With the 2020 NBA Draft quickly approaching, Oak Hill standoutJosh Hall sat down with BasketballNews.com to discuss a number oftopics including his personal interests, his game and why hebelieves he'll make a solid pro.
Could you start off by sharing where you’re from andtelling me a little bit about your family andbackground?
Josh Hall: "I’mfrom Durham, North Carolina. My mom is a defense attorney, so Ialways made sure I stayed out of trouble so she didn’t have torepresent me in court one day. My pops is the main reason I am theplayer that I am today. He taught me early on about the importanceof being able to rebound and still handle the ball and makedecisions like a guard. He knew I would be tall, but he helped mework on my wing skills and [helped me] be a versatileplayer."
You attended Oak Hill Academy for high school; youdidn’t make their national traveling team as a junior and insteadplayed for their local team. Did that put a chip on yourshoulder?
Hall: "Yes,sir. My sophom*ore year, I felt like I had areas of my game that Icould improve on. That summer, I made sure that I put the work into be on the gold team, so being a competitor, of course I was letdown when I didn't make the team. That put a chip on my shoulderand it's still there to this day."
You opted to do a post-graduate year developing atMoravian Prep. What went into your decision to take that route, andhow do you feel it helped your career?
Hall: "I chosethat route because I didn’t feel like I was ready at the time tostep on a college campus and start from day one. It gave me moretime to continue to get better and improve on my body so that Icould make an immediate impact the day I stepped oncampus."
You were extremely productive in your year at Moravian.In which aspect do you feel you grew the most there, either on oroff the court?
Hall: "I feellike I grew in all aspects on and off the court. The two areas Ifeel I grew the most were leadership and being an all-aroundbasketball player. Before Moravian, I was known as just a shooter.So that post-grad year, I worked on putting the ball on the floormore and becoming a three-level scorer. I also wanted to make sureI focused on rebounding and improving on my defense."
You originally committed to NC State. What was it aboutthe program that drew your attention?
Hall: "Growingup, I wasn't ever a big fan of any of the blue bloods that mostkids around North Carolina were. I was drawn to the fact that Coach[Kevin] Keatts and the staff went out of their way to see me everyweek. They laid out a game plan for me and were detailed about howI would fit in and why NC State would make sense for me. Also, I amvery family-oriented, so I liked the fact that my parents would getto see me play."
You competed on all three major shoe circuits forgrassroots basketball. Which league did you enjoy playing in mostand why?
Hall: "The EYBL(Nike Elite Youth Basketball League) is a league like no other.Every game, you can walk around and casually bump into an NBAAll-Star. The atmosphere was also unlike the other two circuits. Ithelps bring out your best in every game."
You ultimately decided to skip college and declare forthe draft, taking a similar route to guys like Anfernee Simons andThon Maker. What led you to opt for the professionalroute?
Hall: "Towardsthe end of my season, there were a lot of rumblings about meskipping college to make the jump to the NBA. In my mind, I alwaysfelt like I had a skill set and the versatility to do well in themodern NBA; there were just a few things I wanted to improve on.When I met with ProSport Management, they felt the same way aboutmy skill set and they laid out a game plan to help address thoseareas that I needed to improve on. After a few weeks of strengthtraining and working with pro trainers, I saw improvement in mybody and in my game and knew that I would be ready to help an NBAteam by the start of the season."
Besides basketball, what other interests and hobbies doyou have?
Hall: "I am achill and laid-back type of guy. I like to play video games andlisten to old-school music."
Could you walk us through a typical day for youcurrently as you prepare for the NBA Draft?
Hall: "Usually,we work out two to three times a day -- twice on the court and oneworkout to improve my body, like yoga, pilates or strengthtraining. Typically we work out around 9 a.m. on the court, thenrest for a few hours, eat lunch and go to weights. Then, we have ashooting session towards the end of the night, and I try to do someform of recovery after our last workout. Finally, I get back to thehouse and play the game for a little and get ready to do it allover again."
For those who are unfamiliar with your game, would youmind giving me a quick rundown of who you are as a player on thecourt?
Hall: "I thinkI am a versatile wing who can score from anywhere on the court. Ican space the floor and I finish at the basket a number ofdifferent ways. Even though I am 6-foot-9, I feel like I was alwaystaught to have a floater or an in-between game in case you can'tget all the way to the rim. I can also defend 1-through-4 andswitch on to anyone."
Who is one player you model your game after themost?
Hall: "Beingfrom North Carolina, I always watched Brandon Ingram growing up. Heis someone I modeled my game after because we always had similarmeasurables and he could score at all three levels."
What are some things that you would like to continue towork on and improve in your game?
Hall: "I wantto continue to work on my body so I can be a good defender, since Iknow that is the key to staying on the floor, especially as arookie. I also am continuing to work on my ball handling so I canget my shot off against the best defenders in theworld."
Let's pretend that I’m an NBA general manager that'sconsidering selecting you and we’ve just entered an elevator. Whatis your elevator pitch as to why I should select you?
Hall: "I am ahard worker that is a sponge, and I’m willing to listen toeverything that those around me are telling me. I have a skill setto help a franchise win and I won't be outworked ifselected."
