HARDWICK – Hazen Union’s Xavier Hill added to his growing trophy case last week, earning Player of the Year honors from the Times Argus in boys’ basketball. He will keep his talents in state at Saint Michael’s College after graduation.
It has been a senior season for the ages for Hill, starting on the soccer pitch where he led the Wildcats in scoring with a career-high nine goals, earning him a Vermont All-State selection. He helped lead Hazen to a 5-1 start in the highly competitive Capital League, before injuries derailed their season.
The smooth lefty quickly transitioned to the hardwood for the Wildcats where he already had a 2022 Division III state championship and a 2023 state runner-up under his belt, along with back-to-back Vermont Dream Dozen selections. He once again saved his best for last with career high averages of 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and a school record 6.8 assists. The senior point guard set the single game assist record with 15 dishes against Randolph, surpassing Troy Lemay’s previous record of 13 in 2005.
His three-career triple-doubles are three times as many as any Wildcat player in program history. He graduates with 67 career wins under belt and just under 900 career points, despite more than half of his freshman year being canceled due to COVID.
Hazen is the smallest school competing in the Division II-rich Capital League, but has the last two Players of the Year, with Tyler Rivard last winter and Hill following in his footsteps this past season.
In his spare time, Hill moonlighted as a varsity linkster on the Wildcat golf team and set a Guinness Book World Record last spring, with the longest blindfolded corn hole make ever recorded.
“Looking back, I wish I could do it all over again,” said Hill. “I’m most proud of the success we’ve had as a team these last three years. Not many people can say they’ve got to the finals three times in a row, and I was lucky to have gotten to play with so many great people,”
To say that Hill comes from an athletic family would be an understatement. His late grandfather is the great Dan Hill, who won a state championship with Hardwick Academy as a player and coached Hazen to another state title appearance in 2007.
Xavier Hill continues the family tradition with new honors. Some family members are (left) Travis Hill with son Xavier HiIll and (right) Aaron Hill with son Carter Hill. In the center is former Hazen Union coach Mike Baker with son Jason Baker.
His father Travis led Hazen to a state championship in ‘96 as a player and has coached for both the girls’ and boys’ varsity programs ever since.
His mother, Dorothy, graduated from Cabot as their all-time leading scorer in ‘99 and was an assistant coach on this past season’s Hazen girl’s team that won their first Division III state championship in 33 years. The state title that Hill won as a sophomore was with his cousin Carter Hill, who was senior captain on that team. Finally, he plays for his uncle Aaron Hill, who has brought six state championships to Hazen and surpassed 400 career coaching wins this past winter before the age of 50.
“It has definitely been a really cool journey. I’ll be attending Saint Mike’s for business after graduation. As far as basketball goes, I can see myself trying out for the team, if not I would probably play intramurals,” said Hill.
