RICHMOND, Va.- Some athletes struggle when the lights are brightest and expectations are highest. That does not appear to be the case for VCU guard Terrence Hill Jr. This season, Hill is enjoying a breakout sophomore campaign as the Rams' spark plug off the bench, leading the team in scoring and 3-pointers.
 
Hill shined on the national stage during the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, with each game televised before an audience of millions on the ESPN family of networks. During the final game of the tournament on Nov. 27, Hill and the Rams faced Virginia Tech for in-state bragging rights between the two programs. He responded to the moment by nailing all five of his 3-point attempts and scoring a career-high 21 points in the 86-68 victory.
 
In addition to his performance against the Hokies, Hill also shined in the Rams Atlantis opener when he scored 15 points in a victory over South Florida. In the first half of that match-up, Hill went on a personal 7-0 run that included back-to-back 3-pointers, as the Rams built a lead.
 
"I am just a confident person in general," Hill said. "I work on my game a lot, and I know I am going to be prepared. After the [Battle 4 Atlantis], it was a huge boost to my confidence knowing that I can do this at the highest level."
 
If Hill had any doubts about his readiness prior to the Bahamas, it appears they were washed away in the island surf. Since VCU's return to the mainland, Hill has thrown his game into high gear. He poured in a career-high 22 points against Samford, dropped 21 on the road at Duquesne, and has scored in double figures in seven of eight games since Thanksgiving. Hill is averaging a team-best 14.0 points per game this year, the fourth-highest in the country by a player who has not started a game this season, while shooting .524 from the field. He ranks 12^th nationally in offensive rating, according to KenPom.
 
Hill says VCU fans and the Siegel Center atmosphere have helped fuel his rise. In eight home games this season, Hill is averaging 14.7 points, while shooting .434 (23-of-53) from beyond the arc.
 
"It is definitely a boost playing here in the Siegel Center." Hill said, "I feel at home playing here and there is a boost for me to play confidently knowing that I have the whole Siegel Center behind me."
 
Despite his strong play, Hill did not always know that he would don the black and gold for VCU. A Portland, Ore. native, Hill had many offers from a number of west-coast programs, such as New Mexico, Oregon State and Utah State but not much interest from schools on the east coast.

"It has definitely been a crazy journey." Hill said, "I was originally committed to Utah State and then a coaching departure happened. I reconnected with Coach Ryan Odom and his staff and that brought me to VCU originally."
 
Despite growing up on the west coast and garnering offers mostly from regional schools, Hill wanted to challenge himself with a cross-country move.
 
"I always wanted to go to school on the east coast," Hill said. "It is different from where I am from and I wanted to challenge myself to see what I was made of."
 
During his freshman season, Hill played sparsely for the Rams, biding his time while stars like Max Shulga and Joe Bamisile led VCU to an Atlantic 10 Conference regular season and tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. Hill showed flashes as a freshman, but was limited to 6.1 minutes and 3.4 points per game.
 
Despite limited opportunities on the court, Hill grew closer with many of his teammates through the journey, which he says has allowed him to forge deeper bonds in his sophomore campaign.
 
"I grew close with some of the returners like Brandon [Jennings] and [Christian] Fermin." Hill said, "The relationships grew strong going through that long season. Winning an A-10 Championship brings you closer. You see these guys every day, you live with these guys. It's hard not to get close with each other."
 
Those relationships made the decision to return to VCU easy after his freshman year, despite a coaching change and departure of many key players to graduation or the transfer portal. Hill is one of five returning Rams from the 2024-25 season and he initially wondered how he would fit in to a new system under head coach Phil Martelli Jr.
 
Once he arrived in Richmond, Coach Martelli and Hill had a one-on-one conversation to help each learn more about one another.
 
"I talked to Coach Martelli, and he said that he heard a lot of good things about me." Hill said, "He knew I was a good player from watching the little things last year, and he instilled that confidence in me early."
 
The early conversations with Coach Martelli and the rest of the staff also helped him mold his game to best help the team this season. Despite coming off the bench, Hill averages nearly 20 minutes per game, and his role is clear: provide a spark by shooting the ball whenever given the opportunity.
 
"[Coach Martelli] wants me to shoot the ball," Hill said. "He wants me to take shots for this team because he knows my skill level. I was able to apply what he told me coming into this season, and I will be ready for any opportunity that he is going to give me."
 
With this increased confidence, opportunity, and track record, Hill hopes to play a vital role for the Rams as they pursue their third A-10 title and NCAA Tournament appearance in four seasons. As VCU enters conference play, Hill's emergence gives the Rams a proven scoring threat when the stakes are highest.
 
"Going forward this season, I just want to stay confident and do what my team needs me to do to win," Hill said.