Eric Hicks

10/10/03: "In court, Eric Hicks' legal matter is still pending, although the University of Cincinnati basketball player learned this week that he likely will not face criminal punishment when his misdemeanor assault case was sent to private mediation.
On the court, however, Hicks has finished serving the duration of the punishment that UC imposed on the sophomore forward.

UC athletic director Bob Goin said Thursday that Hicks is no longer serving an indefinite suspension and is free of any restrictions heading into the official start of the season on Oct. 18. "We've given him his privileges back with the team," Goin said. "He's been training this preseason -- because the report that I get (about the legal issue) is it's going to be dissolved."

On May 19, Goin ordered Hicks be indefinitely suspended for conduct detrimental to program. That was the day Hicks was arrested on a felony charge of aggravated assault stemming from a May 17 beer-bottle throwing incident with a woman in a Corryville nightclub. Under the terms of the suspension, Hicks was not permitted to participate in any basketball-related activities and was "not to step foot in" Shoemaker Center during the pending legal process, Goin said after announcing Hicks' punishment. (Hicks was permitted to remain on scholarship.)

Hicks' case on Wednesday was sent to private mediation, where attorneys for Hicks and Alicia Simmons will try to reach a civil agreement, sources close to both people said. If both parties reach an agreement, Hicks' misdemeanor charge likely will be dropped. He is scheduled to be back in court on Nov. 19.

Hicks could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

The fact that Hicks no longer is serving a suspension is actually old news, at least to those inside the UC program. Goin said Thursday that he privately lifted the suspension soon after a Hamilton County grand jury indicted Hicks on a first-degree misdemeanor assault charge May 28. Goin had indicated that day that the indictment improved Hicks' chances of having his suspension lifted, saying "all I know is this gives him some breathing room. We won't play anybody who has been convicted of a felony."

(Per athletic department policy, an athlete charged with a felony is not permitted to participate in any athletic endeavors during the pending legal process. If convicted of a felony, the athlete is permanently dismissed from his or her respective program.)

Goin also said Thursday that he was inclined to lift Hicks' suspension because he responded well to the athletic director's no-more-chances mandates during meetings this summer. "He knows he has a lot of things to do to represent the university, and I've liked the way he's accepted that," Goin said. "He's been very responsible."

UC head coach Bob Huggins, who was traveling most of the summer, received reports that Hicks took care of business throughout the summer.

"He had a really good summer," Huggins said. "He worked hard."

Associate head coach Dan Peters, who oversees the offseason program, noticed Hicks' diligent efforts each day. "I think he's matured," Peters said. "There are just little things you can see. Maybe it's that he's older, and maybe it's from what he's been through."

UC expects the 6-foot-6 Hicks to play a pivotal backup role at the power forward position, and he could play some at small forward. Hicks, known for his leaping ability and physical prowess while in high school in Greensboro, N.C., has been gradually improving his ball handling skills and mid-range jump shot. "There's days he shoots the ball pretty good out there," Peters said of Hicks, who averaged 2.5 points and 3.6 rebounds while playing in 26 games as a freshman. "He's got to continue to work on his ball handling and his range -- that will dictate if he plays some on the perimeter." - CincyPost.com


12/11/02: By now, Eric Hicks figured he would be rebounding and scoring and blocking shots for the University of Cincinnati. Just as he did in high school.

The runner-up for state high school player of the year in North Carolina last season was one of UC's prized recruits, an athlete with jaw-dropping talent and the potential to make an immediate impact in college. But so far his impact at UC has been negligible.

In the early stages of his college career, Hicks has learned the hard way that his glittering high school credentials don't mean a thing on the Shoemaker Center practice floor. What matters to UC coach Bob Huggins is how well Hicks competes in practice, not how many points he scored in high school.

That explains why the player who was nicknamed "Helicopter" in high school because of his uncanny leaping ability has played only 21 minutes during UC's first five games. "He didn't understand the sense of urgency that you have to have," Huggins said. "But he's getting there."

Hicks, a 6-foot-6 freshman forward from Dudley High School in Greensboro, averaged 30.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 6.7 blocked shots as a senior last season.

You would think on a UC team that has trouble scoring, especially along the front line, a player with those numbers would have received an opportunity to show what he could do by now. But Hicks is still waiting. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say Huggins is still waiting for Hicks to show he deserves a chance to play more frequently. "That's all I want is a shot," Hicks said. "I'll take it from there. In practice lately, I've been playing better. I've got to play in practice. I realized that after the first couple of games."

Hicks isn't the only member of the family who's getting a little anxious about Eric's lack of playing time. His older brother, Derrick, is wondering, too.

Derrick Hicks, who graduated in May from North Carolina A&T, moved to Cincinnati when Eric decided to play for UC. He lives in a Clifton apartment, works a construction job and attends practice when his schedule allows. It's an unusual arrangement, but both Hicks brothers say it works, and Huggins says he has no problem with Derrick being around so much. "I wouldn't want my brother hanging around all the time," Huggins said. "But I'm not Eric. In a lot of ways, it helps him. Derrick tells him a lot of good stuff."

It was Derrick who convinced Eric to choose UC over Tennessee; now he's urging his brother to remain positive. "Me and him had an agreement," Derrick said. "Whatever school he went to, I was going to relocate with him. He didn't want to come this far away from home, but I sat down and told him the pros and cons of UC. He said: `That's eight hours away. You've got to go there with me.'

"It's not that he's getting frustrated. He just wants an opportunity to play. He's just got to make the most of the minutes he gets. When he gets in there, he has to produce and be special."

Having his brother nearby has been beneficial, Eric says. When he's bored or feeling a little down, he can visit Derrick and receive the support that others in his situation can get only over their cell phones.

He's still convinced he chose the right school, no matter how tough things are now. "I came here because I knew I could get better here," Eric said. "The stuff the other schools were telling me sounded good but it sounded too good."

Hicks' progress has been hindered by his recovery from the knee surgery he had in August to correct torn knee ligaments he suffered during his sophomore year in high school. Derrick estimates the knee is 90 percent of what it was and Huggins agrees that Hicks has yet to regain the explosiveness that made him effective in high school. But that's not what's keeping him off the floor at UC. "His knee is not even a factor no more," Derrick said. "When you're in the locker room and the adrenaline is flowing, the adrenaline is blocking out the knee pain." - Enquirer.com

= = = =

8/26/02: Was ranked the 55th best player in his class in a consensus rating of all HS players. HoopScoop, InsidersHoops, PrepStars and SchoolSports contributed to the rankings. Hicks moved up 43 places, compared to the previous list that had been published. 43 was the greatest movement by any player listed. - Mike Ryan

7/10/02: Moved to inactive - Mike Ryan

7/7/02: "Eric Hicks is Cincinnati's highest-rated high school recruit, ranked No. 40 by Brick Oettinger's PrepStars and No. 44 by Dave Telep's TheInsidersHoops.com. The 6-6 forward from Greensboro, N.C. is No. 88 by ESPN.com." - UCBearcats.com

6/22: "The gunshot wound Eric Hicks suffered in his left leg Monday morning will only cost him about a month out of his basketball career, which he feels very fortunate about. The down side is his rehabilitation from the injury required that he withdraw from next month's East-West All-Star boys basketball game at the Greensboro Coliseum. The former Dudley star would have liked to put on one more show for the home folks before becoming a Cincinnati Bearcat. "I wanted to play," Hicks said Friday, "but I'm not going to jeopardize my future for the East-West game." Hicks had planned to leave Monday for Cincinnati to register for summer-school classes. The plan changed when he was shot while trying to break up a dispute at Woodlea Acres in southeast Greensboro and hospitalized early that morning. He postponed his departure for Cincinnati to next week so he could begin his rehabilitation at home. He won't try to play basketball for 3-4 weeks. By Friday, the swelling was down and Hicks' optimism was up. No arrests in the shooting incident had been reported as of Friday afternoon. Greensboro police had characterized Hicks as "uncooperative" after interviewing him Monday. That wasn't fair, Hicks said, because he simply couldn't positively identify the shooter. "How can I tell you something I don't know?" he says." - Greensboro Record

6/18/02: "Former Dudley basketball star Eric Hicks said he expected to be released from Moses Cone Hospital this afternoon after he was shot in the left leg during a feud at Largo Park just after 1am. Hicks, runner-up for Associated Press state player-of-the-year honors as a senior, escaped serious injury in the shooting, which is under investigation by police. A single shot went through his leg a few inches below the knee without doing significant damage. Surgery was not required, and he expects to return to the basketball court within 2-4 weeks. "I feel lucky," Hicks said Monday morning. Hicks was scheduled to start summer-session classes Monday at the University of Cincinnati, where he's on a basketball scholarship. He said he'll instead drive to Cincinnati on Tuesday. Derrick Hicks said his brother was shot while trying to break up a fight between Dudley students. Greensboro police have made no arrests but are continuing to investigate the incident, according to a statement released Monday morning." - Greensboro News Record

6/18: "University of Cincinnati basketball signee Eric Hicks was shot in the left leg during a feud at a Greensboro, N.C., park just after 1am. Monday, but he escaped serious injury and his playing career shouldn't be jeopardized. Hicks, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward from Greensboro Dudley High, was released from Moses Cone Hospital late Monday afternoon. His mother, Eva Lindsay, said Hicks will come to Cincinnati today to enroll in UC summer-session classes; he was scheduled to begin classes Monday. "It was a big scare, but he's doing good now," Lindsay said. Hicks told the Greensboro News & Record, "I feel lucky." A single shot went through Hicks' leg a few inches below the knee without doing significant damage. Surgery was not required, and Hicks is expected to return to the basketball court in 2-4 weeks. No arrests have been made, but the shooting is under investigation by Greensboro police, according to a statement released Monday morning. Lindsay said her son was trying to break up a fight between Dudley students. "He was in the wrong place, just trying to do good," she said. Hicks is No. 88 in ESPN.com's national recruiting ratings." - Enquirer.com

6/4/02: "Dudley's Eric Hicks and Williams 7-footer Adam Simons have been selected to play in next month's Oasis Shrine East-West boys basketball all-star game. The Cincinnati-bound Hicks, the runner-up for Associated Press state player of the year, and Simons, an N.C. State signee, are two of the bigger names in the 54th boys all-star game, which will be played July 16 at the Greensboro Coliseum." - Greensboro News

5/19/02: Listed as the 40th best player in his class. - PrepStars

5/17: Hicks is ranked the 104th best player in his class. - Student Sports

5/9: Ranked 40th best player in the country. - Hoop Scoop (Alexander Johnson was also tied for 40th; Hite 47th, J Lamptey 65th; Chadd Moore 100th)

4/15: "UK recruits Brandon Stockton and Kalenna Azubuike came to prove to skeptical Wildcats fans that they are worthy of wearing the Blue and White, while UC recruit Eric Hicks came to prove to his home state school, North Carolina, what a mistake it made not recruiting him. All three were successful in their quests, although it was Hicks who perhaps stood out the most even as his Purple team lost to Stockton's and Azubuike's White team, 149-120, in the Derby Festival Classic before a crowd of 10,911. Hicks, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound from Greensboro, N.C., was selected Most Valuable Player of the Purple team on the strength of scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds and living up to his nickname 'The Helicopter' with seven dunks. He admitted after his performance that he plays with a chip on his shoulder because North Carolina shunned him. "I'd been trying to go to Carolina since my freshman year, but they didn't want me,'' said Hicks, who also won the dunk contest at halftime with a perfect score on each of his three dunks. ''I stuck with Cincinnati, because when they found out about me they were there from then on." Part of the reason that North Carolina backed off of him was that he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in March of his sophomore season, which kept him from really blossoming until the summer between his junior and senior seasons, and because he didn't earn a qualifying SAT score until recently. That shouldn't keep UC fans from being happy that he plays angry toward North Carolina. His most vicious dunk of the night came when he went soaring down the lane to grab an offensive rebound in mid-air and slammed it over 6-foot-7, 280-pound Mario Boggan, who is heading to Florida. He said he's looking forward to chasing down errant shots at UC along with this year's freshman standout, Jason Maxiell. "We'll be battling each other for the rebound," said Hicks. "I'd rather him dunk on me than the other team." - Cincy Post

4/14: "Hicks, who is an incredible athlete and intense competitor, is the prototypical undersized power player that Cincinnati head coach Bobby Huggins had been so successful with over the years."
- http://www.hoopscooponline.com/

4/13: "Cincinnati-bound Carl Hicks turned those boos to appreciative cheers with his leaping and athleticism. Hicks, a 6-7, 230-pound forward from Greensboro, N.C., had seven dunks in the game. He led the Purple team with 24 points." - Lex Herald
(who the hell is Carl Hicks ? ! ? !)

4/13: "U of L fans also got a scary glimpse of the future in the person of Cincinnati signee Eric 'The Helicopter' Hicks. He slammed home eight dunks, scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. "That's my game, clean up underneath," said Hicks, who was the Purple team MVP and won the slam-dunk contest." - Louisville Courier Journal

4/13: "No. 1 (best player at the Derby Classic) -- Eric Hicks. How does Bob Huggins keep uncovering guys like this? Picture Ruben Patterson with muscles. Or Melvin Levett with a mean streak. Or a guy you're going to hate to see walk into Freedom Hall with Cincinnati. Hicks, a 6-7 forward, grew up in Greensboro, N.C. He grew up dreaming of playing for the University of North Carolina. Carolina didn't want him. Now the kid plays as if he is determined to make Carolina coach Matt Doherty look like the biggest fool on the planet. He's harsh. He's fearless. He's relentless. And Eric Hicks was the best player on the floor." - Rich Bozich, Louisville Courier Journal (also playing in the game were Sheldon Williams [Duke]; Kelenna Azubuike [KY] and Marshall Strickland [IND])

4/13: "the other star of the night from the Derby Classic was this Hicks kid that going to Cincy. I had never heard of his kid until tonight and I have no clue why. He may not have an all around complete game but whoever is guarding him in the paint I feel sorry for. He dunked over and on numerous people, and Im talking NASTY dunks. I forget the amount of point he had which had to be atleast in the 20's but everyone must have been from dunks. He was the real crowd pleaser tonight and that includes fans from EVERY team(UK, IU, UofL). He couldn't stop doing nasty crams." - unknown post-er on WildcatChat

- Cincinnati may have found their next Kenyon Martin with Eric Hicks. He was a high riser that seemed to intimidate everyone else on the court." - unknown post-er on WildcatChat

4/13: "I thought by far the best dunker was 6'6 Eric Hicks, a Cincy signee." Eric had 24 points, 4 blocks and won the halftime dunk contest. He was also 0-4 from the 3 pt line. - Peegs notes, from the Derby classic game last night.

4/12/02: "Prized University of Cincinnati basketball recruit Eric Hicks knows what's coming from head coach Bob Huggins when practice begins this fall and says he's ready to embrace it, which is why he held his breath when Huggins almost bolted for West Virginia.

Hicks, a burly 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward from Greensboro, N.C., is participating in Saturday's Derby Festival Classic in Louisville's Freedom Hall along with several other national high school stars. He's the only UC recruit playing in the event, while the University of Kentucky has 6-9 forward Bernard Cote, 5-9 point guard Brandon Stockton and 6-6 forward Kalenna Azubuike, who has yet to sign his letter of intent, participating.

Hicks, who averaged 30.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game for Dudley High School, said UC's players made him well aware of how tough Huggins can be in practice, and that's what he's hoping for. ''They said he can tell when you're going hard and when you're not and when you're not, you're going to get it,'' said Hicks. ''I go pretty hard in practice. I don't loaf, but I know I'm going to have to turn everything up another level and I have to adjust to it.''

Hicks said he's even ready for one of Huggins' practice tirades directed at him. ''I'm not just going to fall apart, and I didn't make it this far to fall apart when someone calls me (names),'' said Hicks. ''My momma called me worse probably. It isn't going to do anything but make me want to go play harder against the other players. It might make me mad, but it's going to bring out the best in me.''

The best in Hicks was derailed for a time during high school by a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee suffered in March 2000 during a tournament game in his sophomore season. That, coupled with a shaky SAT score his junior year, kept the school where he really wanted to play, North Carolina, from recruiting him harder. He recently earned a qualifying SAT score.

Last summer Hicks began to blossom as a player and caught Huggins' eye. ''Coach Huggins came hard after him after that,'' said Dudley High School coach David Price, who is serving as head coach of the Purple Team in Saturday's game. ''(North Carolina coach Matt Doherty) and me talked early on and he asked me after he tore his ACL if Eric was someone he needed to recruit, and I said, "Let's wait and see.' '' By then it was too late for North Carolina, even though former Tar Heels center Brenden Haywood, who is now playing in the NBA, is a Dudley High School alum. ''When he came back from the knee injury and started playing in the 2000-2001 season he was scared a little about playing on it, but he really took it to another level that summer,'' said Price. ''That's when coach Huggins saw him and he was heavily recruited after that.''

Hicks said Huggins was a major reason he picked UC, and was glad he didn't have to decide about honoring his commitment or looking at another school if Huggins had taken the West Virginia job. ''I was pretty confident he would stay the whole time, because when I was coming up there, he told me, "What do I need to leave for?' and he could have said that just to recruit me, but I think he's a pretty straightforward guy,'' said Hicks. ''He told me he wasn't going to leave and I was hoping he'd stick to his word. I'm not sure what I would have done if he had left, but I'm just happy it turned out the way it did.'' Price termed Hicks as ''explosive'' because ''he can make the three, he can run and make plays and he's a great shot blocker.''

Hicks, who was selected as North Carolina's Class 3A Player of the Year (which is the second biggest class in the state) set the state record for blocks in a season with 210 and for a career with 453. He fell just eight points short of setting the state record for points in a season. ''You leave me open, I'll take the jump shot and I have confidence in my jump shot, but if you play me like I can't go by you I'll go by you,'' said Hicks. "I really like to mix it up."

About the only disappointment he has about coming to UC is that he won't get to play alongside Donald Little, who was dismissed from the team after being charged last week with kidnapping, assault and torture. Little was Hicks' host on his visit to UC. "He was very nice and I was really surprised when I heard that," said Hicks. "We were going to tear it up on the boards with me and Donald and Jason Maxiell, and then Donald does that. I wanted to punch him I was so mad." - CincyPost.com


4/10: Hicks is now listed as the 88th best player in his class by Recruiting USA / ESPN (Carmelo Anthony is #1, Chadd Moore - 61, Rob Hite -62)

4/9/02: "He had better numbers -- a smorgasbord of stats -- and led his team to 10 more victories than the player voted Associated Press state player of the year. But Dudley's Eric Hicks also knew it would've taken a whole lot more to surpass Raleigh Broughton's Shavlik Randolph, the repeat winner, in the eyes of voters. "I knew he was going to win," said Hicks, who was outvoted by Randolph, 8-4. "It didn't matter what I did this year, he was going to get it. They'd all say, 'Well, Shavlik's going to Duke.'"

Hicks is going to the University of Cincinnati, not exactly an also-ran college basketball program, but he did lack the name recognition of Randolph. Hicks would be headed to Cincinnati as a partial qualifier had he not achieved the requisite score for freshman eligibility on the entrance exams. He said he found out Friday that he got the 820 needed on the SAT, which he took March 16.

Hicks said he was confident he'd get the score, just as he was pretty sure Randolph would be player of the year. But Hicks' older brother, Derrick, thought he might have a chance for the AP honor as the season wore on. With that in mind, he started to follow what other contenders, like Randolph and Wake Forest-Rolesville's Eric Williams, were doing.

Could they keep up with Eric Hicks' averages of 30.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 6.7 blocks? "It really didn't matter to me," Eric Hicks said. "My goal was to get the ring. By the time game time came, I forgot about all of that."

Hicks didn't get his ring, as the Panthers lost to Winston-Salem Parkland in the 3-A Eastern Regional finals despite Hicks' 40 points and late, game-tying 3-pointer. "I'd like to think we could've beaten them in overtime," Parkland coach Mike Pennington said, "but I didn't want to go to overtime. And he was the reason." Said Dudley coach David Price: "I understand Shavlik being a player everybody's familiar with. But I think Eric played on a better team, we played better competition and his stats are better."

Randolph had a clear edge in familiarity. He's the grandson of a legendary N.C. State player. He's been ranked at or near the top of his recruiting class since he was a sophomore -- Hicks was a relative unknown until after his junior year because of a major knee injury -- and Randolph was the subject of a heated recruiting battle between Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State, among others. He also was player of the year as a junior, making him the incumbent, and was named a McDonald's All-American.

The 6-foot-10 Randolph didn't put up shabby numbers, either, averaging 28 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks this season.

Hicks, at 6-6, set the single-season state record for blocked shots (210), surpassing Dudley's own Brendan Haywood. He also finished with the NCHSAA's career record (453).

When Hicks was a sophomore, Price told then-UNC assistant coach Phil Ford, "I've got a kid who's a better shot-blocker than Haywood."

"Come on, coach Price," Ford said incredulously. Hicks, who knocked off one other season record with 338 made field goals, was hoping to become Dudley's third state player of the year since 1996. Vincent Whitt won it that year, and Haywood won it in '97." - Greensboro Record


4/9/02: "Eric Hicks, one of the University of Cincinnati's much-anticipated basketball recruits, has achieved the necessary standardized college test score to be eligible as a freshman next fall, Dudley (N.C.) High School coach David Price said Monday. Hicks, the state's 3A Player of the Year, averaged 30.7 points and was just eight points short of the North Carolina single-season scoring record. The 6-foot-6 forward did set state records for blocked shots in one season (210) and for a career (453). All three recruits who signed national letters of intent to attend UC last November — Hicks, Chadd Moore and Armein Kirkland — will be academically eligible." - Enquirer.com

4/5/02: "Eric Hicks set lofty, seemingly unrealistic goals for himself before the start of his senior season at Dudley. He chased them vigorously, passionately and, in the case of at least two numerical standards, successfully. He was going to break Brendan Haywood's state record for blocked shots, Hicks told Panthers coach David Price on a September van ride to Cincinnati, where they were going on a recruiting visit. Earlier, at the NBA camp, he told Dudley teammate Mike Hayes he was going to try to score 40 points and pull down 20 rebounds a game. That would more than double his output as a junior and shatter state records.

Always a natural shot-blocker, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Hicks emerged as a dominant scorer and a big-time rebounder, even if he didn't go for 40 and 20 a night. He often carried Dudley on his broad shoulders, molding himself into the News & Record All-Area boys player of the year and a serious contender for state player of the year. "I'll say this: He is the most dominating high school player I have ever played against," says Winston-Salem Parkland coach Mike Pennington, whose Mustangs lost twice to Dudley this year but beat the buzzer and the Panthers in the 3-A Eastern Regional final. "Imagine if we would've gone to overtime," Hicks says. "If we would've gone to OT and played (in the state finals), I would've scored 1,000 points."

Even he was amazed by his numbers. He averaged 30.7 points a game and fell only eight points shy of the single-season state record of 961, set by Garner's Donald Williams in 1991. He made knees buckle with his dunks, but he also became a threat from 3-point range. "With the team we had last year, we had more people who were going to score," Hicks says. "Rick (Lewis), Dominique (Brown). Then you've got (Steven) Sanya coming in. And I wasn't playing 32 minutes."

Playing games start to finish, he averaged 12.3 rebounds and 6.7 blocks, posting seven triple-doubles. With all the swatted shots, he blew away Haywood's single-season record (210 blocks to Haywood's 187) and went way past the record 395 career blocks of Hobbton's Chris King. He finished with 453. "Hicks would block four or five in a row from being aggressive," Price says. "A lot of it is natural ability, and a lot of it is knowing when to go get it." - Greensboro News Record

Mar 2002: "Hicks, a 6-6 senior forward, was selected first on 12 of 23 ballots and just held off Donte Minter of West Rowan (for the award). He averaged a whopping 30.7 points per game this season (953 points) and 12.3 rebounds (381) and 6.7 blocks a game.

He shattered Brendan Haywood's state season block record of 187 with 210 blocks, also broke Chris King's career record of 395, as Hicks finished with 453. Made 62.7% FG (338 of 539). His total field goals broke a state record of 334.

He made 71% of 2-point attempts, 35% 3-point attempts. 64% FT. Had 6
triple-doubles, 28 20-plus scoring games (tying state record), 14 30-plus games, 6 40-plus games. Piedmont Triad 3-A player of the year, Little Four Invitational MVP, National Hoops Classic (Ohio) MVP. Regional all-tournament team. Led Dudley to a 28-3 record; Panthers lost to Parkland in Eastern Regional 3-A final, 81-78, despite Hicks' 40 points. University of Cincinnati signee." - unknown source, but probably a newspaper.

3/26: "The Baltimore All-Stars ran out of gas and fell to the U.S. All-Stars, 108-100, in the second Charm City Challenge at the Towson Center last night. Cincinnati-bound Eric Hicks paced the U.S. All-Stars with 18 points." He was named to the all-tournament team. - Baltimore Sun Spot

3/10: "Dudley's Eric Hicks (right) scored 40 points and hit a game-tying 3-pointer with seven seconds left, but the Panthers lost to Parkland 81-78 when Javon Scipio hit a 22-footer at the buzzer." - Greensboro News Record

3/2: "...in the final home game of his high school career, Hicks made certain Dudley emerged with a victory Saturday night. He sparked the game-breaking run early in the fourth quarter with a flurry of blocked shots, as Dudley pulled away to a 71-59 decision in the Class 3-A East Sectional 1 final. "We weren't going home," Hicks said of the Panthers' collective determination in the fourth quarter, when they outscored Glenn 21-11. Dudley will return from Hicks' 41-point, 13-rebound, 13-block effort against Glenn to play in the East Regional semifinals Thursday in Greenville." - Greensboro News & Record

3/1/02: Eric Hicks scored 34 points to lead Greensboro Dudley past Hillside 69-55 on Thursday night. Hicks was the only Dudley player to score in double figures, and he did much of his damage close to the basket. He scored 24 points in the paint, four from the free-throw line and six on a pair of 3-pointers. He also blocked and altered several shots...." - Greensboro Herald-Sun

2/18/02: "As a freshman Eric Hicks earned the name "The Helicopter" because of his high flying dunks and shot blocking ability. Now Eric Hicks has become an all around ball player, good ball handling skills, mid-range jump shot, the three ball, back to the basket game and above the rim highlight films. Now as a senior Eric Hicks has earned the right to be called North Carolina player of the year. Eric has led the Dudley Panthers to a 22-2 record. Hicks is averaging 30.1 points per game while grabbing 12.5 rebounds a game and blocking 7.1 shots per game. He is on his way to breaking Brendan Haywoods state record for blocks in a single season and career block shots. Hicks is the most dominating force in the state. He gets tripled and quadrupled teamed every night and still gets his average by shooting an amazing 70% from the field. Andy Kennedy, an assistant coach at Cincinnati said "There can't be a better player in this state!" - iHigh.com

2/15/02: Hicks was named one of the 100 finalists to be a McDonalds All American. (Also Chadd Moore and Rob Hite)

Feb 2002: Rated #83 by All Star Report

2/9/02: Dudley coach David Price talked to his star player, Eric Hicks, before Friday night's important conference game against Winston-Salem Parkland about being patient and letting things come to him naturally. Alright, so University of Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins was in the stands specifically to see his recruit in action. Price didn't want Hicks worrying about that. He wanted a victory. Hicks didn't get into the offensive flow immediately, nor did Dudley's outside shooters. But, in the second half, Dejuan Morrison loosened Parkland's zone defense with his long-range accuracy, and Hicks made sure Huggins didn't leave Greensboro without seeing him dominate inside. By the end of the night, the 6-foot-6 senior had a triple-double, and Dudley had won 77-70 after trailing by as many as 11 points in a shaky first half. "I don't think he was pressing as much as it was, like any kid, you've usually got to get something down to get it going," Price said of Hicks, who's first field goal came in the second quarter. He finished with 29 points, to go with 13 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. Dudley, ranked No. 1 in the Lucky 13 area poll, trailed by seven points after a turnover-filled first half in which 2-for-14 3-point shooting also hurt its cause." - Greensboro Record

1/30/02: "He'd like to play in the NBA someday. Still a high school senior, Dudley's Eric Hicks is already starting to sound like the L.A. Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal. Instead of Hack-a-Shaq, he's the victim of Hack-a-Hicks. Or, at least it feels that way. Playing in front of about 4,000 spectators Tuesday night at N.C. A&T's Corbett Sports Center, Hicks couldn't shake Smith's double-teams or the Eagles' physical contact in the post for his usual energizing, game-breaking dunks. That all changed in the third quarter, when Hicks dunked in a crowd for a five-point Dudley lead. When he threw down back-to-back slams followed by a soft layup early in the fourth, it ignited the run that pushed the Panthers to a 59-49 victory. "I knew they would have to start calling fouls," said Hicks, who was shut out in the first quarter and had only seven points at halftime. "I shot about four airballs. I'm not shooting airballs because of my shot. I'm getting hit, I'm getting bumped and I'm trying to throw it up and hit the rim." Hicks said he thinks officials expect too much of him, as if he can just muscle the ball to the basket with his strong 6-foot-6 frame, no matter how much contact. When not dunking, he was at the foul line in the second half, going an un-Shaq-like 5-for-5 from there on his way to 28 points." - Greensboro Record

1/24/02: "No man is a mountain, but Dudley's Eric Hicks can certainly be a big hill to overcome if you expect to beat the Panthers. Parkland found that out the hard way when Hicks scored five unanswered points in the final 20 seconds to lift Dudley to a 71-69 victory over the Mustangs in a key Piedmont Triad 3-A Conference game. The win kept the Panthers undefeated in the conference and meant the first league loss for the Mustangs. "I knew coming in it was going to be a dogfight," Dudley coach David Price said. "You can't say enough about Eric Hicks stepping up and making shots." With Dudley trailing 69-66, the Mustangs' Marcus Jordan missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity. After the Panthers brought the ball up the floor, Hicks took a pass at the top of the key and immediately turned and hit a 3-pointer to tie the game. "When Hicks hit the 3 there was some confusion as to who was guarding whom," Parkland coach Mike Pennington said. "I give Dudley credit. They stepped up and made the plays." On Parkland's next possession, the Mustangs' Paris Barnes drove the lane, but his pass under the basket was too high for Jordan and went off his fingers and out of bounds with six seconds left. After Parkland knocked the Dudley inbounds pass away near midcourt, the Panthers inbounded to Hicks, who went between two defenders and hit an 18-footer with one second left to steal the win. Hicks finished with 28 points." - Greensboro News Record

1/20: "UC coaches believe Maxiell and Hicks will make, "an unreal duo that may be the most athletic forward duo that Huggins has ever had."
He has a 7ft wing span, 38 inch vertical...needs to get his grades up. Can play the 3 or 4, but has more skills to be a 3. He is regarded as similar to Herb Jones....explosive....plays hard. He tore is ACL as a sophomore. His coach told me he needs to work on his perimeter game." - Lance McAlister on Jax' board.

1/19: "Grimacing with each monster dunk, fancy post move and pull-up jump shot made by Brandon Hicks, Dublin Coffman coach Tony Bornhorst finally had enough. Midway through the fourth quarter, Bornhorst turned to a referee and jokingly asked, "Can I see a birth certificate? He's a man." Coffman put forth a game effort but had no answer for Hicks in a 77- 66 loss to Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley yesterday in the National Hoops Classic in Battelle Hall in the Columbus Convention Center. Hicks, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward headed to the University of Cincinnati, had 37 points and 16 rebounds on 16-of-23 shooting from the field. Dudley (13-1) was 8 of 14 on three-point shots in building a 42-24 first-half lead, leaving Coffman (13- 2) a dilemma. "In the first half, they double- teamed me, but when they saw how Mike (Hayes) was shooting, they had to respect the three and that really opened things for me," said Hicks, who is averaging 32 points per game. Dudley coach David Price insisted that's the way the team normally attacks, but smallish Coffman presented additional opportunities. "Eric's got a mismatch everywhere we go," he said. "When we shoot like that, we're a handful to guard." - Columbus Dispatch

1/19/02: "37 points and 16 rebounds" . . . . He had like 8 dunks, no one could stop him. He was just too big and athletic for anyone on Coffman to guard him.. . . - notes from JJ Huddle.

1/16/02: "The Panthers (12-1, 8-0) were led by Eric Hicks who finished with 28 points despite being hounded by a double team throughout the night." - Greensboro, News Record

1/12: "Hicks is starting to set his sights on state player of the year. Heading into tonight's game at Northeast Guilford, he's averaging 31.9 points and about 12 rebounds and seven blocks per night, according to Price. Hicks has been selected to play with the U.S. team against a Baltimore-area all-star team March 25 at Towson University in Maryland in what's being billed as the Charlie Weber USA Basketball Classic." - Greensboro News Record

1/6: "On Wednesday night, Eric Hicks of Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High School had 48 points and 12 rebounds in a 93-57 victory over Morehead." - Enquirer.com

1/4/02: "a 57-34 win for Dudley, 24 for Hicks, which gave him 74 in the three games. He had 48 the other night against Morehead in a big win." - Forum contributor, Richard Litt

12/29: "Eric Hicks, the 6-foot-6 forward from Greensboro, NC, was averaging about 29 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks heading into a weekend tournament. Hicks had a triple-double with 36 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocks in Dudley High's first conference game." - Enquirer.com

12/28: "Eric Hicks scored 26 points, including the winner and blocked a shot at the buzzer to perserve Dudley's win in the Greensboro Holiday Tourney. He scored 26 of their 58 despite a collapsing zone on him." - Lance McAlister on Jax' board

12/19/01: "Hicks finished the game with 20 points and 11 blocked shots. He had a wide-array of moves, including several inside post plays as well as an accurate 3-point shot. “They don’t call him the helicopter for nothing,“ Fitzgerald said. “He had a pretty good jump shot and some pretty good moves.“ - VA Preps

VERBALLED 10/24
VISITED SEPT 29TH.

12/12: Dudley is now 5-0 after an exciting win over SW Guilford. Hicks had 36 points, 25 in the second half. Dudley had a 16-0 run in the 4th quarter.

12/6: Listed as the 76th best player in his class. - Rivals Hoops

12/1: Hicks is ranked the 98th best player in his class. I like this ranking the best (by RSCI), because it uses a consensus from six different recruiting "experts". - Mike Ryan

11/21: "Dudley's boys basketball team started hot and finished hot in its season opener Tuesday, but the Panthers also got a run for their money before stopping Durham Hillside 89-67. "You've got to give them credit, they didn't back down from us," said Dudley's Eric Hicks, who led all scorers with 39 points. "They responded well when we had them down early." - Greensboro News & Record

11/20/01:
http://www.news-record.com/sports/preps/hicks20.htm

At an early-evening practice a week before Dudley's season starts, Eric Hicks is Mister Intensity. He goes up for a one-handed dunk in a half-court drill and lets out a primal scream on the way down. On an inbounds play moments later, he doesn't merely deny the ball from Hubert Broadney. He stands nose-to-nose with the young player, his eyes bulging, intimidation pouring out of his muscular, 6-foot-6, 230-pound body.

That in-your-face, on-the-court persona is what attracted the University of Cincinnati's Bob Huggins, an in-your-face coach, to the 17-year-old basketball recruit this summer.

An hour after practice ends, Eric Hicks is Doctor Cool, kicking back on the couch at home, gingerly needling his mom when the opportunity is there and nodding in agreement every so often as his older brother talks animatedly about basketball as big business.

Hicks is equal parts cool and intense. He's a little of each as he explains from where he and his family have come, and as he speaks confidently of where the game of basketball will take him and his loved ones in two, maybe three, years.

Poverty's early grip -
Derrick Hicks says that, in the projects, "you've got to stand for something." You can be known as a fighter, a thug or an athlete. Those first two choices were out of the question for Derrick and his little brother, Eric. Get in trouble, and risk getting a bad, and sometimes humiliating, whipping from Mom.

"We got beat in the middle of the street," Eric said.

"We couldn't be hell-raisers," added Derrick, Eric's elder by six years. "We had to stick with something we could get respect for in the neighborhood. At the same time, we wanted to please our mom. So why not sports?"

Pleasing their dad wasn't a priority. He was never there for them, they said. Eva Hicks raised her two sons alone, living in poverty in a Smith Homes dwelling in the Warnersville section of Greensboro. Sometimes she worked two jobs. Sometimes she was unemployed.

"At the time I was pregnant with Eric - he was born in November and I was out of work," Eva Hicks said. "I had a ('74 Plymouth) Duster, and (Derrick) wanted a 10-speed bike. I had no income. So I said I'm going to sell my car. And he got what he wanted for Christmas."

There were some months Eva Hicks had trouble paying the rent because "the Biological" - what she ruefully calls her sons' father - didn't come through with the child support money he owed.

They were taught to respect him, but the Hicks brothers have barely spoken a word to him over the years, though he still lives in Greensboro. He couldn't be reached for comment. "He was not a bad influence," Eric said of his father. "He was no influence."

Bobby Grier, the Biological's father and Derrick and Eric's grandfather, provided love and financial support to the family until he died in July. In fact, he legally adopted Derrick and Eric about 10 years ago and set up college funds for them, according to Derrick Hicks. The family now lives in a modest two-bedroom house in northeast Greensboro.

When Eric was 3 years old, Darryl Lindsay came into Eva Hicks' life. Though they haven't married, Lindsay has long been a "stepdad" to Eva's two sons. He often goes on all-day fishing trips with Eric, who likes to go after big catfish.

Chasing a pot of gold -
Money isn't an issue for Eva Hicks, at least not the way it used to be. Her youngest son talks about taking the fast track to the NBA and pulling down a $10 million contract in a few years. So money no longer is an unsavory topic. Instead, it's the subject of Eric Hicks' bold ambition.

When it comes to basketball, Eric has always felt like he has something to prove. And he will, at least until he's making it in the pros.

When he was little, he and his brother would bend a coat hanger into a hoop, hang it over a doorway and use balled-up socks as a basketball. "If I beat him, I'd be good to go for the night," Eric said with a grin.

He emulated Derrick as his brother climbed the ladder from recreation basketball to AAU to high school. Derrick Hicks, after transferring from Smith, helped Dudley win the 4-A state title in 1996. Eric insists he'll get a championship ring in this, his senior year at Dudley.

Derrick Hicks is on schedule to graduate from N.C. A&T in May. He wants to be a sports agent, and he plans on Eric being one of his first clients. In fact, he's going to move to Cincinnati to watch over Eric when he heads there next summer for his freshman year.

Derrick went to A&T to play football. He thinks he had the skills to draw more recruiting attention than he did. Now, he feels like he understands the ins and outs of recruiting -- and pro sports -- well enough to help Eric in ways he couldn't help himself. "I'm glad he has a big brother like Derrick," Lindsay said. "A lot of times I wasn't around, and Derrick steps in and is a father to him. He listens to Derrick."

Eric Hicks suffered a significant recruiting setback when he tore ligaments in his knee during the state playoffs his sophomore year. Watching Dudley lose in the state final while he sat helplessly on the bench still eats at him.

Hicks had to skip the AAU season that summer. And the camps. But even though college coaches weren't seeing him, he did make the most of it. He spent long hours in the gym with Derrick, shooting 3-pointers and working on his ballhandling to help shed his reputation as purely a dunker and shot-blocker. He also worked with a personal trainer to help rehabilitate the knee and improve his flexibility.

Hicks averaged 18 points, 7.6 rebounds and four blocks per game as a junior, but Dudley coach David Price didn't think he was fully recovered from the knee injury. By the summer, though, his name was appearing on nearly every national recruiting list as he did mind-boggling things on the basketball court, tournament after tournament, camp after camp.

He became a top-100 recruit overnight and had Cincinnati, Tennessee and Connecticut hotly pursuing him since the AAU nationals. But, even as the ridiculous amounts of recruiting mail piled high, he never got too impressed with himself or the supposedly great players he went up against. "I don't believe those rankings," Hicks said. "I mean, how did I go from a nobody to a somebody?"

Last week, Hicks signed with Cincinnati, a school known for turning out pro basketball players since Huggins arrived 13 years ago. Price thinks he'll fit well into Huggins' up-and-down style that puts a premium on athleticism and high-intensity defense. "He's that kind of an athlete - he's strong, physical, he's got a 7-foot wing span and can jump," Price said.

The Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy, who covered the Bearcats for four years for the Cincinnati Enquirer, thinks it's a good fit, too. "Huggins doesn't care how good you think you are as long as you play hard," DeCourcy said. "No one in college basketball can carve up a player quite the way Huggins can. ... He brings out the absolute best in a player. If you show the effort and desire, then you're going to be fine."

Hicks, who was said to have carved up current Bearcat players in pickup games on his recruiting visits, hasn't yet fully qualified for freshman eligibility. But he'd likely join the Cincinnati program next year regardless. Not getting the SAT score might just put off his dream of entering the NBA Draft a year. "All kids dream of this," Derrick said. "But me and him, we always used to say we're going to go pro."

Of course, the odds of making the NBA aren't great for even the best high school players. Three of every 10,000 high school players end up playing professionally. Even the vast majority of top-100 recruits struggle to make it to the NBA. Such as Dudley's own Vincent Whitt, who was rated the No. 71 prospect in the country in 1996 by recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons, one spot behind where Hicks is ranked by Dave Telep.

Then again, Gibbons had Kenyon Martin, who went on to play for Cincinnati, rated 62nd in the class of '96. Martin went first in the 2000 NBA draft and received a three-year, $11.4 million contract.

When Eva Hicks reminds him he can still graduate from college by taking summer courses, Eric responds: "What would you rather me do, get a college degree or get 10 million dollars?"
If it doesn't work out, Eric figures he can always go back to school and study broadcasting or sports management. But now is a time to be cool, intense and to dream big. - Greensboro News & Record


Hicks HS Schedule:
Nov. 20 -- Hillside, Nov. 27 -- at Page,
Dec. 1 -- Grimsley, Dec. 4 -- Carver, Dec. 11 -- Southwest Guilford, Dec. 14 -- at Smith, Dec. 18 -- at G.W. Danville (boys only), Dec. 27-29 -- Little Four Tournament,
Jan. 2 -- at Morehead, Jan. 4 -- Glenn, Jan. 11 -- at Northeast Guilford, Jan. 12 -- at Carver, Jan. 15 -- Rockingham County, Jan. 19 -- Nat. Hoops Classic (boys only), Jan. 23 -- at Parkland, Jan. 25 -- at Southwest Guilford, Jan. 29 -- Smith,
Feb. 1 -- Morehead, Feb. 5 -- at Glenn, Feb. 8 -- Parkland, Feb. 12 -- Northeast Guilford, Feb. 15 -- at Rockingham County.



11/14: "The University of Cincinnati signed a pair of high school swing players in the first day of the men's basketball signing period. The new Bearcats are:
- Eric Hicks, a 6-6, 220-pound senior at Greensboro, N.C. Dudley High School. Hicks averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds last season. He has been rated No. 70 by BlueChipHoops.com and is a top 100 selection by PrepStars and ESPN.com.
- Armein Kirkland, a 6-8, 190-pound senior at Tyler, Texas Lee High School. Kirkland (first name pronounced are-MEAN) averaged 16 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks during his junior season. He is rated No. 55 by ESPN.com. Cincinnati head coach Bob Huggins stated that the two signees are the start of a promising recruiting class for the Bearcats. "Eric is capable of coming in and making an immediate impact," Huggins noted. "He is a great athlete, a Jason Maxiell-type of athlete. He shoots very well. He's gong to be an impact player in Conference USA. "Armein is out of the Leonard Stokes mold," Huggins explained. "He's very long. He just needs to gain strength. He has tremendous ball skills. He has the ability to be an outstanding player as he matures physically." Huggins projects Hicks to be a small forward and Kirkland as a shooting guard." - UC Bearcats.com

11/04/01: Hicks is listed as a "4" (out of 10) talent wise. - HoopScoop

10/25: "Super athletic 6'6 Combo Forward Eric Hicks of Greensboro, NC has committed to play his college basketball at the University of Cincinnati. Hicks is just an awesome player who's only fault is that he has no real position. Hicks is a powerful inside player with the skills of a Power Forward but the size of a Small Forward. He isn't really skilled on the perimeter and is just an average shooter outside of 10 feet, but he is effective in the lane and is just a beast off the glass. LOOK OUT.... or he will dunk on you on missed shots or alley-oops. He is just a mini-warrior that will be a great addition the UC program." - PrepSpotlight

10/25: "Eric Hicks wanted to keep it quiet -- he really did. He committed to Cincinnati on Tuesday, and the 6-5 combo forward from Greensboro (NC) Dudley wanted to make a public announcement, but he just couldn’t contain himself. So the news is out -- Hicks gave the nod to favored Cincinnati. The Bearcats were considered the favorite for months, but Hicks seemed to buckle a little after an official visit to Tennessee. In the end he chose UC over the Volunteers, Florida State and UConn. Hicks is a tremendous pickup for Bob Huggins and crew. Unlike fellow Bearcat recruits Chadd Moore and Armein Kirkland (both of whom are very talented), Hicks has the muscular frame that will enable to compete against the more mature bodies in college basketball. In fact, at 220 pounds he'll enjoy an advantage over his older competition. Eric's strength is equaled -- if not surpassed -- by his athletic ability. He's easily one of the most explosive players in the senior class, enabling him to play much bigger than his height. At several summer events, he amazed on-lookers with the number of times he dunked the ball (over and through traffic) during games. Many had questioned his ability to step out to the wing, but Hicks proved over the summer that he's a very effective jump shooter to 18 feet. The only perimeter skill that he still lacks in ballhandling, which must improve for him to fully make the transition to wing forward. So, in total, we have a tough, strong athletic player with a blue-collar mentality -- yep, sounds like he'll fit in just fine into Huggins' program. PrepStars.com ranks Hicks No. 97 in the Class of 2002." ->
www.prepstars.com

10/25: requires subscription $$$
http://bluechiphoops.theinsiders.com/2/22065.html

10/25: "His mind was pretty much made up, anyway. And he was getting tired of the weekends away from home to visit college campuses. So Eric Hicks, the 6-foot-6 Dudley basketball standout, ended the often aggravating recruiting process by orally committing to the University of Cincinnati. Actually, he had his older brother, Derrick, make that call Tuesday night to Bearcats assistant Keith LeGree. "Derrick took care of all that, because I get tired of all those phone calls," Eric Hicks said Wednesday. The early signing period begins Nov. 14. Hicks, who is considered the perfect fit for Cincinnati by at least one recruiting analyst, plans to make an official announcement on his decision Nov 9. Hicks, who has yet to achieve a qualifying test score, chose the Bearcats over Tennessee, Connecticut and Florida State. In addition to Cincinnati, Hicks took official visits to Tennessee and UConn. He canceled his official visit to FSU, scheduled for this weekend. "It was hard; it was between them and Tennessee," Hicks said. "I just figured that's my style of play." Hicks played with some current Cincinnati players in pick-up games on an unofficial visit in August and on his official visit at the end of September. He felt at home playing more or less a small forward, or wing position. With his long arms, Hicks has been an excellent shot-blocker and above-the-rim player in the past. Last year, after recovering from torn knee ligaments, he developed an outside shot. He will do a little bit of everything for Dudley this season. Recruiting analyst Dave Telep says that Hicks cannot be pinned down to any particular position. "He's just an athlete," Telep said. "He's like a top. You just wind him up and go." Hicks' name started appearing on national recruiting lists this summer after a number of head-turning performances at AAU tournaments and at the major camps. Telep rates Hicks 70th in the country, and says he will probably end up being the top player in Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins' recruiting class. "Eric Hicks, when you look at it, this is going to be one of the better fits for a player and a program this year," Telep said. "When you go to Cincinnati, Bob Huggins is an in-your-face kind of guy. And Eric Hicks is an in-your-face kind of player." Hicks becomes Cincinnati's third oral commitment. The Bearcats, a perennial NCAA tournament team, have also received commitments from Chadd Moore, a top-100 guard from Huntsville, Ala., now at Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, and Armein Kirkland, a 6-7 wing forward from Tyler, Texas, ranked 109th in the nation by PrepStars magazine. Cincinnati has a fourth scholarship to give. One of its remaining targets is 7-foot center Keith Butler, who's visiting North Carolina this weekend. Hicks said that Tennessee's fifth, and presumably, final commitment last week from 6-4 wing forward Stanley Asumnu did not impact his decision. Derrick Hicks, who has accompanied Eric on many of his visits, told him that his flight to Tallahassee this weekend was going to cost him about $800 roundtrip. "I was like, 'E, I'm not going to be able to go,'" Derrick Hicks said. "He was like, 'The heck with it then.'" Cincinnati takes partial qualifiers, which Eric Hicks would be if he does not meet ACT or SAT minimum standards. He's waiting on results of the ACT. Regardless, Hicks said, he would attend Cincinnati -- where he could practice with the team, but not play -- next year rather than go to a prep school or a junior college." - Greensboro News Record

http://www.news-record.com/sports/preps/hicks25.htm

10/24: "Dudley basketball standout Eric Hicks has COMMITTED TO CINCINNATI, canceling a visit to Florida State scheduled for this weekend. "The 'Helicopter' has landed," said Derrick Hicks, his brother, Wednesday morning. Dudley's public-address announcer coined the "Helicopter" nickname for Eric Hicks, a long-armed 6-foot-6 wing player, because of his ability to hover over the rim. Hicks, who has yet to achieve a qualifying test score and could end up at a prep school or junior college next year, chose the Bearcats over Tennessee, Connecticut and Florida State. He moved into many national recruiting lists this spring and summer after strong showings in the AAU season and at camps. Analyst Dave Telep rates Hicks 70th in the country. The early signing period will begin Nov 14. Hicks plans to make an official announcement on his decision Nov 9." - Greensboro News Record

10/23: "Hicks will commitment sometime next week" - Ohio Preps

10/23: "From what I've heard, Hicks is probably going to go the Juco route. Look for him to surface at Cincinnati in two years. Not a definite, but I have a decent source that says he's Juco bound." - R. Matera, All Star Report (I found this hard to believe - Mike Ryan)

10/23: Hicks is listed as the 70th best player in his class. - CNN SI thru The Insiders.com.

10/22: "Rashad Anderson is down to Florida and UConn." (this could affect Hicks commitment decision) - Blue Chip Hoops

10/19: "Tennessee has received its fifth commitment for the class of 2002 in the person of Stanley Asumnu, a strong 6-4 wing forward from Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy." - VolBall.com (this should all but seal Eric Hicks for Cincinnati).

10/18: "Eric Hicks isn't ready to make a decision, but he now has almost all of the necessary information. The 6-6, 225-pound WF/BF from Greensboro (NC) Dudley already has taken official visits to UConn, Tennessee and Cincinnati. Hicks will make his final trip on Oct. 27 to Florida State. "I really like the way Tennessee had things set up," Hicks said. "It was like a birthday party." - PrepStars

10/17: "Rashad Anderson's commitment to UConn is as firm as it ever was. And the 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Florida could soon have his father's blessing. Anderson's mother, Velma, said all three had agreed that after they made an official visit to the University of Florida last weekend, Rashad would tell the family of his decision and it would be final. Though David Anderson wants his son to stay close to home, he reiterated Tuesday night that if his son chose UConn over Florida, he would support him 100 percent. "Of course, that's my son," he said. Well, the Gainesville visit did not impress Rashad enough to make him change his mind. "He's not budging," Velma Anderson said. "If you ask, he'll tell you right away that UConn is where his heart is." Rashad called the UConn coaches Monday to reassure them that nothing has changed." - Hartford Courant

10/15: "Eric Hicks from Greensboro (NC) Dudley has one visit left. He’s going to trip to Florida State the weekend of Oct. 27. "I just got my date for Florida State pushed back,” Hicks said. "Our homecoming at Dudley was the 20th so I had to move the visit back." The Seminoles, Cincinnati and Tennessee are the primary players in his recruitment. He says that UConn is in there “a little bit.” However, he’ll decide after making the Florida State trip. “Style of play is important,” Hicks said. “I think I fit in at all of them pretty good, but after the 27th, I’ll probably make a decision in November." -
http://bluechiphoops.theinsiders.com/

10/14: "No commitment will come until Novemember, and that's per Hicks." - Dave Telep, Blue Chip Hoops

10/12: "John Winchester, a 6-foot-4 basketball guard at Raleigh's Bonner Academy, committed to Tennessee on Thursday." - Raleigh N-O

(Hicks had also visited Tennessee)

10/9: "David Anderson, father of 6'5 2G Rashad Anderson of Kathleen HS in Lakeland, FL, told All Star Report on Monday evening that rumors of his son's commitment and Tuesday announcement are untrue. Rashad has not yet made a decision and he is still considering two schools: one from the Big East and one from the SEC. Mr. Anderson stated that it was, "simply not true," that his son has given a verbal commitment to the University of Connecticut, despite stories to the contrary written by a few recruiting websites." - AllStar Report

10/9: Listed as the 97th best player in the country, in his class. - PrepStars

10/8: "This one could be over by the end of the month or sooner. His final visit is to Florida State. He took a Tennessee trip and the Volunteers made a nice presentation and closed the gap with CINCINNATI. He’s open-minded and still looking." - Blue Chip Hoops

10/6: "Rashad Anderson....the 6-foot-5 swingman from Kathleen High School in Lakeland, Fla., has decided to attend UConn and will make an oral commitment Tuesday, sources said." - Hartford Courant (this may strongly affect the recruitment of Eric Hicks)

10/2: Listed as the 75th best player in the USA. - Frank Burlison, FOX Sports

10/1: "Eric Hicks, a 6-foot-7 forward from Greensboro, N.C., who made his official recruiting visit to the University of Cincinnati this past weekend, probably won't announce his college choice until he has taken all five of his visits, said Derrick Hicks, Eric's brother. Eric is scheduled to visit Florida State and may also visit Virginia Tech, though nothing had been set up. He has visited Connecticut and Tennessee. Derrick, who is helping his brother with the recruiting process, told The Enquirer that Cincinnati and Tennessee are the leaders." - Enquirer.com

10/1: "Justin Albrecht, the junior college wing forward from Omaha, gave UT a verbal commitment Sunday at the end of his weekend campus visit." (This could affect Hicks decision regarding Tenneessee).

9/29: Hicks visited Cincinnati today and played some pickup games with some current Bearcats.

9/27: "I think UC has a shot to get the Hicks thing done this weekend and I know they like their chances with Kirkland." - Dave Telep, Blue Chip Hoops

9/27: "Eric Hicks from Greensboro NC, is still expected to be on UC's campus this weekend." (Madison cancelled) - Enquirer.com

9/25: Kei Madison and Eric Hicks will visit this weekend, - Enquirer.com

9/24: "Hicks visited Storrs Sept. 7 and said he was impressed with the campus. He also seems impressed with the idea of immediate playing time. The main competition for Hicks comes from Cincinnati, which he has visited twice. Coach Jim Calhoun made an in-home visit with Diogu last week." - Hartford Courant

9/14: The following bodes very well for the chances of Hicks coming to Cincinnati....."Denham Brown, a talented 6-foot-6 swingman from Toronto, made an oral commitment to UConn Thursday. The first player to commit to UConn this fall chose the Huskies over Kansas." - Hartford Courant

9/10: "Cincy is on very strong for 6'5 Eric Hicks" - Bullseye, AllStar Report

9/10: "The Cincinnati trip is set for the weekend of Oct. 13, which happens to be Midnight Madness weekend. The Bearcats were in Hicks’ home on Sunday night. Florida State also has a visit set up with him. That trip will take place on Oct 20." - Blue Chip Hoops

9/9: "Hicks, who still has visits scheduled at Cincinnati and Florida State, said that he and (Rashad) Anderson would like to sign and play at the same school. But that remains to play itself out. The two ran a bit on Friday with Anderson turning in an impressive showing from the perimeter and Hicks struggling to find the basket. Another factor as it relates to Hicks is the recruitment of Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) High senior Bobby Jones, whom the Huskies' will be making an in-home visit to Sept 19. Jones, who played alongside 2001 NBA draftee Tyson Chandler as a junior, is a big, athletic forward that would seemingly fill the same slot on the team as Hicks." - Norwich Bulletin (UConn)

9/8: "Rashad Anderson and Eric Hicks are high school seniors who came to the state this weekend to check out the University of Connecticut and its men's basketball family. Both admitted Friday that they were enjoying their first day of their respective official visits.
And, if first impressions mean anything, both showed they could be very enjoyable to watch in the future for UConn's rabid hoop fans.
Anderson, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Lakeland, Fla., and Hicks, a 6-6 forward from Greensboro, N.C., played in several pickup games Friday and showed they can more than hold their own against college players. Anderson and Hicks teamed up with former UConn point guard Kevin Ollie, freshman center Emeka Okafor and freshman swingman Chad Wise in the games. The squad won twice, including a victory over an experienced UConn team led by Caron Butler and Taliek Brown. Hicks, meanwhile, also visited Tennessee last week and plans to make an official visit to CINCINNATI soon. "I'll make my decision after my visits," Hicks said. "But it's real nice here. Coach Calhoun said I'm a lot like Kevin Freeman. Hey, that's a guy that helped win a national championship here." - New Haven Register

9/6: "(Tennessee) made up ground with Hicks, but Cincinnati is still the school to beat." - Knoxville News

9/6: "The other recruit headed to Storrs this weekend is Eric Hicks, who's consistently referred to as a gravity-defying "athlete," sort of your modern-day prototype basketball player. "He's mostly looking for a school where he fits in," his high school coach, David Price, said. "And I know for a fact that he likes UConn's style." Hicks, who goes to Dudley HS in Greensboro NC, has made an official visit to Tennessee, will definitely make an official visit to Florida State and may make one to Virginia Tech. He also made an unofficial visit to Cincinnati earlier in the summer. "(Jim) Calhoun compared him to Kevin Freeman," Price said of Hicks, who led his team in scoring (18.9 ppg) and boasts a 38-inch vertical leap. "He's really explosive, dunks a lot, and is a shot blocker." - Norwich Bulletin

9/5: "Hicks has (Cincinnati) as the leader. Winston also has them high." - Rivals Hoops

8/31: "He has a 38-inch vertical leap and a 70-inch wingspan," said Dudley coach David Price. "That's what makes him special." Price said Hicks is most effective around the basket, but adds that he is not without a jump shot. "He's one of those guys you've just got to put on the floor and then you determine where you want to play him," Price said. "He's got some range, but for us he doesn't need to shoot with range because we play him mostly inside." Price said he isn't aware that any school leads for Hicks." - Knoxville News

8/31: "our sources indicate that whoever (attempts to) sign Hicks this fall should be worrying about Bob Huggins and the Cincinnati Bearcats. Hicks won’t make any sort of a collegiate decision until he visits the Bearcats officially. Recently, he went to see Cincinnati on his own and he fully intends on having the Bearcats host him on their buck. The Cincinnati date has not been set yet, but the Bearcats will be in his home the first day coaches can make in-home visits, Sept 9." - http://bluechiphoops.theinsiders.com/

8/29: "Also, visiting Knoxville this weekend are 6'4" Rashad Anderson from Lakeland, FL and 6'6" Eric Hicks from Greensboro, NC." - Mid South Hoops.com

8/28: "UConn recruit Rashad Anderson won't be alone on his official visit to Storrs Sept 7-9. Eric Hicks, a rugged 6-foot-6 power forward from Dudley High in Greensboro, N.C., will be joining him. Hicks is from the same school that produced North Carolina center Brendan Haywood and Vincent Whitt, a player the Huskies recruited a few years ago who wound up at Clemson. Hicks has been turning a lot of heads the past couple of months. Initially rated in the 70s, he is being mentioned a lot more since he starred at the Nike Camp in Indianapolis in July and played well at another tournament in Florida. Hicks is said to be a terror in the post and around the basket, particularly on the offensive end. Incidentally, both Hicks and Anderson, a sweet-shooting 6-4 guard from Kathleen High in Lakeland, Fla., are scheduled to visit Tennessee this weekend." - Hartford Courant

8/27: "Eric Hicks, a 6-6, 235-pound forward from Dudley High School in North Carolina, told us he had a very good unofficial visit to CINCINNATI. "I like the coaches and had a good time on the campus," Hicks told us tonight. "But I also want to see some other schools." Hicks told us he will take a return trip to Cincinnati and also has planned official visits to Tennessee and Connecticut." - - Rivals Hoops

8/24: "Eric Hicks, a 6-foot-7, 235-pound power forward from Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High School, took an unofficial visit to UC last week. Hicks said Thursday he plans to take at least three official visits (Cincinnati, Connecticut and Tennessee) before deciding and may take all five he is allowed. Hicks is the 70th-rated high school senior by BlueChipHoops.com." - Enquirer.com

8/19: "Eric Hicks proved he could play SF with his athleticism and consistent mid-range game in Orlando at the national AAUs. His range is not that of a prototypical SFin our opinion, but man, is he strong and athletic. If Hugs were to get him and thinks he is one of his five to seven best players, he will play a lot, and maybe even start." - Bullseye, AllStar Report

8/18: "He's very good at what he does. He runs the floor, plays defense and finishing everything with a dunk. What he needs to do to expand his game is be able to be more of a multi-threat on offense. To do this, he's going to have to prove he can shoot it to at least medium range. For now, he's a great athlete with serious hops and a presence inside." - BlueChip Hoops

8/17: "I think the fact he went to Cincy on his own is a good sign. He said there wasn't a leader the last time I spoke with him. As you probably know, Buzz Peterson is the former NC state player of the year in high school, and he has some good ties to the area. We'll have to see how this one develops." - Dave Telep, BlueChip Hoops

8/15: Hicks visited campus today. - Mike Ryan

8/14: "Hicks told us that he is visiting Cincinnati today. "I already like Cincinnati so I want to see what it would be like as a student," Hicks said. "But I also want to take some official visits." -
www.RivalsHoops.com

8/13: "we also believe the Bearcats may be close to getting another verbal commitment later this week from 6'6 Eric Hicks from Greensboro (Dudley) NC, who is expected to be in Cincinnati on an unofficial visit on Wednesday. Hicks isn't ranked among our top 100 seniors nationally, but he's close. He's also the type of explosive undersized power forward that Huggins has made a living with over the years. Hicks not only plays his tail off, but he's very athletic and extremely aggressive on the boards." - HoopScoop

8/3: Named to the 2001 AAU All-Americans First Team. (14 total players) - School Sports

8/2: RivalsHoops is reporting that Hicks will cut down his list of schools "in the next couple of weeks." Cincinnati is still included.

8/1: "We hear CINCINNATI may be the team to beat for NC athlete Eric Hicks. There’s no need to classify Hicks by position so as they do in football, we’ll just refer to him as an athlete. Arkansas, Clemson, Cincy and UConn watched him play yesterday. We hear Charlotte might be taking a pass on him." - Blue Chip Hoops (added 8/1)

8/1: "...we are not sure how intently Cincy is looking at Eric Hicks. The reason we say this is because Hicks is a 6'5, 220 lb. under-sized PF from Greensboro (Dudley) NC. We saw him at NIKE and he showed us he is a strong athlete who runs the floor and finishes everything in transiton, as well as rebounds against bigger players. But he showed us a limited perimeter game, both offensively and defensively. However, terrrific athletes and strong players around the hoop have always prospered in Coach Huggins' system. We labeled Hicks as a mid-major at the NIKE Camp, but maybe he has played much better after NIKE." - Bullseye, AllStar Report

7/19: "In one game at the Nike All-American Camp, 6-6 Greensboro (NC) Dudley forward Eric Hicks just couldn’t stop dunking. He attacked the rim on the break, off misses and off the dribble. In short, he was in the process of commanding everyone’s attention. Since camp, Hicks has become a pretty hot commodity. “Well, a lot of coaches are calling and I get a lot more mail,” Hicks said. “I wouldn’t say there is a leader. I am wide open right now.” So far, NC State, Wake Forest, Charlotte, UNC-Wilmington, Virginia Tech and Clemson seem to have made impressions on him. He wants to take all five visits and make a commitment in the latter part of spring. “I just want to see who is going to offer and make sure I like the campus and everything.” At 6-6, Hicks basically plays the position of athlete. He’s not a true SF or PF, he just gets it done. “If I have someone big on me, I can outrun them and dunk. Then, if someone is smaller I can take them down low. I judge my game on the size of my opponents. If he’s smaller I am going to post him up a lot more.” Because of his unique style of play, it’s going to be important for Hicks to select the right style of play. Halfcourt basketball isn’t going to suit his game and that’s not what he wants. He wants to turn up the tempo with a lot of transition and running up and down the floor. That’s what really suits his game. One area he needs to improve is his perimeter skills, and he realizes this. It’s just a facet that would serve him well for the college game. “Sometimes I missed some shots bad at Nike.” Academically, Hicks says he’s within range on the SAT. Last year, Hicks averaged 19 points and 8 rebounds. He was coming off an ACL/MCL injury, which was supposed to take 8 months to recover from, and he did it in six. He says he’s lost a little quickness, but you would never know it. He’ll play with the Charlotte Aces in Orlando later this month." - Blue Chip Hoops

7/10: "We only list Eric as a BF because that is all he has played before and he still finishes like a BF. Make no mistake about it; his transformation into a high-major caliber WF is almost complete. Hicks has shown a confident stroke, nailing several threes and has also gone to the basket strong against weaker defenders. We tried to keep track of how many people he dunked on, but it was impossible. Hicks has developed into quite an intriguing prospect." - PrepStars

12/22/00: "Dudley junior Eric Hicks is known as “The Helicopter” and he did his share of flying over the George Washington defense.... While Brown provided the dagger, it was Hicks who delivered most of the damaging blows beforehand. Literally. Double-teamed inside, Hicks had trouble converting the first shot, but went around, over or through whatever was in his way to get the offensive rebound. He needed 28 shots to get his 26 points, but got two shots on many possessions." - Danville Register