NORMAL - Patience is not one thing Bobby Hill has a lot of these days. No one, including Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich, blames Hill.

Yet, slowly but surely, Hill is starting to feel like a basketball player again.

Two major surgeries on his right knee caused Hill to miss last season in his return to the Redbirds. But the 6-foot-6 Hill has begun the road to recovery again and vows to be ready - and healthy - for the start of the 2009-10 season.

"It's going well. I'm jumping, shooting, a little bit of jogging with the ball and stuff," said Hill on Thursday. "I just have to get a little stronger."

Hill suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament about a year ago after transferring back to ISU from Lincoln College. Just when Hill was beginning to look like his old self in practice, he went down with a ruptured patellar tendon in the same knee.

However, Hill said the patellar tendon injury wasn't as bad as the ACL.

"The first night after the surgery I had more pain with this one, but the healing process was a lot faster," he said. "I started feeling my muscles a lot faster."

Those around Hill tell him practice begins Oct. 16, not July 16.

Translation - there's no sense rushing the rehab.

"Because I know him and know he's such a hard worker and wants to play so badly, yeah I worry about him," said Jankovich. "I ask him almost every time I see him, 'You're not jumping, are you?' That's the main thing with this injury."

Hill, who has two years of eligibility remaining, acknowledges he's trying to speed up the process and "doing more than I'm supposed to."

"The doctor, Coach and Munn (athletic trainer John Munn) tell me all the time not to jump early," said Hill. "I'm like I've done it and tried already and felt fine. They about have a heart attack."

That brings a laugh out of Hill, who insists he won't rush the process. He watches his teammates play pickup games and wants to participate, but knows he can't.

Hill lifts weights in the morning, although he doesn't do any squats. He then spends time with Munn in the training room for 30 to 45 minutes before heading for pool work to build up his endurance.

Later on, Hill does ball handling drills and shoots for up to 30 minutes.

"Mentally, I've been through a lot," said Hill, who started eight games as an ISU freshman in the 2006-07 season. "I'm dialed in. Nothing is going to bring me down."

Jankovich is anxious to coach Hill in a game. The ISU coach said he could tell during individual workouts after being hired in March 2007 that Hill "could be a special player" because of his athleticism and versatility.

Hill was used mainly as a defensive player by former ISU coach Porter Moser and took only 41 shots as a freshman. He showed a capable offensive game at Lincoln College, averaging 17.0 points per game.

If he would have been healthy last season, Hill probably would have played power forward. But Jankovich and Hill both see him as a small forward.

"When Bobby was healthy we felt he could guard four positions on the floor, which is unbelievably rare and one of the things I was so excited about with him," said Jankovich. "Not many people can go past two positions. If he can get back anywhere close to that that would be terrific."