Evan Hine breaks out of shell for Waynesboro

Over the past two years, now-senior Evan Hine has worked his way into a starting position for Waynesboro's boys basketball team.

As a sophomore, he had a breakout season for the JV squad which gave him a starting varsity spot as a junior. After averaging just 5.1 points per game a year ago, Hine exploded for three straight double-digit performances to start the season.

He won't be surprising anyone now.

"He had a great fall with scrimmages and stuff like that," fellow Waynesboro senior Cameron Keck said. "He's a great rebounder, and he's got a great eye for the ball. He just finds it; I don't even know how. He's definitely a senior leader, and he stepped up a lot (during the tournament)."

Not only was Hine the Indians' leading scorer during the Franklin County Tip-Off Tournament, he was also the team's leading rebounder. And standing at 6-foot-2, Hine gives Waynesboro some height it desperately needs.

"He has that size, and unfortunately for him, he's going up against some pretty big guys," Waynesboro coach Tom Hoffman said. "Just because he's one of our biggest guys doesn't mean that's always an even matchup for him. In a perfect world, he's a guard, but we ask a lot of him in a lot of ways, and he rises to the challenge."

Although Hine may not surprise anyone on the basketball court, he does have a trick up his sleeve.

Despite not having a high school team to compete with, Hine is a skilled tennis player. He recently received an offer to play at Mount Saint Mary's, a Division I program in Emmitsburg, Md.

"Footwork in tennis is really crucial," Hine said. "Players that have good footwork on the professional level are the best players, and footwork goes a long way in basketball, as well. Tennis and basketball correlate pretty well with that."

If this sounds like a familiar story, there's good reason. Hine is following in the footsteps of his father, Derek Hine, who was a 1,000-point scorer at Waynesboro. He graduated in 1986 with a career total of 1,348. Like Evan, Derek was recruited by The Mount, and eventually walked onto the tennis team.

Evan is certainly well-versed in Waynesboro basketball.

"Evan has been a part of our program from the youth level up, and is everything that's right about high school sports," Hoffman said. "He's a great student with great character and a great family. He's everything we hope for as far as an Indian basketball player."

Hine, who has qualified for the District 3 Class 3A tennis tournament twice in three years, has until Dec. 27 to make his decision regarding the Mount Saint Mary's offer.

But for now, his No. 1 focus is the basketball season, which makes being a tennis success that much more difficult.

"I could go to one of those tennis academies; there's one in Maryland," Hine said, "but I don't want to give up basketball, because that's important to me, too."

And it's clear the Indians don't want to lose him, either.