G Tayler Hill - 2 Time First team Big Ten (Washington Mystics)

[BB73]

Taylor Hill had a hell of a game, scoring 31 points.

Tayler Hill scored 8 points in the last 37 seconds of regulation, including a layup in the last second, to force OT. I was foolishly watching Wiscy-UNC at the time.

Dispatch

 

[Best Buckeye]

In a move that probably surprised no one Tayler Hill was named the B10 Lady player of the week for her performances in our two wins.
Link


Dec. 5, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State junior guard Tayler Hill claimed her first career Big Ten player of the week honor Monday in recognition of her performance last week in wins over Florida State and on the road at No. 18 Oklahoma.

In the two wins, Hill averaged 25.5 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 steals, 3.0 assists and hit six 3-pointers while playing 82 total minutes.

In the overtime win over LSU Wednesday, Hill scored a career-high 31 points – 20 of which came after halftime – and converted the tying basket at the regulation buzzer to send the game into overtime. She also finished the game with career highs in FGs (11), 3FGs (4), steals (6) and minutes played (42).

In the win at Oklahoma Sunday, Hill played all 40 minutes, scoring 20 points and dishing out five assists. She hit two more 3FGs in that game and was 8 of 9 from the FT line to help put the game away in the final minutes.

 

[Buckskin86]

Women's basketball: Hill reaches higher ground
Ohio State's junior guard has put in the work and developed into an excellent all-around player
By Jim Massie
The Columbus Dispatch Thursday December 15, 2011

These days, Tayler Hill seems to glide the length of a basketball court with the power and grace of a raptor in flight.

Picture a peregrine falcon soaring along the wind currents until the business of the hunt calls. The suddenness of what follows from dive to pounce is breathtaking.

In the case of Hill, a basketball being dribbled one way in a finger snap heads the other in the hands of the Ohio State junior guard.

Four times in the first half on Tuesday in Value City Arena, Hill flew into a passing lane for a steal that ended as a layup for the 12th-ranked Buckeyes during an 83-49 win over Southern University.

Three seasons after landing at Ohio State from South High School in Minneapolis, the prep All-American has reached the highest level of the collegiate game.

Hill leads the Big Ten in scoring at 21.2 points per game. Her offensive game includes a mid-range jumper and a long-range three. And, as mentioned, she is an elite defender.

Cont...

http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2011/12/16/gameday/cover-hill.html

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psp-4iVXXro"]Tayler Hill's Happy Holiday Wish to Buckeye Fans - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

On Hill's improvement and physical play in the Big Ten

Michigan State entered yesterday's game against Ohio State in East Lansing with a definite defensive game plan that centered on not giving Buckeye guards Tayler Hill and Samantha Prahalis room to breathe.

The Spartans followed the plan doggedly. Even so, the Buckeyes dug out a 64-56 win in a game that Prahalis described afterward in terms that sounded like a rugby scrum.

"It was a grind-it-out kind of game," she said. "It wasn't like a fast-paced game. It was half court. You just had to grind it out."

Hill was a major reason that the Buckeyes won. She took only 12 shots in the game while scoring 21 points. Her three-point field goal following a timeout with 5:19 to play extended a three-point lead to six.

Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant was not surprised by anything the junior guard did. From watching film leading into the game, she knew how much Hill has improved from a season ago.

"She is way better," Merchant said. "She went from their fourth (scoring) option to one of the leading scorers in the country. I felt like any time they've needed a big shot in all of their games, she is the one that's made it. I mean, she drained that three."

cont...

http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/...on-hill-and-physical-play-in-the-big-ten.html

 

[MaxBuck]

PJ Hill was one of our favorite men's players thanks to his good cheer, hard work and great attitude, and Tayler is putting herself in position to be a favorite for the women. With a lot more talent, I might add. :)

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State women's basketball: Hill?s homecoming old hat
By Jim Massie
The Columbus DispatchSunday January 29, 2012

In each of Tayler Hill?s three seasons at Ohio State, the interview requests from the Minneapolis media have arrived in rapid-fire fashion during the week before the Buckeyes were scheduled to play Minnesota.

Hill, a hometown player who got away, always has handled the questions as deftly as she does a basketball, even as the topic has changed with the passage of time.

?They asked me how the team has changed and if I thought we would be successful,? Hill said. ?That?s about it, I guess.?

The ?why? behind her decision to choose Ohio State over the Golden Gophers has become old news.

?They don?t ask that anymore,? Hill said. ?My freshman year, I heard it. Why didn?t I stay home? Usually, when I go home, the Minnesota fans are pretty good. There might be a few bitter ones, but that?s OK. You can be bitter. Most of them are supporters, though.?

cont...

http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/01/29/hills-homecoming-old-hat.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Brotherly advice guides Tayler Hill
By Pat Borzi
espnW

Ohio StateFormer Ohio State guard P.J. Hill helps his sister Tayler hone her game.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Tayler Hill grew up a few miles from the University of Minnesota, and her annual homecoming as a member of the Ohio State women's basketball team two weeks ago wasn't going well.

The 10th-ranked Buckeyes trailed the unranked Gophers by six points at halftime as Hill, a junior guard and the leading scorer in the Big Ten, struggled, hitting 3 of 10 shots from the field and missing all four 3-point attempts.

When the Buckeyes began their warm-ups for the second half, Hill's eyes scanned more than a dozen family members sitting behind the Ohio State bench to find the one person she knew could help. It didn't take long to spot him. P.J. Hill, her older brother and a former Buckeyes basketball player, stood out in a red sweater and matching ball cap.

P.J. caught Tayler's eye and hopped up on the elevated court at Williams Arena. No one from Ohio State thought twice about it because P.J. and Tayler were virtually inseparable two seasons ago, when Tayler was a freshman and P.J. a senior. Tayler even wears the same No. 4 her brother did for the Buckeyes.

Tayler asked him, what am I doing wrong? What do I need to do better?

"I just told her, when she attacks the bucket, she can't always get layups or settle for 3s. She's got to shoot that pull-up," P.J. said. "That doesn't give the defense a chance to help."

cont...

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...-ohio-state-buckeyes-tayler-hill-working-hard

 

[Buckskin86]

Hill Receives Preseason Recognition

September 18, 2012
While point guard Sammy Prahalis was setting records for the 2011-12 Ohio State women?s basketball team, her backcourt mate, Tayler Hill, also was enjoying a standout season.

Hill averaged a team-high 20.4 points per game during her junior year and is now considered to be one of the top returnees in the nation.

That was confirmed Tuesday when Hill was named to the 25-member preseason watch list for the State Farm Wade Trophy, awarded each year to the top player in women?s college basketball.

cont...

http://sportsrappup.com/sections/blogit/12-09-18/Hill_Receives_Preseason_Recognition.aspx

 

[LitlBuck]

Chosen co-preseason player of the year by the media.

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/con.../10/hill-chosen-preseason-player-of-year.html

 

[LitlBuck]

Ohio State senior guard Tayler Hill is one of 50 players on the early season Naismith Watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today.

Hill is averaging 19.5 points through two games this season for the 20th-ranked Buckeyes. She led the Big Ten in scoring in 2011-12 at 20.4 points per game and was a unanimous all-conference selection. She also is on the Wade Watch list this season.

The Naismith Trophy is awarded to the women's college player of the year each season. Baylor senior Brittney Griner won last season. She heads the list this season.

Other Big Ten players on the watch list include: Alex Bentley and Maggie Lucas, Penn State; and Jordan Hooper and LIndsey Moore, Nebraska

Hill

 

[Buckskin86]

WNBA draft: Ex-Buckeye Hill should go early, but to which team?

CHRIS RUSSELL | DISPATCH
Guard Tayler Hill is expected to extend Ohio State?s run to three consecutive first-round picks, joining Jantel Lavender (2011) and Samantha Prahalis (2012).
By Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH SUNDAY APRIL 14, 2013 6

Tayler Hill expects her heart to beat a little faster tonight in Bristol, Conn., while she waits to hear her name called in the first-ever prime-time airing of the WNBA draft on ESPN2.

The former Ohio State guard knows ? along with the rest of the women?s basketball world ? that Baylor?s Brittney Griner, Delaware?s Elena Della Donne and Notre Dame?s Skylar Diggins are going with the first three picks.
Hill, however, will share the stage with the three consensus All-America players and give the Buckeyes a third first-round pick in the past three seasons.

?I?m a little excited, but I am anxious, too, at the same time,? Hill said in a pre-draft conference call on Thursday. ?I?m trying not to overthink it. Whatever team I get drafted to, it?s going to be a blessing. This has always been a dream. I?m definitely going to enjoy the journey.?

The mock draft posted on the WNBA website has Hill going No. 7 overall to the Atlanta Dream. In other mock drafts, she is as high as the fourth pick, which belongs to the Washington Mystics. She is no lower than No. 8, said Indiana Fever coach Lin Dunn.

?We didn?t spend a lot of time with Tayler Hill because we thought she would be long gone by the time we pick at nine,? Dunn said.

cont..

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/con...e-hill-should-go-early-but-to-which-team.html

 

[Buckskin86]

WNBA draft: Tayler Hill expected to be top-10 pick
By Tim Leighton
[email protected]
Posted: 04/14/2013

Minneapolis native Tayler Hill, left, who played collegiate basketball at Ohio State, is likely to be drafted in the first round of the WNBA draft Monday night. (Associated Press file photo: Tom Strickland)

Tonsillitis slowed Tayler Hill during her senior season at Ohio State, but it won't be a hindrance on the biggest night of her basketball career. The former Minneapolis South High School guard played the final half of her senior year with strep throat and missed two games to have her tonsils drained.

Hill, who recently had her tonsils removed, is healthy and ready to find out where she will play when the WNBA draft is held Monday, April 15.

"They're out and I'm feeling a lot better," Hill said last week in a conference call.

Hill, the Pioneer Press girls basketball player of the year in 2008 and '09, could become Minnesota's highest draft pick since Hutchinson's Lindsay Whalen was taken fourth overall in the 2004 draft. The former Gophers star was drafted by the Connecticut Sun and played six seasons before being traded to the Lynx in 2010.

Most mock drafts have Hill listed as a top-10 pick. She is projected to go as high as No. 4 to Seattle.

There is no disputing the top three selections of the draft: Baylor's Brittney Griner is a slam dunk to be the top pick by Phoenix, followed by Delaware's Elena Delle Donne to Chicago and Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins to Tulsa.

Minnesota, the WNBA regular-season champion last season, has the final selection of the first round, No. 12 overall. If Hill is available, the Lynx would take her, and not just to boost ticket sales with a local player. The Lynx need a backup point guard who can score and play
defense.

"Whatever team I get drafted to, it's going to be a blessing," Hill said.

"We expect Tayler Hill to go in the first round," Lynx executive vice president Roger Griffith said. "After you get past the first three names, Tayler Hill fits solidly into that next group. We don't see Tayler Hill as available when it comes to our turn."

cont...

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_23024746/wnba-draft-tayler-hill-expected-be-top-10

 

[Buckskin86]

No. 4 overall to the Washington Mystics...

http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/9162772/wnba-2013-wnba-draft-board

 

[Buckskin86]

WNBA draft: Former Buckeye Hill goes fourth overall to Mystics

JESSE D. GARRABRANT | GETTY IMAGES
Former Ohio State guard Tayler Hill stands with WNBA president Laurel Richie after being drafted by Washington.
By Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH TUESDAY APRIL 16, 2013

Tayler Hill didn?t have time to get antsy last night in the first round of the WNBA draft in Bristol, Conn.

The former Ohio State guard, who had spent most of her life being the first one picked for basketball games, was thrilled that the Washington Mystics took her with the fourth overall pick.

?It wasn?t really that big of a wait,? Hill said in a telephone interview. ?Everybody knew who the first three were going to be. I was excited to see how it would go with Skylar (Diggins) and Elena (Della Donne).?

Baylor?s 6-foot-8 Brittney Griner, the consensus national player of the year, was the first overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury. Delle Donne, a 6-5 guard from Delaware, went second to the Chicago Sky. Diggins, a 5-9 guard from Notre Dame, was taken third by the Tulsa Shock. The drum roll between the Sky and the Mystics picks didn?t last long.

?The next thing you knew, they called my name,? Hill said. ?My parents are here. We were talking in the back. I?m just very happy.?

cont...

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/con...keye-hill-goes-fourth-overall-to-mystics.html

WNBA draft 2013: Washington Mystics select Tayler Hill with fourth pick

Jessica Hill/AP - Ohio State's Tayler Hill is presented a Washington Mystics jersey by WNBA President Laurel J. Richie.
By Mark Giannotto, Published: April 15

When he was hired last October, Mike Thibault, the new coach and general manager of the Washington Mystics, insisted the No. 4 pick in the WNBA draft wasn?t such a bad thing.

The Mystics finished with the WNBA?s worst record last season only to miss out on the chance to select three potential franchise players in Baylor?s Brittney Griner, Delaware?s Elena Della Donne and Notre Dame?s Skylar Diggins. But Thibault believes another difference maker was playing in Columbus, Ohio.

The Mystics chose Ohio State guard Tayler Hill with the No. 4 overall pick in the first round of the 2013 WNBA draft in Bristol, Conn., Monday, hopeful that the 5-foot-10 Minneapolis native can contribute immediately to a roster that has lacked a consistent scoring threat on the wing.

?You don?t have very many good ones come along that often that have a chance to be great,? Thibault said from Verizon Center. ?I think that Tayler Hill has a chance to be a star.?

Hill, whose cousin is former NBA player Devean George, piqued Washington?s interest because of the diversity in her game. A two-time honorable mention all-American, Hill averaged 21.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game to earn all-Big Ten first team and all-Big Ten defensive team honors this past season. Thibault said she would battle for minutes at next month?s training camp with returning players Matee Ajavon, Monique Currie and Natalie Novosel.

Hill said that Thibault ?really likes that I?m fearless and I can score in multiple ways and that I?m a threat on the offensive and defensive end. He said, ?You can really trust a player when you know they can play defense.? ?

cont...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...b4f948-a633-11e2-8302-3c7e0ea97057_story.html

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ai16jDr-4Y"]WNBA 2013 Draft: #4 Pick Tayler Hill - YouTube[/ame]