Western Baptist Star Breaks Record With Class

Far from the hype and hysteria of big-time basketball, Brian Hills excels at one of the smallest of small colleges.

Western Baptist College, enrollment 720, sits on a peaceful hilltop on the southern outskirts of Salem.

For 22 years, Brian’s dad has coached these Warriors, players too short or too slow, or both, to make it in major-college basketball, let alone the NBA. But many of them can shoot. And none has shot more, or scored more, than Brian.

The 21-year-old senior, just short of his elementary education degree, has scored 3,093 points, breaking the NAIA Division II career record of 3,047 set from 1992-96 by Derek Vogel of Westbrook College of Portland, Maine.

In four seasons, he’s averaged 24.2 points per game. In the process, he’s earned the respect of his opponents, as much for his attitude as for his accomplishments.

“We bang him around and beat him up probably as much as any team,” said Marty Holly, coach at defending national champion Albertson College, “and he has nothing for us but a hug after the game. He just exudes class.”

It’s a kind of basketball played by hundreds of young men in gyms across the Northwest, in towns such as La Grande, Forest Grove, McMinnville and Bellingham.

Western Baptist is the kind of place where not only is the coach’s son the star of the team, but his daughter is also the scorekeeper.

Tim Hills graduated from Western Baptist in 1968. He has a 359-339 record his 22 seasons as coach, with a six-year break to coach at nearby Chemeketa Community College.

He recruits his players with a simple philosophy that requires them to keep their priorities straight: “Bible, books, basketball and babes,” he said.

“And babes only if you have time,” his son said.

As far back as Brian can remember, his dad was showing him how to hold the basketball when he shoots.

“He never wanted to shoot up close,” Tim Hills said. “It was always from far away.”

Brian was an all-state player at McKay High School and led his team to a third-place finish in the state tournament. But there were no recruiters. He didn’t have the athleticism for NCAA Division I. Besides, everyone knew where he was going.

“I never wanted to go anywhere but Western,” he said.

He has never regretted it.

“You know everybody here,” he said. “And especially since it’s a Christian college, everybody is interested in ‘The Word.’ I don’t think there is anyone here who can call someone else an enemy.”

Tim Hills has received a few letters accusing him of favoritism for allowing his son to shoot so much. But the coach said he always encourages his best shooters to shoot.

“When he gets on one of his streaks, sure I keep feeding him and feeding him,” Hills said. “I’d be an idiot not to.”

Since most of Brian’s shots are from long range, his percentage isn’t great. But that doesn’t keep him from shooting - a lot.

In four years, he’s taken 2,219 shots and made 881 of them (40 percent). From 3-point range, he’s made 430 of 1,268 (34 percent). He’s also gone to the free-throw line a remarkable 1,122 times and made 901 (80 percent).

“The thing about him is he’s the smartest player you’ll ever play against,” Holly said. “I’ve been coaching a long time and he is as good as any player I’ve ever seen at getting fouled - legitimate fouls. He is a nightmare to prepare against.”

At 6 feet and 200 pounds, he’s anything but physically imposing.

“You look at his body. He’s a little stumpy guy. God didn’t give him a lot of athleticism,” Holly said. “You cannot be a better player than he is for what God has given him.”

Brian’s career high was 49 against Albertson as a freshman. Last year, he was the No. 2 scorer in NAIA Division II at 27.9 points per game and was a second-team all-American.

This year, bothered by a sore ankle, his scoring average is down to 22.3 points per game. But his team is a winner at 18-7.

Brian hopes to get a chance to play in Europe when he’s finished with college. After that, he plans to teach the fifth, sixth or seventh grade.

“That’s an age where you still have a chance to reach kids,” he said, “where you can still get them going in the right direction.”