The transfer portal taketh away, the transfer portal giveth.
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported Wednesday that Atlantic 10 all-rookie guard Jordan Hall intends to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to Saint Joseph’s for his sophom*ore season nearly two months after he announced his transfer to Texas A&M . The Athletic confirmed Rothstein’s report with Hall and Neumann-Goretti coach John Brennan. The NCAA deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA Draft and maintain college eligibility is July 7.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on,” Hall told The Athletic. “Right now, I don’t have a lot of answers for you. Based on the feedback I got and how this whole (NBA Draft combine) process went, I’m just going to go back to Saint Joe’s. Home is where the love is, so that’s where I’m going to go.”
RUN IT BACK pic.twitter.com/GOqrMDQF6K
— Jordan (@jordanhall31) June 30, 2021
Last season on Hawk Hill, Hall emerged as one of the better freshmen in the A-10, averaging 10.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. He finished first in the nation among freshmen in assists and second in the conference in assists per game. In an overtime thriller against La Salle on Feb. 20, Hall recorded the fourth triple-double in program history. He appeared in all 20 games for the Hawks with 18 starts.
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Hall’s departure from Saint Joe’s in late April was seen as a significant blow for the program that finished the 2020-21 season at 5-15 and in 13th place in the A-10. The team also lost its leading scorer in Ryan Daly this offseason, along with junior Myles Douglas and senior Anthony Longpré.
When The Athletic spoke with Hall at the time of his announcement, the 6-foot-8 freshman said his decision to transfer stemmed from personal family reasons — not bad blood with teammates, coaches or the program. Those close to Hall painted a picture of a star player in need of a change of scenery for reasons bigger than basketball.
“I think he just needs to find somewhere to grow, others around him to push him a little bit more,” Neumann-Goretti assistant Andrew Bowman said in April. “Getting away from Philly and the area will let him focus more on those things.”
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Hall said he received “valuable feedback” from NBA teams. And after sitting down with family and discussing that feedback, he felt that it was in his best interest to return to Saint Joe’s. According to multiple reports, Hall impressed in workouts during his time in Chicago. There were even some reputable reporters projecting him to be a first-round pick in the 2022 draft.
Perhaps the idea is that Hall can be “The Man” on Hawk Hill next season and become a more attractive prospect competing against A-10 competition, rather than being just another guy in the SEC, a conference littered with NBA talent and extremely athletic perimeter players.
“Jordan Hall will be a first-rounder on my 2022 NBA mock draft,” wrote USA Today NBA reporter Bryan Kalbrosky. “He is the only underclassman on record 6-foot-7 or taller with an assist rate above 35.0 percent. He projects well as both a (ballhandler) and shot creator at the next level.”
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This obviously changes everything for Billy Lange and the Hawks, who were expected to enter next season without a true primary ballhandler. Junior Taylor Funk, last season’s second-leading scorer, will be back, along with sophom*ores Cameron Brown, Jack Forrest, Rahmir Moore and Dahmir Bishop and freshman Jadrian Tracey.
The Hawks this offseason also added Vanderbilt transfer Ejike Obinna, East Carolina transfer Charles Coleman and wing Kacper Klaczek from Poland. Those three newcomers will help address the team’s size and toughness issues on the interior. And now the team has a true point guard in addition to its point guard of the future, freshman Erik Reynolds, waiting in the wings.
It almost goes without saying that Saint Joe’s outlook next season now appears a lot more promising. And Hall is eager to return to the mix.
“I am most looking forward to reconnecting with my teammates and building upon the success we had late last season,” Hall told ESPN. “On a personal level, I am looking forward to improving my entire game and developing leadership qualities.”
(Photo of Jordan Hall, Jared Kimbrough: Geoff Burke / USA Today)
