Top-ranked sophomore Colton Hiller
Colton Hiller is one of the top sophomore basketball players in the country, but he remains humble. "I try to block out the noise...I'm just focused on the season right now. You got to stay level-headed and keep your circle tight," he told SV Sports' Paul Roberts. The 6'6 guard from Coatesville already has more than a dozen offers including Alabama, UCLA, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, Syracuse, Villanova, and BYU. Hiller is ranked #3 by 247Sports and #4 by ESPN in the Class of 2028. He played on the USA U16 team that won gold this summer in Juarez, Mexico. Hiller averaged 13 points and made a team-high 14 three-pointers in six games. "It was awesome. Being able to play with the best, and knowing I can play with the best, is great," he replied. Hiller's high school season started last Friday in the Ches-Mont Challenge at West Chester University. He had a team-high 19 points in a 76-62 win over District 1 power Lower Merion. The Red Raiders outscored the Aces 24-to-13 in the second quarter which featured a four-point play by Hiller. Four players finished in double digits for the Red Raiders. Larry Brown, a 6'7 senior, provided 18 points and Jahlil Thedford added 12 off the bench. "We got guys all around. We're loaded all through the bench," noted Hiller. The bench includes Colton's big brother, Max Hiller. The 6'6, 305-pound junior is a 5-star offensive lineman. "He's gonna protect me. I don't gotta worry about anything when he's out there. He'll set screens for me," stated Colton. Former Coatesville standout John Allen is in his fourth season as the Red Raiders' head coach. He racked up 2,372 career points in high school and led Coatesville to a state championship in 2001. Allen was a four-year starter at Seton Hall who then played professionally in Europe for seven years. "He had to deal with the face guarding in high school too, the double teams. He teaches me how to get through that. He calms me down. He helps me out a lot," emphasized Hiller. The Red Raiders won 24 games a season ago, but lost in the District 1 semifinals and the PIAA-6A quarterfinals. Hiller has big goals for this year. "Definitely winning all three [championships], Ches-Mont, District's, and State's," he said.