Darrin Hancock (born November 3, 1971) is a retired American professional basketball player. In high school and college he was known for his strong offense, while his quick and agile moves to the basket drew comparisons to the likes of Dominique Wilkins. A Parade Magazine and McDonald\'s All-American standout at Griffin High School (Griffin, GA), Hancock was ranked among the country\'s best high school basketball players in the late 1980s. He played his first two college seasons at Garden City Community College, where he was considered one of the top junior college recruits in the nation before transferring to the University of Kansas. There he was the starting small forward on the Kansas Jayhawks\' Final Four-bound squad in the 1993 NCAA Men\'s Division I Basketball Tournament. Hancock left college after his junior year to play professional basketball and eventually found success in United States semi-pro basketball leagues after several uneventful stints in the NBA. He is considered to be among the best all-time Georgia high school basketball players in the state\'s history.\n', '

Darrin Hancock was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama but relocated to the small community of Griffin, Georgia, south of Atlanta in Spalding County, when he was in sixth grade. Hancock suffered tragedy at a young age in 1978 when his father died after succumbing to a heart attack and thereafter was raised by his mother. As a child, he kept to himself and only picked up playing basketball in the eighth grade. Hancock credited James Martin, the Griffin High School basketball coach, as his most positive influence other than his mother. Martin was his coach and mentor in high school and frequently advised Hancock on professional and personal affairs. The young Hancock eventually came to look at Martin as a father figure and the coach later became his legal guardian.\n', '

The young Alabama native attended Griffin High School where his considerably tall height of 6\'6" and athletic talent helped land him the role of starting center on his school\'s varsity basketball squad during his freshman year. Hancock instantly emerged as the star of the team and was considered as one of the state\'s top freshman high school basketball players during the 1986–87 season. He managed to lead the 25–2 Griffin Bears in points and rebounds as well as helping his number two ranked school seize the state\'s Region 6-AAAA championship title, all the while before completing his freshman year.\n', '

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