Walk-on brings energy and hustle to men’s hoops team
Matt Hilton passed on D-II offers to play here
By Tim Chapman, staff writer
Posted on February 9, 2007

56 points in a single game. 733 points in a single season. 2,327 points in a four-year career. All of these numbers resemble the high-school career of a McDonald’s All-American, a player at Duke or a Carolina basketball star.

But the owner of these Lewistown Area High School and Mifflin County records is JMU’s own freshman guard Matt Hilton.

Well then, surely Dukes coach Dean Keener and his staff must have offered this first team All-Pennsylvania AAA player a full-scholarship, right? Not exactly.

At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Hilton doesn’t quite fit the mold of the average NCAA Division-I guard. He is listed as the shortest player on the Dukes’ roster at a height that would have probably suited him just fine at the various Division II and III schools that sought after him. But Hilton chose to join JMU as an invited “walk-on,” — a non-scholarship player in an unfamiliar role that would see him on the bench far more than on the court.

“It was just the mindset to be a part of the D-I program,” Hilton said of his decision. “You can’t beat being able to practice against this level of players every day.”

Hilton has appeared in six games for a total of just 11 minutes, but Keener stresses the value he puts on each member of his team.

“I don’t even think of him as a walk-on,” Keener said. “He goes about his business in a quiet way, but he knows he belongs and so do we as a staff.”

Freshman guard Pierre Curtis had similar sentiments about Hilton’s work-ethic and abilities, but laughed at the idea that his suitemate is quiet. 

“Most walk-ons are on the team because they work hard and hustle, which he does, but he can [really] play, and that’s what most people don’t know,” Curtis said. “But he’s goofy, some people think he’s quiet, but not around us.”

Being able to have classes with his teammates has also helped Hilton be more comfortable around them, allowing him to show off his humor.

Hilton recalled one instance when he and other teammates had to rappel down Eagle Hall for a class, and freshman forward Matt Parker lost his footing at the top.

“He thought he was going to free fall down and was kicking his legs,” Hilton said. “We held that against him for a while.”

Said sophomore guard Kyle Swanston: “He fits in perfectly. He’s funny and adds to every conversation; he keeps us honest.”

Hilton will continue to try to be honest with himself, too, and admitting that although the lack of playing time can be frustrating, it’s something that pushes him to work harder.

“I’m enjoying the experience,” Hilton said. “The coaches have told me what I need to work on and how to help the team, and I know I need to prepare them for the next team we’re playing.”

Although unaccustomed to seeing their son play so little, John and Robin Hilton attempt to make the three-and-a-half hour drive for as many home games as they can. Matt credits his parents’ support (especially his dad’s) as the biggest reason he’s still playing.

“During [my high school] season [my dad] would take me to the gym every Sunday to shoot 500 shots,” Hilton said. “And in the summer, we’d shoot 500 every day.”