This has been a summer of transition for West Side junior Reginald “Trey” Hinton.
The 5-foot-11 point guard has been taking driver’s education with an eye on getting his license on his birthday in October. Hinton has also been devouring a range of material that could help him improve his game.
“I’ve been working hard, learning a lot,” he said. “I’m learning how to drive. I’m also reading a lot more about basketball, learning about the game and trying to educate myself a lot more. I’m trying to perfect my craft.
“I’m reading books about Kobe and the mentality he had, Michael Jordan about his work ethic, point guard stuff, about reading ball screens, how they developed into a great point guard, guys like Chris Paul and Steve Nash. A lot of articles.”
It’s all part of Hinton’s road as he crosses the bridge from underclassman to upperclassman. He averaged 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals as a sophomore for the Cougars (15-9), contributing to their return to prominence.
After losing in overtime to Carmel in a Class 4A semistate in 2021, West Side went 7-14 in 2021-22 and 5-18 in 2022-23. Last season, the Cougars defeated Hammond Central in a sectional opener before losing to eventual champion East Chicago Central in the sectional semifinals.
West Side coach Chris Buggs emphasized his team no longer is a young one and can’t “wear that tag” anymore. The time is now for both Hinton and the Cougars.
“It’s the maturation process,” Buggs said of Hinton. “He was a hotshot freshman, got a lot of accolades as a sophomore. But he’s just grown mentally. He’s really taken steps he needs to to try to grow and mature as a basketball player. That’s important in his development.
“He’s starting to learn some things. When you’re a hotshot young kid, sometimes you don’t look at the small things. You tend to overlook things. But his attention to detail just has grown.”
Among Hinton’s accolades last season, he was selected for the Indiana All-Stars Futures games. He scored 15 points for the North on June 3, logging the most minutes of any player on either side.
“I had a good experience,” Hinton said. “There was a lot of good talent out there. I love how everybody came out and competed. Even though it was an all-star game, it was still competitive.”
Hinton and the Cougars also had an eye-opening experience at the Charlie Hughes Shootout in June, going up against a number of elite players and teams.
“Now he’s played on a big stage, a high level,” Buggs said. “Indiana All-Stars, he saw some good players. He saw some really good players at Charlie Hughes. For him to see there’s good players out there, that’s really helped him grow. It’s helped him and our team to grow and mature as young men.”
Buggs said he believes Hinton can use what he saw as a springboard.
“He’s doing well,” Buggs said. “But he’s still getting used to the level of having to perform every night, the responsibility of being heralded as a young player. He’s had some ups and downs. But now he’s starting to figure out the attitude, the leadership. He’s starting to be a better leader to the other players. I’m really happy where his development is going.
“But when a kid is heralded when he’s younger, there’s going to be some ups and downs in the process. He’s had his fair share. He didn’t like the way he played in sectionals. He felt he can play a lot better for our team. This offseason, he’s really taking it seriously, not only being a better basketball player, but also being a better leader. Hopefully he keeps it going, and hopefully we can make some noise this year.”
That’s Hinton’s intention.
“We’re coming together,” he said. “Last year, we were still coming together, but this year’s increasing way more. I was very proud of the record we had last year. But, of course, I want it to be better. Going into this year, I want to increase everything times 10 — the way we work, everything.
“I’m working to become a dominant point guard, be more of a leader, like a second coach on the floor.”
West Side senior guard/forward Derek Collins has long appreciated being teammates with Hinton.
“It’s fun playing with him,” Collins said. “I’ve been playing with him since I was young. He’s a great point guard. He knows how to read a defense. He’s a playmaker when needed. He can knock down shots when needed. He’s an all-around good player.”
Hinton has had an offer from Northern Illinois since January. Moving forward, he hopes to add to his options.
“It felt pretty good to have that first one,” he said. “It just let me know my hard work is paying off.
“I want to speed up the process a little bit. But I also know that everything comes in time. Things happen on their own time, and it’s a process. But I feel like I’m on a good track right now.”
