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From the time Nimrod Hilliard first began playing basketball, he was never the most imposing player on the court.

Far from it.

At 6-foot-0 and just 150 pounds, Hilliard doesn’t look like you standard-issue Mr. Basketball.

But watch him play the game he loves, and you’ll come away shaking your head in amazement at his effectiveness on both ends of the court from opening tip until final buzzer.

Hilliard, who averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per contest for a very young Madison East squad this season, was chosen Mr. Basketball in the state by a voting panel of members from the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. He will receive the award prior to the Division 1 state championship game Saturday night at the Kohl Center in Madison.  

Hilliard, who edged out Manitowoc Roncalli senior Ben Stelzer for the prestigious award, said being one of the smallest players on the floor allowed him to play with a chip on his shoulder throughout his brilliant three-year varsity career.

“Ever since I was a little kid I was looked down on because of my size,” said Hilliard, who will play college basketball next season at NCAA Division I South Dakota. “Winning this award … it just proves everybody wrong and myself right. I never let my size prevent me from competing and showing people that I was a good player. It always motivated me to work hard.”

An extremely quick point guard who easily weaves in and around defenders with the ball in his hands, Hilliard led East to a 13-11 record under first-year coach Matt Miota.  

As the lone returning starter from a club that shared the Big Eight Conference championship with Madison Memorial two years ago, Hilliard knew much would be expected of him this year.

“I knew I had to improve my scoring, my rebounding and my assists because we lost too many great players from the team my junior year,” Hilliard said.

And playing for a rookie head coach proved to work out well for Hilliard. Miota, a fine player in his own right at Milwaukee Pius XI High School and later Lawrence University, was able to teach Hilliard some of the finer points of being a leader and a true point guard.

“It couldn’t have worked out better with coach Miota coming in for my senior year,” Hilliard said. “I learned so much in such a short time. He tweaked every part of my game. He showed me how to be a leader and how to be a point guard.”

Hilliard said he plans to get on a very rigorous weight program once he arrives on the South Dakota campus this summer and his No. 1 goal heading into his freshman year of basketball for the Coyotes is to add weight to his frame.

“I’ve talked about it with the coaches from South Dakota and they agree I need to put on weight, but without losing my quickness,” Hilliard said. “They have a great weight program at South Dakota and I’m excited to get started.”

Hilliard said he was “shocked” when he learned he won the Mr. Basketball award from the WBCA.

“To be honest with you, I was shocked,” he said. “Right away my whole family got to jumping around the room. I just thanked the Lord because without him none of this is possible.

“There are a lot of great players in Wisconsin. To be named Mr. Basketball … that’s a great honor and a dream come true.”