Dory Hines is challenged by his coaches at Mount Olive College to perform like the top point guards in the country.
Statistically, he’s a part of the elite.
Hines, a current junior for the Trojans and former Kinston High star, is the national leader among NCAA Division II schools in the assist-to-turnover ratio category at 3.44, and is fourth nationally among all three divisions through Sunday’s games.
Two of the three that are in front of Hines are UCLA point guard Larry Drew II (3.90) and Michigan floor general Trey Burke (3.81), who are first and second, respectively, according to statistics at NCAA.com.
Jerald Williams, who plays for D-III Lycoming College in Pennsylvania, is third at 3.47.
“I actually do watch Trey Burke and Larry Drew play. My coaches tell me to watch (those guys),” said Hines, who was en route to Belmont Abbey College for a Conference Carolinas game, by phone on Wednesday.
“That’s really good (being among those players) and they’re actually guys that I look at handling the ball and stuff.”
Hines, who as a high school point guard helped guide the Vikings to state championships in 2008 and 2010, had 134 assists to only 39 turnovers for a ratio of 3.44 heading into Wednesday’s game in Gastonia. He led senior guard Matt Mazarei of Fort Lewis College in Colorado, who had a ratio of 3.17, according to D-II statistics on the NCAA athletics website.
The 6-foot-3 guard, who has played in every Trojans game this season, also ranks ninth among D-II players with 6.1 assists per game, and had a season-best 10 assists to only one turnover in 21 minutes of action in a 95-64 win over Lees McRae on Feb. 9.
The most important part to Hines, who played against Drew in a pair of tournaments during high school, he said, of the assist-to-turnover ratio statistic is the turnovers.
“My coach really preach to me about getting in the paint and creating for my teammates because he knows I can do it. He really preach to us about not turning the ball over,” Hines said. “I think I’m more impressed with the turnovers. I can only get assists when guys hit shots.
“I guess I’m just blessed to be able to do both. That’s all because of my coach.”
Now that Hines, who credits his success to his current and former coaches, including current Kinston head coach Perry Tyndall, former head coach Wells Gulledge and assistant Hubert Quinerly, and his mother, Shonda Hines, has worked his way into the top spot among D-II players, he wants to stay there.
“I would like to be number 1. I’m humbled to be number 1. So why not want to be No. 1? Maybe number 1 in D-1, D-II and D-III?” Hines said.
“It doesn’t mean nothing if I’m not No. 1.”
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.