Matt Hicks (basketball)

Matthew Hicks barely made his school's 8th grade "B" basketball team. When he was a high school junior, he only scored 72 points for the varsity team. As a senior, in 1973 he tallied 718 points. In 2007, the Chicago Sun-Times dubbed the 1973 game between West Aurora and East Aurora High School, as the best athletic contest in school history.{{cite web|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&t=pubname%3ACSTB%21Chicago%2BSun-Times%2B%2528IL%2529&sort=YMD_date%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22Matt%20Hicks%22%20Northern%20Illinois&docref=news/11BA0CE41F7DFB30|title=High School Spotlight – West Aurora|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=September 12, 2007|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=|quote=In a rivalry that dates to 1913, the most memorable and controversial game occurred in 1973 in the regional final at West Aurora when Craig Hardy tipped in the winning basket against crosstown rival East Aurora. Did it count or didn't it? The answer still is debated to this day. West Aurora, led by Matt Hicks and John Bryant, finished 30–3 and third in the first Class AA tournament.|archive-date=April 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423214548/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/user/login?destination=document-view%3Fp%3DNewsBank%26t%3Dpubname%253ACSTB%2521Chicago%252BSun-Times%252B%252528IL%252529%26sort%3DYMD_date%253AD%26fld-base-0%3Dalltext%26maxresults%3D20%26val-base-0%3D%2522Matt%2520Hicks%2522%2520Northern%2520Illinois%26docref%3Dnews/11BA0CE41F7DFB30|url-status=live}} Although Hicks contributed 20 points, the final margin in the 50–48 contest was a tipin by teammate Craig Hardy.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/169272538|title=Hardy tipin saves West Aurora 50–48|author=Leusch, John|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 24, 2023|date=March 10, 1973|id={{ProQuest|169272538}}|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404030243/https://www.proquest.com/docview/169272538|url-status=live}} In an early-round Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class AA playoff game, Hicks had a storied face off against Ernie Kent of Rockford West High School,{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/312594645|title=For great high school basketball, 'The Chick' was home|author=Radtke, John|work=Daily Herald|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=March 15, 2002|id={{ProQuest|312594645}}|quote=How about 1973 when the great Matt Hicks outdueled Rockford West's Ernie Kent in leading West Aurora downstate, where it then beat Elgin in a memorable double-overtime quarterfinal.|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223171208/https://www.proquest.com/docview/312594645|url-status=live}} in which he outscored the foul-plagued Kent 29–17 as part of a 60–52 victory.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/169260126|title=West Aurora defeats Rockford West|author=Husar, John|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 24, 2023|date=March 21, 1973|id={{ProQuest|169260126}}|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404030242/https://www.proquest.com/docview/169260126|url-status=live}} In the 1973 IHSA Class AA state championship tournament, Hicks, who went by the nickname Skip at that time, went 5–16 (3–12 in the second half) in scoring 13 points in the semifinal 39–33 upset loss to New Trier High School.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/169265150|title=New Trier chills Aurora; Hirsch stuns Lockport: New Trier 39 W. Aurora 33|author=Shnay, Jerry|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=March 25, 1973|id={{ProQuest|169265150}}|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404030811/https://www.proquest.com/docview/169265150|url-status=live}} Hicks rebounded in the consolation game with 30 points to defeat Lockport Central High School 67–45 for third place, the highest finish for West Aurora since the 2nd place 1959 team. Hicks finished with a tournament high 87-point four-game total. He made the All-Tournament team along with future NBA All-Star Rickey Green, Alvin Green, future MLB Rookie of the Year John Castino, and Bob Bone.{{cite web|url=https://newscomil.newspapers.com/image/3399850/?terms=Matt%20Hicks%20West%20aurora&pqsid=yMiIiGrZIKNoeQeq8awJ5Q%3A29000%3A240346600&match=1|title=Chicago Rejoices With Its Conquering Heroes|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=March 26, 1973|work=Freeport Journal-Standard|author=}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

As a freshman for {{cbb link|1973|sex=men|team=DePaul Blue Demons|school=DePaul University|title=DePaul}}, Hicks started some early-season games. Described as a "great leaper" with an {{convert|82|in|cm|1|adj=on}} wingspan, Hicks' first start was on December 8, 1973, when DePaul visited Northwestern at McGaw Hall.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/171017472|title=Northwestern, DePaul renew rivalry|author=Damer, Roy|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=December 8, 1973|id={{ProQuest|171017472}}|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223020823/https://www.proquest.com/docview/171017472|url-status=live}} Hicks averaged 11.8 points and 8.9 rebounds in DePaul's first 10 games.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/171033248|title=Boyd scores 25 as De Paul rolls over St. Joseph's 89–71|author=Damer, Roy|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=January 6, 1974|id={{ProQuest|171033248}}|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404030243/https://www.proquest.com/docview/171033248|url-status=live}}

Hicks' high school grades were below the 2.0 GPA meaning that he should have been ineligible to play as a freshman, but he was on the roster due to an oversight by head coach Ray Meyer. Even though he had a B− average during his first quarter at DePaul, when another Chicago area school reported that he should have been ineligible, the National Collegiate Athletic Association investigated and ruled him ineligible. As of January 5, 1974, Hicks was still a highly regarded performer for the DePaul team and had just made an early season All-Tournament team.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/171083293|title=Big Ten basketball starts today|author=Damer, Roy|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=January 5, 1974|id={{ProQuest|171083293}}|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404030246/https://www.proquest.com/docview/171083293|url-status=live}} However, he was sidelined pending a meeting to consider his eligibility before DePaul's January 6 game against {{cbb link|year=1973|sex=men|team=Saint Joseph's Hawks|title=Saint Joseph's}}.

On January 16, 1974, Hicks enrolled at Northern Illinois University (NIU).{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/171020087|title=Matt Hicks enrolls at N. Illinois|author=Damer, Roy|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=January 17, 1974|id={{ProQuest|171020087}}|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404030245/https://www.proquest.com/docview/171020087|url-status=live}} In his January 14, 1975, debut for Northern Illinois, he contributed 13 points off the bench including 2 overtime baskets in the 87–86 victory over Weber State.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/169322246|title=Huskies tip Weber 87–86 in overtime: Huskies' foul shot in overtime edges Weber|author=Damer, Roy|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=January 14, 1975|id={{ProQuest|169322246}}|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223032009/https://www.proquest.com/docview/169322246|url-status=live}} At Northern Illinois, he was a two-time All-Mid-American Conference first-team selection as a junior and as a senior in 1976 and 1977 earning Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year honors in 1977. He led the conference in scoring (25.0 and 25.3) and rebounding (12.8 and 13.0) as both a junior and a senior. He was an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press (1976, 1977), Sporting News (1976, 1977), and Converse (1977).{{cite web|url=https://getsomemaction.com/documents/2015/12/2/1516MBBRecordBook.pdf|title=Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Record Book 2018–19|accessdate=February 23, 2023|publisher=Mid-American Conference|archive-date=July 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712184652/http://www.mac-sports.com/documents/2015/12/2/1516MBBRecordBook.pdf|url-status=live}}

After his 2.5 season career at NIU, Hicks left the school as its all-time leader in career points (1,513) scored, single-season points scored (682), single-MAC conference game points (42, {{cbb link|year=1976|sex=men|team=Kent State Golden Flashes|title=Kent State}} March 7, 1977), single-MAC conference game rebounds (23, {{cbb link|year=1975|sex=men|team=Eastern Michigan Eagles|title=Eastern Michigan}} March 3, 1976) and career double-doubles (50). The single-MAC conference game rebounds record was still listed as the current record in the 2019–20 school record book.{{cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/niuhuskies.com/documents/2019/11/8/2019_20_NIU_Men_s_Basketball_Record_Book.pdf|title=2019–20 NIU Men's Basketball Record Book|accessdate=February 23, 2023|publisher=Northern Illinois Huskies|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223014233/https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/niuhuskies.com/documents/2019/11/8/2019_20_NIU_Men_s_Basketball_Record_Book.pdf|url-status=live}} Paul Dawkins eclipsed some of Hicks' records including career points in 1979.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/171904705|title=Dawkins—Northern star glows in gloom|author=Kiley, Mike|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=February 1, 1979|id={{ProQuest|171904705}}|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404030249/https://www.proquest.com/docview/171904705|url-status=live}} He was named MAC player of the week twice as a junior (January 28 and March 2, 1976) and three times as a senior (Jan 2, Feb 1 and 8, 1977).

Hicks was not listed on the 1977 Pizza Hut All-American game ballot, but an organized write-in campaign in which his 950 dormitory mates cast 65,000 write in ballots got him selected. The Northern Illinois sports information director Bud Nangle and Rochelle, Illinois, Pizza Hut owner organized the effort to get him voted into the top 8 positions in the voting. The ballot box stuffing also pushed Chicago ballers Green and Bo Ellis into 2nd and 3rd place in the ballot. Hicks finished 7th. He lost the halftime slam dunk contest to Marques Johnson.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/169561939|title=Ballot-box stuffing lets Hicks do his stuff in Vegas|author=Jauss, Bill.|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=April 7, 1977|id={{ProQuest|169561939}}|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223155910/https://www.proquest.com/docview/169561939|url-status=live}}

Hicks' younger siblings and his son Theo played high school basketball for West Aurora.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/313174163|title=Basketball is in their blood Theo Hicks and Dave Bryant will be on opposite sides Saturday, but their dads were teammates on West Aurora's 1973 state team|author=McGavin, Kevin|work=Daily Herald|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=January 25, 2007|id={{ProQuest|313174163}}|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223171315/https://www.proquest.com/docview/313174163|url-status=live}} His younger brother, Ron, played basketball at George Williams College.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/171827880|title=This college coach learns big lesson|author=Kiley, Mike|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=February 23, 2023|date=January 20, 1979|id={{ProQuest|171827880}}|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223161523/https://www.proquest.com/docview/171827880|url-status=live}}

{{reflist|35em}}

• [https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/matt-hicks-1.html Stats] at Sports Reference

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Category:1950s births

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Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen

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Category:Basketball players from Aurora, Illinois