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He’s done it again.
Two weeks after bringing in Wyoming Freshman Marcus Williams, Buzz Williams has secured the services of another stellar incoming freshman transfer.
BREAKING: St. Joe’s transfer Jordan Hall tells me he has committed to Texas A&M.
— Ari Rosenfeld (@ARosenfeldHoops) May 4, 2021
A 6’8” point forward, Hall averaged 10.6p/5.9r/5.7a as a freshman. Led the A-10, and all freshmen nationally, in assists.
The @NGSaintsHoops alum is a constant triple-double threat and NBA prospect pic.twitter.com/Kp4RnfRpWU
At first glance, Jordan appears to be a perfect fit the Buzz Williams vision of “positionless basketball.” At 6’8” he has the rebounding chops to contribute on the glass on both ends of the glass, but more importantly... his vision and court awareness is sublime.
Jordan Hall is quietly putting together a notable freshman season at St. Joe's (7.9PPG, 5.4RPG, 6APG & 1.3SPG).
— Jam Hines (@jamontheboards) January 22, 2021
6'7 point forward w/excellent passing ability & vision. The frame, role, & reliance on a size-feel-playmaking combo vs athleticism scream a Kyle Anderson comp blend pic.twitter.com/UaVSIXqsMP
Hall led the Atlantic 10 with a truly absurd 38.3% assist-rate* during conference play, a number good enough for 10th nationally and first among all D1 freshmen, en route to an unsurprising placement on the A10’s All-Rookie Team. He’s not a shooting “specialist,” but he’s good enough (35% 3PT) to keep teams honest and open the floor for his insane passing ability.
* Assists divided by field goals made by the player’s teammates while he is on the court.
And on the days he puts it all together? Look out. Hall was one of 18 players to record a triple double in D1 basketball, dropping 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in an overtime victory over La Salle.
This is huge, Ags. He’s a surefire starter from the moment he sets foot on campus.
Another really exciting piece of the puzzle has fallen into place.
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Buzz Williams has killed it recently after a... “choppy” early offseason.
With players like Hall and Marcus Williams, he’s able to assess a full year of D1 basketball before pulling the trigger. This is infinitely more reliable than High School tape, but that’s not even the best part. The best part is that these guys had to burn their “one time free transfer” to get here. And since last year’s COVID-season didn’t count against college eligibility, these guys still have up to four full years AFTER they arrive on campus.
Honestly, I can’t see much of a downside with this approach. It won’t work if you’re gunning for NBA Lottery talent, but if you’re comfortable ignoring the top 0.1% of the talent pool, I’m convinced you can build one heck of a pipeline this way.
And the best part? There’s still some chatter out there, gang. You may hear from us again soon.
BTHO Everyone