BY ZACH AUSTIN Carl Sandburg College
GALESBURG — When David Hise came to Carl Sandburg College to play basketball, he was keeping up with a family tradition.
Hise, a freshman forward for the Chargers, is part of the third generation of the Hise family with ties to Sandburg hoops. His grandfather, Jerry Hise, coached the Chargers’ women's basketball team in the early 1980s, which included leading the program to its first Region IV championship and national tournament appearance in 1985.
David’s father, Pat Hise, was a two-sport athlete who played baseball and basketball for the Chargers in 1984-85, winning an Arrowhead Conference title on the hardwood. And David’s older brother, Jason Hise, is a sophomore on the Sandburg baseball team. Jason played basketball and baseball for the Chargers last season and was an all-conference pitcher as a freshman.
A big reason why David came to Sandburg was because of its location. He grew up in nearby Knoxville.
“It's in our backyard,” Pat said. “You see if they can move on from here and get the experience. With both my sons, it's been ideal.”
David and his family have a great bond. Pat has always been his sons’ “second coach at home.”
“He tells me what I need to do every game or even at practice what I should improve on or work on,” said David, who has played in 29 of 30 games for the Chargers this season. “But I trust him. He knows what he's talking about.”
David’s favorite memories with his family are playing basketball in their driveway, usually one-on-one against his father or brother. They would also have family games with mom Jodi and Pat teaming up to take on the sons.
When asked who wins one-on-one between him and his father these days, David said he does most of the time. Pat said he usually gives up midway through the game when he is up by one and the game starts to get close. David also said he has the edge on his older brother now that he plays college basketball and has outgrown him.
“It’s almost worth it to charge admission to watch these two play one-on-one in the driveway,” Pat said of his sons.
Thinking back to his own playing days, Pat described his game as a 6-foot-1 player who loved to slam dunk because there was no 3-point line at that time. Pat said one of his most memorable moments on the court at Sandburg was matching up with former NBA player Kevin Gamble in a game against Lincoln College.
“Coach Barry Swanson put me in for one play to guard him,” Pat said. “It was an unbalanced play. They set a double screen and bounce passed to him. He dunked on me, and I fell.”
Pat described David on the court as “very skilled, very talented, very unselfish.”
“He can score and he can shoot free throws, get to the lane,” Pat said. “He's got all the skills.”
It fits right in line with the family lineage.
“I don't really think about trying to follow in their footsteps or do what they did,” David said. “I just kind of pave my own path and do me, basically.”