GREENVILLE, S.C. — Terrence Hill Jr., VCU’s 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, has always had a passion for writing. Not professionally, mind you, but he’s been a consistent chronicler of his life.
“I always like to stay in the moment,” Hill tells Hoops HQ. “So for me, that’s writing about stuff in my personal life and reflecting on it.”
Given his penchant for putting his thoughts on paper, Hoops HQ couldn’t help but ask the question. If he were a sportswriter, what would he have written about No. 11-seeded VCU’s 82-78 overtime victory over No. 6 North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament’s South Regional on Thursday night?
Hill laughs as he ponders the possibilities of structuring the story of a game in which he scored 34 points on 13-of-23 shooting, including 7 of 10 from three-point range.
“Man,” Hill says. “I would start with, it was a game for the ages. Bluebloods vs. highly touted mid-major. Just a battle. One of those March Madness games you dream about that you want to be in.”
In March 2025, after former VCU coach Ryan Odom left for Virginia, five Rams stayed behind to play for new coach Phil Martelli, Jr. One of them was Hill, who posted modest statistics his freshman season while playing behind veteran guards. One of those was Max Shulga, who this month signed a two-year contract with the Boston Celtics.
The new VCU staff — which included Martelli’s brother Jimmy and former Holy Cross head coach Brett Nelson — knew there was more to Hill than numbers. And there were plenty of sources on campus to provide positive feedback.
“We relied on the infrastructure that is VCU,” Jimmy Martelli says. “Our strength coach, or trainer, our academic advisor. They were able to speak to Terrence’s character, but they also said, you don’t understand — Terrence can really play.”
Last summer during workouts, the VCU coaches got to see that for themselves. At first, it was the coaches against the five returnees, which included three other scholarship players — forwards Michael Belle and Christian Fermin, and another sophomore guard, Brandon Jennings.
“Our numbers kept growing as the weeks went by and we recruited more players, but every day, we’d leave the workout saying there’s something there about Terrence,” Martelli says. “His confidence kept growing and our system really fit him.”
It turned out that fit called for Hill to come off the bench. He leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in games played (35), but he’s started only two times. Still, he leads the 28-7 Rams in scoring (14.9 points per game) and assists (101). He’s a tough cover because he can attack the rim, gets to the free-throw line often and converts (84.4 percent), and leads the team in made threes (78) while shooting 37.1 percent from behind the arc.
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Jimmy Martelli hesitates for a second when asked to describe Hill’s game.
“Wizardry,” was the word Martelli finally conjured. “At first glance, you’re going to see a shorter guy who’s not super fast. He just finds a way to get to his spots and either gets the shot he wants or a shot for a teammate.”
Nelson, who as a player was a key cog in three Florida NCAA Tournament teams, appreciates those nuances.
“He’s a guy with a great basketball IQ, a great feel,” Nelson says. “Everybody talks about the way he can shoot the ball, but decision making is what sticks out to me. Especially on the offense end. He makes the right reads and makes everybody around him better.”
On Saturday, VCU and Hill could write another chapter in an NCAA Tournament that so far at least, has returned to its unpredictable form after a couple of years of higher-seed domination. The opponent will be even more formidable than the Tar Heels: No. 3 seed Illinois. Hill told his teammates before the North Carolina game to be aggressive. He’s not going to back away from that against the Illini.
That practically begged a final question of Hill. If you were describing your game, what would you write?
“I’m not the fastest guy, so I use pace to my advantage,” Hill says. “I like to get my teammates involved. I’m a very creative passer. But when those big shots need to be taken, I’m the guy to call.”
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