Jerome Hipps, Class of 1988
Explosive players often make an immediate impact on the court. For Jerome “Jay” Hipps, that also included time spent above the court, and the athletic basketball star has now jumped into the Peddie School Sports Hall of Fame.
Following an accomplished high school basketball career at T.C. Williams in Alexandria, VA, Hipps wasted very little time before contributing to Coach Lozier’s ’87-’88 squad. This balanced team gelled immediately with the addition of Hipps and fellow postgraduate Bob Barrett, winning their first two contests by considerable margins. These early-season victories proved to be the perfect tune-up for the Falcons’ sweep through the Peddie School Invitational Tournament in which they defeated Rutgers Prep, 73-72, for the championship. The coaches honored Hipps as the PSIT’s Most Valuable Player.
Hipps and fellow hoopsters raced out to a 9-0 record, as the “Flashy” Hipps registered almost 30 points per game, leading Mercer County in scoring. Just as impressive was the tenacity in which Hipps crashed the glass, relying on both his athletic ability and his skill and intelligence as a rebounder.
The Falcons concluded their season with an outstanding 18-2 record, recording a season finale trouncing of perennial power St. Benedict’s, 77-57. Coach Lozier described the ’88 team as a “great group of kids to coach,” and a team that would be remembered as one of his best.
A “first-class” athlete, Hipps also contributed as a conscientious member of the Peddie School community. In his college recommendation. Former Dean of Students and basketball coach, Bill McMann shared the “Beyond his skills, Jay is a good team player who is just as respected for his attitude as he is for his abilities.” From Falcon to Mountain Hawk, Hipps took both with him to Lehigh University.
Even during his college career, Hipps enjoyed Mercer County’s friendly rims, as the sophomore returned to Lawrenceville’s Rider University to score 12 points and lead his visiting Lehigh Five to a come from behind victory.