shooting and 5.3 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, another career high.
“Javon is the leader of our team,” Steadman said in a written statement. “When you start with a defensive team, you start with the point guard and he has to buy into what you’re doing. Javon and Coach Hill were on the same page. Javon will have a chance to play for a long, long time because he’s one of the best I’ve ever been around on defense.”
Johnson earned All-WAC honorable mention honors during his second season with the Vaqueros.
The sophomore forward tallied his first career double-double that featured 15 points and a career-high 14 rebounds during a Feb. 26 loss at Utah Valley. Johnson has averaged 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season.
“He’s been through a lot and he keeps competing,” Steadman said in a written statement. “He works extremely hard both on and off the court. The future’s bright for Quinton Johnson, not only here, but in life. He’s going to shine.”
The sixth-seeded Vaqueros will tip off the 2021 WAC Tournament against the third-seeded New Mexico State Aggies at 10 p.m. Thursday at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
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Twitter: @ByAndyMcCulloch
