On the court, junior Hillary Reser seems able to do it all. The guard has a threatening three-point shot and, though she notes that she is only 5-feet, 7-inches tall "on a good day," she is still known for her rebounding ability.
The only thing she doesn't know how to do is not put everything she has into the game.
"I'm emotional on the court," Reser said. "I have trouble keeping it in check. But I just can't do anything half-assed. I have to be emotionally involved."
Her total dedication to what's happening on the court is part of what led the Tigers to upset league-leading Dartmouth in their final home game last season. Reser rose to the occasion in that contest, leading all scorers with 18 points. She also grabbed seven rebounds and encouraged the team with several inspired roars.
"Sometimes basketball seems like a job, so I try to capture part of that something you have when you're little," she said.
Growing up
Reser vividly recalls what it was like to play the game during those younger days, noting that even then, basketball was always intense.
"At the end of the junior high stage, there was kind of a split between the kids who just wanted to play and those who were really into it. I just hated to lose."
Today, Reser is only focusing on the here and now, something that she tries to encourage other team members to do by combining her vocal outbursts with other methods of motivation. She tries to be demonstrative whenever the Tigers score, either by pumping her fist or doing chest bumps with teammates.
"It's all worth it in those moments, when there's nothing but your teammates and the game. That's what I play for."
Reser cites two tennis players as her personal sports role models. While it at first seems strange that the rambunctious basketball player would admire two members of a more conservative sport, it makes more sense when she explains that the two players are her mom and Andre Agassi.
Reser admires Agassi for his flamboyance, but it is her parents that she has been watching play since she was young. While her dad played both rugby and football in college, Reser has always considered her mom to be more athletic. And like her daughter, she doesn't find it necessary to worry too much about keeping her emotional responses internal.
"I like going home and watching my mom play," Reser said. "When she misses, she swears, just like I do."
Reser is counting on her mom to continue with her vocal outbursts when the team travels to Oregon, Reser's home state, to play later this month. Her whole family will be in attendance.
"My mom yells so much at the games," Reser said. "It's weird not hearing her all the time at college. I'm sure she'll want to make up for lost time."
While she certainly plans to continue putting her heart into pumping the team up and playing as hard as she can, she is open to some changes from last year. The first may be for her hair, which she dyed pink last season.
Rodman?
"It was time for a change. Who wouldn't get bored with brown hair? But it was too hard to keep up," Reser said. "Maybe this season I'll try a new color."
Reser also plans to change a few aspects of how she played the game last season, noting that at the beginning, she didn't feel like she was at her best.
"The first half of the season was dismal for me," Reser said. "I wasn't celebrating baskets, and that's not indicative of how I usually play."
With only one exhibition game so far this season — which went down as a win for the Tigers and ended with Reser as the leading scorer — the Tiger already seems to be making good on her vow to be wholly involved in every game from the very beginning.
Reser can't help but extend her contagious enthusiasm to everything she does. The history major is also part of the Pride Alliance and has recently bought a new drum set, which she is teaching herself how to play.
"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Reser said. "I can't wait to be able to play Sleater-Kinney really loudly. My mom calls them the 'Screaming Banshees.' "
At times her emotional nature has worked against her, though, such as when she was getting ready to come to Princeton to play basketball. Reser knew in advance that the level of play would be different.
Olympian
"I thought everyone would be faster, bigger, stronger. I was completely nervous and I blew everything out of proportion. I kept thinking, 'I'll be cut from the team.' "
The idea of Reser's being cut from the team seems very unlikely, especially as she is always trying to improve on every part of her game. Right now, her focus is on free throws.
"I've got to make them more consistently," Reser said. "They've been a little sketchy this season, but I've got to keep them on an even keel."
Despite being one of only three upperclassmen on the team, Reser isn't worried.
"It's nice to have a lot of freshmen," she said. "It makes it hard at the beginning when they have to learn all the offenses, but it's really refreshing. They're more laid back and help you focus on the greater things. They remind me why I'm playing. Everyone is in there contributing. We should be well balanced."
"Hillary has had a tremendous practice season so far," head coach Kevin Morris said. "And she played with the most energy against Norway. That, combined with a lot of heart, reflects how she practices. She can be counted on for rebounds and she is also a consistent three-point shooter. That makes it pleasant for us and unpleasant for the other team."
With her passionate attitude and dedication to the game, Reser should add an exciting element to every game. That, combined with her intense work ethic and drive to dedicate herself wholeheartedly to basketball, should make her presence more than just pleasant for Tiger basketball.
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