ADAPTING TO CHANGE HILL QUICK STUDY AT CLEVELAND AFTER COMING FROM GRANT.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

Jason Hill needed a different environment and a more focused direction. On the basketball court at Grant High of Van Nuys, things came easy. He was a top scorer and a deft passer and rebounder capable of posting triple-double stat lines any time he played.

Off the court was a different story.

His grades were poor and the crowd he was hanging with wasn't helping. Hill needed a change before he squandered any chance to earn a college scholarship.

``I had to find a different place to go to school,'' Hill said. ``I wasn't doing well in school at all. At Grant, the environment was bad for me.''

Hill's new surroundings at Cleveland of Reseda fit him much better. Hill transferred there in the offseason, seeking more discipline off the court and a chance to play on a bigger stage on it. He's found both with the Cavaliers.

``Everything is just a lot better for me at Cleveland,'' said Hill, a 6-foot-4 junior guard. ``My grades have improved a lot, and I'm playing on a great team that plays against great competition night in and night out.''

Hill gives an assist to his uncle, James Bunton, who played at Cleveland with current Cavaliers' coach Andre Chevalier and has helped raise his nephew, along with Hill's grandmother. Hill's parents have not been in his life, but Bunton has filled a huge void by acting as a father figure.

In fact, it was Bunton who finally told Hill he needed to leave Grant.

``It wasn't anything against Grant at all,'' Bunton insists. ``Jason just needed to go some place else. The school was right around the corner from were he lived, he had a lot of pressure from friends and he just wasn't as focused as he needed to be.''

Since enrolling at Cleveland, Hill's grade point average has improved to 2.7. Bunton could not be more pleased.

``If he was still at Grant, we would not be talking (about his basketball) because he was in real danger of not having the necessary grades to play,'' Bunton said. ``Going to Cleveland was the best possible move for him.''

Hill more than holds his own playing against the difficult schedule Chevalier has put together. He's averaging 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists on a 13-3 team with one established star - USC-bound forward Nick Young - and a handful of other standouts, including Andre Bright, Loren Leath and Corey Duncan.

``We have a lot of talented players, so it was pretty easy making the adjustment being the new guy on the team,'' Hill said. ``I try to play an all-around game, and when you have players around you who know how to play the game, it just makes things a lot easier.''

Bunton, whose brother, James, was an All-City player at Dorsey High before playing at the University of Washington, said his nephew has a definite feel for the game, allowing him to make contributions in a variety of ways.

``If you watch him, he's always around the ball and he always seems to know where to be,'' Bunton said. ``He definitely has a high basketball I.Q.''

A number of colleges are beginning to take notice. Hill already said he has heard from Pepperdine along with some schools back east, and the list of suitors figures to grow as this season and his senior season unfold.

``It's a great feeling knowing people are starting to know who I am,'' Hill said. ``It's always been my dream to play in college, and I really believe I'll have that chance.''

Thanks to his new home and his improved dedication in the classroom, that dream can become a reality.

``Jason understands now that his schoolwork is the most important part of this whole thing,'' Bunton said. ``Without that, nothing else happens. But he's doing the right things now, and I'm convinced it will keep up.''

Vincent Bonsignore, [phone]

vincent.bonsignore(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Junior transfer Jason Hill is thriving on and off the court at Cleveland High, boosting his grades and helping the Cavaliers start 13-3.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer