Junior Aaron Hill

Aaron Hill was excited about returning for his junior year in 2007-08. The 6-foot-1 guard’s dream of returning to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second year in a row came to a sudden halt before the first regular season game.

Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury in a preseason scrimmage.

“It gave me a different perspective,” said Hill, who was an all-state player at Canton (Mo.) High School. “It taught me to persevere and not take anything for granted.”

In 2006-07, Hill led the Hawks in scoring with a 13.2 scoring average, and the team won 17 games. He was also the team’s leading shooter from beyond the 3-point line and at the free-throw line.

Last year, the Hawks struggled without Hill in the lineup.

“It put a lot of pressure on others to pick up the slack,” said RU coach Bill O’Connor. “We certainly missed him.”

“My rehab was tough,” said Hill, who was cleared to play by his doctor after 10 months. “The biggest thing was to be patient and let my knee heal on its own. I feel good.”

One of four captains on the team, Hill is a key leader on and off the floor.

“He’s looked really good in practice,” O’Connor said. “He has done everything he can do physically to make a contribution this year.”

Hill plans to graduate in December 2008 with an accounting degree and will begin work on his MBA next month.