Chris May didn’t begin talking about himself from a basketball standpoint.

“I’m a unique kid,” Bob Hope’s leading scorer said Tuesday. “I like to do a lot of things besides basketball … anything. I like to help a lot of kids.”

One example May gave: His mother helps with kids in a daycare, and he will get involved.

“I’m just a really helpful person,” May said. “I like to give a lending hand to anyone who needs it.”

May’s good-neighbor attitude extends to the basketball court. The 6-foot-2 junior, who spent his freshman season at Kelly, is averaging 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists a game.

“I think he’s grown the most in his scoring ability,” Bob Hope coach Charles Wise said. “Nineteen points and seven rebounds … nobody else in our district is doing that. He has tremendous upside. He’s only a junior, and he’s growing, so I see potential there.”

Rick Frey, Bob Hope’s principal and athletic director who assists Wise, said May has taken over the game.

“This year, he’s shown that he can shoot from the outside, but he can also get to the bucket when he needs to, plays some really solid defense and he really helps to keep us in games.”

Bob Hope (8-13, 0-8 in 23-3A) has struggled this season, especially with Wednesday’s 97-32 loss at East Chambers, but May has drawn attention from a number of college coaches, including McNeese State’s Dave Simmons.

He’s stepped up his game this season due in part to the graduation of Nick King, who is playing club basketball at Southwest Texas Junior College. Wise recalled a 32-point game from May against Southwest Louisiana Home School and a 29-point outing against Kirbyville at the West Hardin tournament.

“[Against] Kirbyville, he had a complete game,” Wise said. “His effort and hustle were there the complete game.”

King is one of three 2017 graduates honored in Bob Hope’s gymnasium with a banner for landing on a collegiate team, as soccer standouts Bryan Gutierrez and Jorge Martinez signed with Division II Lubbock Christian University and Paul Quinn College, respectively. If May is lucky, a banner of a Division I athlete will soon hang.

“Me and Nick, we were leading the team in scoring last year,” May said. “The totals kind of dropped, so I knew I had to step up right away. I knew I was capable of doing so.”

May, who scored 20 points against East Chambers, also counts on senior guard Jaydon Daigle for scoring help this season. In a district stacked with quality programs, May hopes his all-around game will help the Eagles — who will play in the Texas Christian Athletic League next season — score a breakthrough win.

“We’re in probably the most competitive 3A district in the state,” Frey said. “With Buna, Kountze and East Chambers all together, I don’t know of anybody of his size who has the touch that he has. He’s got a beautiful shooting form. He’s got strong offensive production. He’s got good touch, good handles, he gets to the rim, and his size is just an added bonus. The colleges want to look at him.”

I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews