Darrin Hancock

Darrin Hancock (born November 3, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player. In high school and college he was known for his strong offense, while his quick and agile moves to the basket drew comparisons to the likes of Dominique Wilkins. A Parade Magazine and McDonald's All-American standout at Griffin High School in Griffin, Georgia, Hancock was ranked among the country's best high school basketball players in the late 1980s. He played his first two college seasons at Garden City Community College, where he was considered one of the top junior college recruits in the nation before transferring to the University of Kansas. There he was the starting small forward on the Kansas Jayhawks' Final Four-bound squad in the 1993 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Hancock left college after his junior year to play professional basketball and eventually found success in United States semi-pro basketball leagues after several uneventful stints in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is considered to be among the best all-time Georgia high school basketball players in the state's history.

Early life

Darrin Hancock was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama but relocated to the small community of Griffin, Georgia, south of Atlanta in Spalding County, when he was in sixth grade. Hancock suffered tragedy at a young age in 1978 when his father died after succumbing to a heart attack and thereafter was raised by his mother. He managed to lead the 25–2 Griffin Bears in points and rebounds as well as helping his number two ranked school

The Griffin Bears continued to flourish with Hancock, as the now number one ranked basketball squad posted a 28–1 record and claimed their second Region 6-AAAA title during the 1987–88 season. Darrin Hancock finished the season averaging 17 points per game while earning the distinct honor of being the first sophomore to be named as The Atlanta Journal-Constitution state Player of the Year. He was not only considered one of the state's premier underclassmen, but was also rated as the number one sophomore basketball player in the nation by B.C. Scouting Service during his second year in high school.

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Hancock is a terrific run-and-jump athlete, a tremendous leaper. He has tremendous quick moves around the basket. He just blows by people before they know what is going on ... He reminds me of a young Dominique Wilkins. — Bob Gibbons, recruiting analyst with a 19–5 and finishing third in votes for the magazine's National Player of the Year award. in their new class and finished with an impressive 26–4 record The All-American averaged 30 points and nine rebounds a game at the close of the 1989–90 season. Darrin Hancock, considered to be one of the nation's top senior high school basketball players at the time, was a highly sought after prize by many college basketball programs. but was ultimately disqualified from accepting an NCAA Division I scholarship (under Proposition 48 guidelines) because of his grade point average. Unable to enroll at UNLV as a college freshman, Hancock instead opted to enroll at Garden City Community College in southwest Kansas, where he could officially become eligible to transfer to another university after completing his coursework.

College career

Garden City College Darrin Hancock relocated from his Georgia home to the Midwest and settled in rural Finney County, Kansas in 1990 to begin his enrollment at Garden City Community College. He joined Garden City's basketball squad as the team's star swingman and averaged 17.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.7 steals during his freshman season. His continued athletic accomplishments earned him his third consecutive Parade Magazine All-American recognition as well as being named to the JUCO All-American Third Team.

The Georgia transplant further expanded his prowess on the court during his college sophomore season and averaged 21.8 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per game. Hancock displayed his top single-game college performance when he recorded a triple-double against Barton County Community College, scoring a then-collegiate career high of 37 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals. Many considered Hancock to be the nation's number one junior college basketball player, including the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), who named the sophomore star as the 1991–92 NJCCA Player of the Year. Several hoops analysts forecasted Kansas as a top-ranked team and as a possible Final Four contender with the arrival of Hancock. The Jayhawks fulfilled those predictions, capturing the 1993 Big Eight Regular Season Championship and the second seed in the Midwest division of the 1993 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament with a 27–8 record. The Jayhawks marched through the NCAA tournament and arrived at the Final Four Regional Championships, their second appearance in three years. Though Kansas eventually lost to North Carolina in the Final Four, the team's outstanding performance earned the squad a top ten nationwide ranking during the regular season, including a brief time spent at number one.

The dynamic backcourt duo of Rex Walters and Adonis Jordan provided the bulk of the Jayhawks' scoring. Hancock, on the other hand, was primarily a secondary offensive contributor with an average of 7.5 points per game in 33 starts. Hancock's failure to live up to pre-season expectations

Professional career

Charlotte Hornets

The former Jayhawk spent his first season as a pro playing in the French Pro B League for the Maurienne basketball club, where he averaged 17.3 points and 5.4 rebounds over 17 games. Back in the United States, players and teams were prepping for the upcoming 1994 NBA draft. Hancock attended the Chicago pre-draft camp over the summer where he showcased his trademark agility to NBA scouts. The Charlotte Hornets, who earlier packaged away their first-round pick as part of the Hersey Hawkins-Kendall Gill trade, were busy deciding whom to choose for their sole 2nd-round pick. The organization sought out either a rebounding-prone rookie with height or a backup point guard. However, many of Charlotte's rookie prospects were already selected by time it was their turn; and therefore the Hornets tapped Hancock with the 38th overall pick of the draft after he impressed the organization with athleticism that complimented the team's running game style of play. Hancock joined a veteran-heavy team that was led by the young powerhouse combination of Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning. Hancock's own talents were outmatched by many of his teammates, compromising his minutes on the court as the Hornets' 12th man. Nonetheless, he saw significant playing time in April 1995 when Charlotte's starting small forward Scott Burrell and backup small forward David Wingate were simultaneously out with injuries. Hancock recorded a then NBA career high of 15 points that same month against the Philadelphia 76ers in one of his seven starts that season. Nonetheless, the Hornet's rookie contributed in the post-season action, though sparingly, playing less than 10 minutes in three games.

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I saw Darrin play in Chicago [NBA pre-draft camp] and he can flat-out run the floor ... He's an intriguing guy. He's got a nice upside. — Dave Twardzik, Charlotte Hornets Director of Player Personnel which appeared to have some effect on his game during a surprising pre-season start where he averaged 15.5 points over six exhibition games. Starter Scott Burrell entered the season on the injured list nursing a torn Achilles tendon, forcing the newly acquired shooting guard Glen Rice to switch positions and replace Burrell as the squad's starting small forward. Charlotte took a chance with tapping Hancock to temporarily fill the void at the starting shooting guard position in the meantime. He appeared in four starts during the middle of November, averaging five points and two rebounds. This time around Charlotte went with Dell Curry as the team's new replacement starting shooting guard, designating Hancock as the Hornets' primary guard-forward swingman reserve. Hancock finished the season with a total average of 13.3 minutes per game in 63 games. Despite seeing more time on the court, Hancock was unable to carry over his pre-season offensive exploits into the regular season and settled instead for a 4.3 points per game average.

Bucks–Hawks–Spurs

Darrin Hancock was signed by the Milwaukee Bucks on October 3, 1996 and as a result the newly acquired Buck saw scarce minutes on the floor, averaging 4.3 minutes per game as small forward reserve. The organization took interest in the native Georgian, who was looking to rebound back into the league after having recently been dropped by the Suns. Hancock averaged 14 points and 3.5 rebounds in his first two games with the Racers. Hancock was offered a 10-day contract in March to return to Atlanta, where he finished the remainder of season as a Hawk.

Awards and accomplishments The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Boys' Class AAAA All-State First Team (1987–88) The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Player of the Year (1988) 1988 Mr. Georgia Basketball 2× Parade Magazine All-American First Team (1988–89, 1989–90) Dapper Dan Roundball Classic (1990) McDonald's All-American Team (1990) U.S. Olympic Festival: Men's Basketball South Team (1990) Parade Magazine All-American Second Team (1990–91) 1991–92 National Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year 2× All-USBL Team (2000, 2003) 2003 USBL Post Season MVP