If you had to pick the best player in black college men’s basketball, chances are you would first look to the MEAC to find him. Maybe Tywain McKee at Coppin State, perhaps SC State big man Jason Johnson.

But the best player in black college basketball, and one of the best in all of college basketball, is Anthony Hilliard of the undefeated Elizabeth City State Vikings. The senior guard out of Fayetteville, NC leads the conference in scoring at just under 26 points per game, and is second in the conference in rebounding at 11.4 through eight games.

And that’s just the icing, because the cake is his .504 field goal percentage and 2.3 steals per game. Not a bad start for the reigning CIAA Player of the Year and national Division II all-American who led the Vikings to their first 20-win season in nine years last year and has them ranked 23rd in the National Association of Basketball Coaches polls this week.

Hilliard has been the leading scorer in all but two games for the Vikings, and the leading rebounder in all but one contest. In games decided by three points or fewer against Morehouse and Central State, Hillard has scored no less than 25 points and collected no less than 11 boards.

Pro scouts should not have a hard time finding Anthony Hilliard, because the long trail of stats and accolades following him all the way to the 2009 CIAA Tournament this year shouldn’t be that hard to locate.

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