Darrun Hilliard facts for kids
| Bilbao Basket | ||||||||||||||
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| Shooting guard / small forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | April 13, 1993 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| High school | Liberty (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Villanova (2011–2015) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2015 / Round: 2 / Pick: 38th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2015–present | |||||||||||||
| League | Liga ACB | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||
| 2015; 2017 | →Grand Rapids Drive | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | San Antonio Spurs | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | →Austin Spurs | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Baskonia | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | CSKA Moscow | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | FC Bayern Munich | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Pınar Karşıyaka | |||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | CB Breogán | |||||||||||||
| 2025 | BC UNICS | |||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Surne Bilbao Basket | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Darrun Cordell Hilliard II, born on April 13, 1993, is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Bilbao Basket in Spain's top league, the Liga ACB.
Hilliard went to Liberty High School in Pennsylvania. He was chosen as a top player twice by the Associated Press. In his final year of high school, he scored about 19.7 points per game.
He then played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats. He got better each year, helping Villanova reach the NCAA Tournament three times. As a senior, he was named to the first-team All-Big East. He was also honored as the Big 5 Player of the Year.
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Darrun Hilliard's Early Life
Darrun Hilliard was born on April 13, 1993. His parents are Charlene Jenkins and Darrun Hilliard. His dad played basketball in high school and taught Darrun the sport when he was five.
Darrun also played football when he was younger, but he liked basketball more. His favorite NBA player was Allen Iverson. He used to ride his bike to watch the Philadelphia Eagles practice.
High School Basketball Journey
Hilliard went to Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was a two-time first-team selection by the Associated Press. Even though he writes and throws a football with his right hand, he shoots a basketball with his left hand.
When he was a freshman, he was 6 feet, 1 inch tall. His parents separated after his freshman year. He became very close with Liberty's assistant coach, Mike Bachman.
Junior Year Success
As a junior, Hilliard scored about 18 points and grabbed six rebounds per game. He shot 52 percent from the field. He led his team, the Hurricanes, to the state semifinals. They lost to Penn Wood, but Hilliard scored 26 points in that game. He was named The Morning Call player of the year. He was also chosen for the First Team Class AAAA.
Senior Year Highlights
In his senior year, Hilliard averaged 19.7 points per game. He was named The Express-Times player of the year. He led the Hurricanes to the second round of the state playoffs.
Hilliard scored 1,413 points during his high school career. This made him the second-highest scorer in Liberty High School history. He decided to play for Villanova in November 2010.
College Basketball Career
Darrun Hilliard played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats. He showed great improvement throughout his time there.
Freshman Year Challenges
Villanova coach Jay Wright thought about having Hilliard sit out his freshman year. But injuries to other players meant Hilliard had to play. He scored 13 points in two games in December 2011.
As a freshman, he averaged 4.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. He played about 18 minutes per game in 29 games. He found it hard to adjust to a new coach and teammates. He said his freshman year was his "toughest year of basketball."
Sophomore Year Breakthrough
In his second year (2012–13), Hilliard averaged 11.4 points per game. He played almost 30 minutes per game. This was his breakout season, and he started all 34 games.
He helped Villanova beat some top-ranked teams. In a comeback win against #5 Louisville, he made a key play that started their rally. He scored 25 points and had six assists in a big win against #3 Syracuse. For this, he was named Big East Player of the Week. He also helped beat #5 Georgetown.
Villanova finished the season with 20 wins and 14 losses. They made it to the NCAA tournament. Hilliard scored 18 points in their loss to North Carolina.
Junior Year Improvements
Hilliard got even better in his junior year (2013–14). He averaged 14.3 points per game. His three-point shooting improved a lot, from 31.5 percent to 41.4 percent. He made 70 three-pointers that year.
He scored 20 points against Marquette in a win. He hit a crucial three-pointer in overtime against Providence. He set a new career high with 26 points against Marquette again.
Villanova had a great season with 29 wins and 5 losses. They won the Big East regular season championship. In the 2014 NCAA tournament, Hilliard scored 16 points to help Villanova win their first game. They lost to the eventual champions, Connecticut, with Hilliard scoring 13 points. He was recognized as an honorable mention all-Big East player. He also shared the Big East Most Improved Player award with his teammate.
Senior Year Leadership
Before his senior year (2014–15), Hilliard was named to the Preseason Second Team All-Big East. He averaged 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Villanova was ranked in the top ten for most of the season.
Hilliard scored 23 points in an overtime win against Syracuse. He scored 24 points and made 6 three-pointers against Creighton. On February 14, he scored a career-high 31 points against Butler. He also made a career-high 8 three-pointers and hit the game-winning shot with 1.5 seconds left.
Hilliard led Villanova to a 33–3 season. His final college game was a loss to N.C. State in the NCAA Tournament, where he scored 27 points. He finished his Villanova career with 1,511 points, which is 18th highest in school history. He also had 400 rebounds and 176 steals.
He was named a Second Team All-American by Sporting News. He was also named to the All Big East First Team and the Big 5 Player of the Year.
Professional Basketball Career
Detroit Pistons (2015–2017)
Darrun Hilliard was chosen by the Detroit Pistons as the 38th pick in the 2015 NBA draft. He signed a three-year deal with the Pistons.
He broke his nose during training camp and had to wear a mask. On November 23, he played his first NBA game. During his time with the Pistons, he also played for their minor league team, the Grand Rapids Drive.
In 2016, he had a stress fracture in his back and missed the Summer League. He continued to play for the Grand Rapids Drive during the 2016–17 season. In June 2017, he was traded to the Houston Rockets, then to the Los Angeles Clippers, who then waived him.
San Antonio Spurs (2017–2018)
In September 2017, Hilliard signed a special "two-way contract" with the San Antonio Spurs. This meant he could play for both the Spurs and their minor league team, the Austin Spurs.
He played well for the Austin Spurs, scoring 31 points in one game. He averaged 21.2 points per game for Austin.
Playing in Europe (2018–Present)
After his time in the NBA, Hilliard moved to Europe to continue his professional career.
Kirolbet Baskonia (2018–2019)
In August 2018, Hilliard signed a one-year deal with Kirolbet Baskonia in Spain. He averaged 9.4 points per game there.
CSKA Moscow (2019–2021)
In July 2019, Hilliard joined the Russian team CSKA Moscow. He scored 14 points against his old team, Baskonia. He extended his contract for another year in June 2020. He scored a career-high 31 points in a game against Baskonia in November. He left CSKA Moscow in June 2021.
Bayern Munich (2021–2022)
In July 2021, Hilliard signed with FC Bayern Munich in Germany. He averaged 12.7 points per game during the 2021–22 season.
Maccabi Tel Aviv (2022–2023)
In June 2022, Hilliard signed a one-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.
Pınar Karşıyaka (2023–2024)
In September 2023, he signed with Pınar Karşıyaka in Turkey.
Bilbao Basket (2025–Present)
In June 2025, he signed with Bilbao Basket in Spain, where he currently plays.
Playing for Team USA
Hilliard played for the senior United States national team in the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup. He helped the team win a gold medal. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team for his great performance.
Career Statistics
EuroLeague Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Baskonia | 34 | 11 | 20.5 | .412 | .322 | .775 | 2.9 | 1.1 | .7 | .1 | 9.4 | 6.9 |
| 2019–20 | CSKA Moscow | 27 | 12 | 20.1 | .404 | .412 | .796 | 2.4 | 1.2 | .6 | .1 | 10.6 | 7.1 |
| 2020–21 | 37 | 30 | 19.2 | .441 | .327 | .857 | 2.0 | 1.1 | .6 | .2 | 8.7 | 5.9 | |
| Career | 30 | 11 | 20.4 | .408 | .367 | .785 | 2.6 | 1.1 | .6 | .1 | 10 | 7 | |
NBA Stats
Regular Season NBA Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Detroit | 38 | 2 | 10.1 | .397 | .380 | .725 | 1.2 | .7 | .2 | .0 | 4.0 |
| 2016–17 | Detroit | 39 | 1 | 9.8 | .373 | .261 | .750 | .8 | .8 | .3 | .1 | 3.3 |
| 2017–18 | San Antonio | 14 | 0 | 6.8 | .263 | .000 | .857 | .5 | .8 | .1 | .0 | 1.1 |
| Career | 91 | 3 | 9.4 | .377 | .304 | .747 | .9 | .8 | .2 | .0 | 3.2 | |
See also
In Spanish: Darrun Hilliard para niños
