Big 12 School Offers Hernandez

Hector Hernandez, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound power forward from Abraham Lincoln High School in Denver, CO., is somewhat new to the game of basketball, but that hasn’t stopped a handful of high major coaches from showing interest in the Rocky Mountain big man. After spending the summer traveling with the Colorado Pump N’ Run team, Hernandez saw his stock rise and realized he had the potential to be successful player at the Division 1 level.

“Hector is a very hard worker and that has been a big part of his development,” Colorado Pump N’ Run Head Coach Fred Langley said. “If he doesn’t play well during a particular game, he heads straight for the gym and starts preparing himself for the next game.

“Hector has a lot of strength and skill, but he needs to refine some of those areas as well,” he added.

Hernandez is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico and has not spent a great deal of time in the United States, but he is making the adjustment on the court and, more importantly, in the classroom.

“Hector is a great kid, but he has a little mud in his blood,” Langley said. “He is very competitive on the court and in the classroom. He has a 3.5 GPA, but has not taken the ACT or SAT as of yet.

“Hector has a great high school coach that has done a wonderful job with him,” he added. “He has learned how to take advantage of mis-matches while on the court. He can take a bigger defender to the perimeter and has the ability to post up a smaller defender. He is a pretty good shooter for his size and can rebound the basketball.”

As far as his recruitment goes, Hernandez is receiving interest from a handful of high major schools. There is a chance that several more schools could get involved late in the recruiting process, so its not yet known if he will sign during the early period or wait and see if other opportunities develop.

“Texas Tech, Kansas State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Portland State are showing a lot of interest right now,” he said. “Coach Bobby Knight recently called and offered Hector a scholarship. Coach Knight really likes Hector, so we will see what happens.”

Rivals.com ranks Hernandez No. 83 on the Rivals150 list and the 22nd best power forward in the class of 2004.