Ja’Bryant Hill’s path to UNK was paved by relationships and a will to win
KEARNEY – Basketball has been part of Ja’Bryant Hill’s life for as long as he can remember.
Some of his earliest memories are directly tied to the sport, playing inside the house with his cousins, taking turns shooting on a plastic Little Tikes hoop.
“I probably came out of my mother touching a basketball,” he joked. “I just remember having a basketball as long as I’ve been alive.”
That lifelong passion has carried him from the playgrounds to a Texas high school powerhouse, through junior college success in Arkansas and now to the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where the redshirt senior has become the engine of the Loper men’s basketball team.
A 5-foot-10 point guard with elite speed and a relentless approach, Hill has emerged as one of the top all-around players in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. He ranks second in the league in assists per game (5.6), fourth in free-throw percentage (84.8%), fifth in minutes played (32.8) and seventh in scoring (17.8) while leading the Lopers through a competitive campaign.
“Winning is my role,” Hill said. “Doing whatever it takes to win – that’s the best way for me to describe my game.”
‘Winning Written All Over Him’
A Dallas native, Hill grew up surrounded by sports. He played football and baseball and ran track before basketball became his sole focus during middle school.
On the court, he modeled his game after former NBA point guard John Wall, a five-time All-Star and No. 1 overall draft pick. He was drawn to Wall’s speed and athleticism, attacking style and playmaking ability.
“In Dallas, everybody loved Dirk (Nowitzki), of course, but he wasn’t my favorite player,” Hill said with a smile. “His game didn’t correlate to anything I do.”
At Duncanville High School, Hill helped lead the Panthers to a Class 6A state championship, competing against top-level talent in one of the nation’s toughest high school basketball environments. According to UNK head coach Marty Levinson, that background mattered.
“Any time someone comes from the Metroplex and they have success in Texas against top competition, that tells you a lot,” he said.
After a redshirt year at Western Texas College, Hill found his next opportunity at National Park College in Hot Springs, Arkansas – the perfect place to continue his basketball career. He played alongside current UNK teammates Anthony Swift and Taylor Harrell, forming a core that turned the Nighthawks into a national contender.
“Before coming to Kearney, that was probably the most fun I had in college,” Hill said. “It was a different experience. I really enjoyed the school and community, and we were able to bring them winning basketball. It was the best of both worlds.”
Coached by Dillon Hargrove, who’s now at McCook Community College in Nebraska, the trio helped National Park College capture the 2024 NJCAA Division II national championship, with Hill earning the Jack Cistriano Best Small Man Award for his performances throughout the tournament and Harrell receiving Pin Ryan Most Valuable Player recognition.
A second-team All-American, Hill averaged 17.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game that season and left National Park College as the school’s all-time leader in both steals (125) and made free throws (234).
Levinson, who coached against Hill earlier in his career, took notice.
“You could just tell he had winning written all over him,” Levinson said. “I knew his pedigree. I knew he was a winner.”
Building Bonds and Culture
With interest from Division I programs, Hill was initially hesitant when Levinson first reached out about joining the Lopers.
“I didn’t want to come here,” he admits.
That changed after Swift and Harrell visited Kearney and urged him to take a closer look.
During his own trip to campus, Hill met with Levinson and other staff members, as well as current players and Loper legends such as Tom Kropp, Dusty Jura and Loren Killion. Those conversations – not just basketball – made the difference.
“Marty actually cared about me as a person,” said Hill, who committed right after the visit. “It wasn’t just about basketball and what I could do on the court. I could tell he was more relationship-oriented, and that’s a big part of a winning culture.”
Levinson echoed that emphasis, pointing to long-standing connections with coaches and players as key to bringing all three former National Park teammates to UNK.
“It was about relationships,” he said. “We knew how good they were, and the goal was to get all three.”
For Hill, the opportunity to continue competing with Swift and Harrell helped solidify his decision. While many players chase awards or financial opportunities, the friendships formed with teammates have always been his driving force.
“The majority of the time, that’s my reason for playing,” he said. “I play for the memories with my teammates. That’s pretty important to me. My teammates have taught me a lot about myself, and they’ve taught me a lot about other people. I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”
Since arriving in Kearney, Hill has embraced the responsibility that comes with running the offense. A third-team All-MIAA selection last season, he started all 28 games as UNK reached the conference tournament for the first time in five years. Hill ranked fourth in the MIAA in steals per game (2), sixth in minutes played (34.2) and seventh in scoring (16).
“He’s the quickest guy on every floor he steps on,” Levinson said. “He’s a little bit undersized, so people test him, but he’s scrappy, tough and competitive. His speed and skill give him a chance to be successful anywhere.”
The UNK coach also calls him a thoughtful teammate and leader, although Hill views the latter as a shared responsibility.
“I feel like we should be a player-led team,” he said. “As college athletes, we should all be leaders.”
Off the court, Hill is involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and he assists with campus visits and athletics events whenever needed.
What Lies Ahead
Hill is studying sport and recreation management with a minor in marketing. He’ll graduate from UNK this summer, but he has another year of collegiate eligibility if he transfers to a Division I school. He’s also interested in playing internationally.
“I don’t want to stop playing,” he said. “I want to keep playing as long as I can.”
His long-term goal keeps him connected to the game. He wants to work in social media marketing for a professional team.
“If I’m not going to be playing sports, I still want to be around it, especially basketball,” he explained.
For now, his focus remains simple.
“I want to win,” Hill said. “There’s nothing you should want to accomplish more playing for Kearney.”
With 11 regular-season games remaining, the Lopers sit at 9-10, leaving plenty still to be decided.
Regardless of how things end, Hill’s time at UNK has already shaped him in ways that go far beyond the win-loss column.
“I don’t feel like I chose Kearney. I feel like Kearney chose me,” he said. “This is where I was supposed to be. Coming here was good for me as a person, as an athlete and most importantly as a human. I went through a lot of stuff coming to Kearney and being away from home. I had to find a new family here, and I feel like I have.”