Northwest Note: Hill shoots way to WAC honor

DENVER - After sinking 13 3-pointers in two games, Idaho junior Connor Hill was named the Western Athletic Conference men's basketball Player of the Week.

Hill shot 68.4 percent from 3-point range, going 13-for-19 in a pair of Vandal road wins that lifted Idaho to the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament.

"Connor shot the ball extremely well this week," Idaho coach Don Verlin said. "Shooting 68 percent from 3, an unbelievable performance and obviously deserving of the WAC Player of the Week. He's obviously on a roll going into the tournament."

Hill, a Post Falls native, went 7 for 9 from 3 and 9 for 11 overall in Idaho's 79-76 win at Chicago State last Thursday, netting 27 points and adding a career-high three steals. On Saturday, he went 6 of 10 from deep, and scored 24 points in the Vandals' 87-80 win at Kansas City - averaging 25.5 points, four rebounds and two steals per game. His 13 3-pointers give him 95 for the season, just four shy of Idaho's single-season record. With 229 career 3-pointers, Hill is the program's career leader.

It is the second time that Hill has won the award and seventh for an Idaho player, as senior Stephen Madison has racked up five.

The Vandals open WAC tournament play Thursday in Las Vegas vs. UMKC.