For Mitchell Hill, finding a place to play college basketball was not a simple process. Coming out of Big Lake, Minnesota, Hill knew he wanted to continue playing, but the schools he considered never quite gave him the feeling he was looking for. He wanted a coach who made him feel welcomed and a place that could eventually feel like home. "I wanted a coach who made me feel welcomed and a place that almost felt like my hometown," Hill said. That search ultimately led him to Saint Mary's University of Minnesota through a connection he never expected to be so important.
Hill's former summer basketball coach, Tyler Engel, had played at Saint Mary's before eventually coaching at North Central University. Engel helped connect Hill with the Saint Mary's program and former head coach Fano, opening the door for Hill to visit campus. During that visit, Hill toured the school, met the players, and got a chance to experience the atmosphere for himself. Although Hill technically was not recruited and could be considered a walk-on, the visit gave him something he had not found at the other schools he was considering. The players welcomed him, the environment felt comfortable, and, for the first time in the process, Hill could picture himself spending the next four years in one place.
The decision still did not happen immediately. After his visit, Hill spent about a week comparing Saint Mary's with his other options before finally making his choice. What separated the Cardinals was not simply basketball, but the feeling he got from the people around the program. "I loved the atmosphere," Hill said, explaining that Saint Mary's gave him the hometown feeling he had been looking for. Four years later, that feeling would become one of the defining parts of his college experience.
Arriving at Saint Mary's also meant learning what college basketball demanded from him. Hill quickly discovered that the physical side of the game was a major adjustment, particularly the conditioning that included running hills and outdoor workouts. He eventually adapted, but the transition was about more than physical preparation. Hill began his career moving between point guard and shooting guard before settling into a two-guard role, which forced him to learn how to impact the game without always having the ball. He had to become comfortable moving without the ball, getting teammates open and understanding how to make himself valuable within the offense.
Finding his role required Hill to understand what the program expected from him. A conversation with his head coach helped define what he needed to do if he wanted to earn a specific role, and Hill began working toward those expectations. It was another part of the college experience that taught him patience and the importance of putting in the work before expecting a result. The player who arrived at Saint Mary's was still trying to figure out where he belonged, both on the court and within a new environment. Over time, that process became less about finding a role and more about understanding what kind of person and teammate he wanted to become.
Then, before his senior season, Hill faced something much bigger than basketball.
During the summer before going into his junior year, Hill lost his mother, an experience that put him in a completely different headspace and set him back emotionally. In the middle of that difficult period, basketball became an outlet rather than simply another responsibility. "It became more than just a game," Hill said, explaining that the sport helped him clear his head when he needed somewhere to focus. That experience also changed the way Hill viewed his own success, shifting his attention away from simply trying to be the best player he could be. Instead, he began to see his senior year as an opportunity to become someone his teammates could look up to and someone they could rely on when they needed help.
For Hill, leadership became less about a title and more about being present for the people around him. Over four years, many of his teammates became some of his closest friends, and he believes those relationships helped develop him just as much as basketball did. Former teammates Breyton Buysman and Owen Ziegler were particularly important, whether they were giving him rides home, helping with schoolwork or simply being there through basketball and life. Those relationships showed Hill what it meant to have people around him who were willing to support him beyond what happened on the court. "They mean the world to me," Hill said of his teammates, describing the relationships as ones he expects to carry with him for the rest of his life.
That sense of connection is what Hill believes separates Saint Mary's from other programs.
"It's like a family," Hill said.
For Hill, that description is about more than the time spent together at practice or during games. The team spends time together away from basketball, whether that means hanging out, traveling or simply being around one another. One of his favorite memories came during a team trip to California about two years ago, when the Cardinals played games but also had time to enjoy the experience together outside the gym. The trip stands out because of the memories created with teammates, which is ultimately what Hill says he will remember most from his four years.
Now, with his final season underway, Hill is approaching basketball with a different perspective. The changes he has experienced in his roles and positions have taught him how to transition into difficult situations, something he believes applies to life just as much as it does to basketball. His individual goal is to stop putting difficult things off, whether that means schoolwork, basketball responsibilities or workouts. Rather than waiting until later, Hill wants to handle challenges when they are in front of him and continue developing the discipline that has helped him grow throughout college. His team goal is equally clear: after a disappointing previous season, he wants the Cardinals to have a better year and wants to do everything he can to help the group improve.
Four years have changed what the Saint Mary's jersey means to Hill.
"It's my new home," Hill said.
When Hill looks at the jersey now, he sees much more than the name of a school or the number on his back. He sees the ups and downs of his four years, the relationships he built, the difficult moments he endured, and the player and person he became along the way. The jersey represents a journey that began with a player searching for somewhere that felt right and eventually became a place he could call home. After everything that has happened since that first visit, Hill knows the meaning behind wearing it has changed.
The growth has extended beyond basketball, too. Hill said being a student-athlete helped him become a better person, build stronger relationships and become more comfortable communicating with others. He came to Saint Mary's without being particularly outgoing, but the relationships he developed forced him to become more willing to ask questions, seek help, and communicate with the people around him. Those are lessons he knows will matter regardless of what comes after college basketball. For Hill, the experience has shown him that personal growth can come from simply being willing to put yourself around people and allow those relationships to shape you.
The lessons Hill takes from basketball will not end when his playing career does. One of the biggest is that if he is going to commit to something, he wants to do it fully rather than set a standard he will eventually regret. Hill does not necessarily see himself working directly in basketball forever, but he would like to remain connected to the game in some way. Training others, coaching, running camps, or helping people learn a sport he loves are possibilities he can see for his future. Whatever direction he takes, the idea of helping others is something he expects to carry with him.
Looking back, Hill would give his high-school self advice that reflects how much he has changed. He would tell himself to get to know people, be himself and avoid changing who he is simply to fit in. The right relationships, he believes, come from being comfortable with who you are rather than trying to become someone else. The adversity he has faced throughout his college career has reinforced that perspective. Whether it was the physical challenge of conditioning or much more difficult moments away from basketball, Hill has learned that getting through something difficult can make finishing it that much more meaningful.
That is ultimately the legacy Hill wants to leave at Saint Mary's.
He does not need to be the official captain to consider himself a leader. Younger players already come to him when they need help understanding the game, and Hill wants to continue being someone they can rely on. More than statistics or individual accomplishments, he hopes the younger players remember the example he set and the willingness he had to help them. Hill also understands that people can be dealing with things others never see, which is why he believes being there for someone can matter more than people realize.
After four years, Mitchell Hill's story at Saint Mary's has become about far more than basketball. He arrived in Winona searching for a place that felt like home and found it through a program that welcomed him, teammates who became family, and experiences that changed the way he viewed himself and the people around him. The difficult moments became part of the journey, just as the victories, friendships and memories did. Now, with one final season in the Saint Mary's jersey, Hill is focused on giving everything he has to the program and the people who helped make it home.
For Mitchell Hill, four years at Saint Mary's have been about more than basketball. They have been about finding a home, growing through adversity, and leaving something behind for those who come next.
