An update on SEMO basketball player Johnny Hill

The Missouri State High School Activities Association announced today that it stripped Vashon High School of three state championships in boys basketball for recruiting violations and using ineligible players.

That got me wondering about the status of SEMO basketball player Johnny Hill, who was part of Vashon’s state title teams in 2004 and 2006 and was at the center of several of Vashon’s recruiting violations.

Former Vashon coach Floyd Irons admitted spending more than $25,000 to rent an apartment for Hill and his brother Bobby, who were from Illinois.

After the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote a story about the Vashon situation in its Feb. 17 edition, SEMO athletic director Don Kaverman announced two days later that Johnny Hill was declared ineligible to compete for the Redhawks until the situation had been reviewed by the NCAA. At the time, SEMO had three games remaining in its season.

Kaverman told me today that Hill is still technically a part of the SEMO basketball program as the NCAA continues to evaluate his eligibility status. Kaverman said the university hopes to receive a final decision on Hill’s eligibility status by the end of the summer.

Hill, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward, has seen limited action during his first two seasons at SEMO, averaging 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in a reserve role. In 24 games this past season, Hill averaged 1.7 points and 2.1 rebounds.

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Dustin Renfrow, who pitched the past two seasons for the SEMO baseball team, signed a professional contract earlier this week with the Evansville (Ind.) Otters of the independent Frontier League.

Renfrow has already worked in one game, in relief. He allowed one hit while striking out three in two scoreless innings.