His nickname says it all, "Showtime".

Given to him in junior high school by a buddy, the "Showtime" moniker has stuck to Daryll Hill, the post-graduate at Milford Academy (Milford, Conn.). And he's known as "Showtime" on the playground courts at the famed Rucker League in New York City, where he's balled against the likes of Steve Francis, Jamaal Tinsley and Al Harrington. "On the playground, that's when I bring out the tricks," said Hill. "But when I play for my school, indoors, I change my game and it's all about winning."

And while all the And 1 Mix Tape moves may get him props on the playground, it's his true point guard game and it's inherent "winning" ways that's made Hill one of the hottest recruiting commodities with college coaches.

He first came to national attention this summer when, as a late add to an already successful team, Hill starred at point guard for the Long Island Panthers, and was the crucial key for them in winning the 344-team adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas last July. Although the team boasted Top 100 players such as Villanova-bound seniors Jason Fraser (Amityville H.S./Amityville, N.Y) and 6-5 senior Curtis Sumpter (Bishop Loughlin HS/Brooklyn, NY), 6-2 shooting guard on his way to Louisville, Taquan Dean (Neptune H.S./Neptune, N.J.), and 6-8 junior Charlie Villanueva (Blair Academy/Blairstown, N.J.), the addition of the assist-happy Hill was a revelation.

The consensus among the basketball community is that the Big Time is the Grand Daddy of all summer tournaments. The most teams, the most talent, the most college coaches, and the most pressure. The two teams in the championship finals played 10 games in five days, with the last five games played in less than 32 hours.

"I don't think we would have won the Big Time without Daryll," said Gary Charles, the head coach of the Long Island Panthers. "All the kids we had were very talented, we had just won the tournament at Hofstra, the adidas Three Stripes Classic, earlier in the month, without him. But adding Daryll for the Big Time was so important. Basically, he played tremendous.

"The first couple of games in Vegas, being loyal to our other point guards, I didn't start him," said Charles. "But the team knew we had to make a change in the lineup because Daryll was playing so well and making everyone else better. To have a great team, you need a great point guard. And that was Darryl. He made us go."

"I guess he played well," said Ron Naclerio, Hill's coach for four years at Cardozo High in Bayside Queens, New York. "My phone was ringing off the hook with college coaches who wanted to know more about him. I've been telling people all last season how much he had improved, but they weren't listening. Then he goes 'Showtime' in Vegas of a couple of games and people want to know who he is."

"People didn't realize how good he was," Naclerio adds. "After the show he put on in Vegas, I heard people were screaming about why he wasn't invited to the adidas camp. He's a great kid, a teddy bear, who's worked hard on improving his game. You guys (Recruiting USA) were the only ones to rank him high.

"He can hang with any of the guys in the McDonald's All-American Game. He's continuing the upward development of his game, his body is getting stronger, more defined. He's jumping better and his jump shot has improved. And his confidence is getting stronger. And when you're at his level, greater confidence can make all the difference in the world."

Aside from a relatively obscure tournament in Iowa a couple of years ago, Hill had not traveled outside of New York City to play in any major tournaments. After his instrumental role in leading the Panthers to the Big Time title, Hill also played well and Long Island won another big tournament, the 100-plus team Double Pump Best of the Summer Tournament at Loyola-Marymount in Los Angeles.

Hill, who graduated from Cardozo in June, was a partial academic qualifier and enrolled as a post-graduate in prep school. He continued his impressive performances this season at Milford Academy (Milford, Conn.), which went 32-7 this season with Hill averaging 16 points and 7 assists.

Two weeks ago at the National Prep School Invitational Tournament at Bryant College in Rhode Island, Hill helped his recruiting cause with a couple of strong efforts including a 25-point performance against Laurinburg Institute (Laurinburg, N.C.) in the presence of dozens of college coaches.

"Penetrate and dish, that's my game," said Hill. "I score when I have to."

"He can do whatever is necessary, whatever the game calls for," Naclerio said. "He can have 15 assists in one game, and if you need him to, he can score 30 the next one. He's tremendous in transition, usually makes very good decisions and he's a tremendous passer. Once in a while, he takes simple passes for granted, but what do want? He's not perfect, but he's getting better all the time. And for a guy his size, he does a great job of finishing inside the paint."

"He's definitely a good point guard with the potential to be a high major impact player, " said one high-major college assistant coach (the NCAA rules prohibit coaches from commenting publicly about potential recruits). "He's going to need some time to develop because he's pretty creative with the ball. Daryll will need a place where he can play immediately, where a coach can let him play through any mistakes."

Hill has been offered scholarships by Providence, Seton Hall and Oklahoma. North Carolina State, Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh are also heavily involved. Hill took two official recruiting visits to West Virginia and Fresno State this year. Both schools aren't involved with him any longer (he had given an early verbal commitment to West Virginia, but later rescinded the commitment). "I'm still wide open regarding schools," said Hill. "Immediate playing time is attractive to me, but if the right program has a great point guard leading the team, I can learn from him. But, starting as a freshman sounds nice."

What's the best thing about "Showtime?"

"Daryll creates shots for other kids, that's his strength," said the college coach. "He's not afraid to distribute the basketball which is an uncommon trait these days among high school players."

Hill is not your common high school player. With the playground credibility of a moniker like "Showtime," Hill, who has the guidance of his 25-year-old brother Clifton in the college selection process, has plenty of college coaches drooling about his decision-making on the court and off.

David Benezra and Mark Mayemura cover the national college basketball recruiting scene at their Recruiting USA (www.recruitingusa.com) website. E-mail at: hoopsusa@mindspring.com or call (818) 783-2244 or (818) 783-2212 for subscription information.