Tag: Adam Hall

Great Lake Canadians and Ontario Blue Jays impress at T12

TORONTO – The fourth-annual Tournament 12 featured some impressive familiar faces, and three combined no-hitters on the second day of games on Saturday, two of them thrown by Ontario squads and using all Canadian Premier Baseball League hurlers.

In the second contest of the day, Ontario Green used three CPBL arms to no-hit Alberta Red, finishing the game in a scoreless tie. The first hit of the game was a two-out infield single in the bottom of the fourth, from Great Lake Canadians infielder Tye Imeson, who had two of the team’s three total hits.

“It was a combined no-no and the pitch counts were really low, so they did a great job,” said Mike Steed, a coach with both Green and the Ontario Blue Jays program. “In 1-1 counts, all you’ve got to do is throw that first-pitch strike and you’re in control. The other team absolutely pitched well, there wasn’t a whole lot of offence on both sides. They kept the hitters off balance and changed eye levels. Good pitching.”

OBJ southpaw Harley Gollert got the start and in three innings of work he walked one and struck out six. GLC right-hander Jake English followed out of the bullpen with two perfect frames and three strikeouts, before OBJ righty Nathan Holmes finished it off with two walks, fanning two in his two innings.

“They were excited in the dugout, the guys who threw,” Steed said. “Harley and then Jake, as soon as they got the last out in the top of the seventh, Harley looked at me and said, ‘Hey, combined no-no,’ so they know what’s going on and it’s exciting for them.”

Ontario Black followed suit in the final matchup of the day with a combined no-no of their own, using three more CPBL pitchers to get the job done and take down Alberta Red 4-0 to head into Sunday.

Griffin Hassall, a 16-year-old right-hander from the GLC program, took the mound to start the game and battled through an early blister for three innings, walking two and fanning five. Fellow Great Lake hurler Mitchell Stemerdink walked three and added two strikeouts in two frames. OBJ southpaw Alex Jones completed the no-hitter, striking out six in his two innings.

“It’s pretty great for the kids,” said Chris Robinson, a coach for both Black and the GLC program. “That was an impressive, well-pitched game. All those guys threw really well. I know Hassel was battling over a little blister there, and he went out for the second inning and he didn’t care, he pitched right through it. It was good.”

The hurlers got some help from 16-year-old Blue Jays catcher Noah Naylor, who threw out three attempted base stealers, set the tone behind the plate, and helped his squad to face just three batters over the minimum in the matchup.

“I told them to trust their stuff,” Naylor said of the pitchers. “The fastball was live today, and I just told them to be confident in it, and obviously that’s going to help them have a good game…I just try to be my best behind the plate, give them that insurance that they can trust me back there. I know when they’re throwing, they’re comfortable throwing to me, they can trust me with runners on the basepaths, and also with just doing my job.”

Added Robinson, a former big-league catcher: “He’s separated himself. It’s pretty exciting to watch. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a transfer that quick at this level, he gets rid of the ball so quickly. He’s got a great arm too but that was impressive.”

The Canadian Junior National Team catcher continues to improve with time, and has been nothing short of electric behind the plate at his second Tournament 12.

“He just keeps getting better every time I see him, especially behind the plate,” Robinson said. “It’s impressive. In my mind, there’s no doubt that he can catch at the next level, even now, and he’s still got a couple years to go. He’s a really exciting player.

“I know he’s going to draw comparisons to his brother [Josh, last year’s 12th-overall pick in the draft] forever, but that’s not fair because they’re two different players. But he’s got to be one of the more exciting catching prospects we’ve ever had in this country.”

Between the two CPBL-dominant no-hitters, Black lost an early contest against BC Orange 4-3, walked off on a wild pitch after battling through the fourth affair on Saturday.

Great Lake shortstop Adam Hall notched three of his team’s five total hits – one to keep the squad alive in the top of the seventh – and drove in two of Black’s three runs, adding two stolen bases and stellar defence. In three days of Tourament 12, the 17-year-old has made it clear why he is at the top of next year’s draft class.

“He brings a level of intensity every day to the field,” said Adam Stern, his coach with both Ontario Green and the GLC program. “He hates to lose, that’s the biggest thing you have to understand about Adam…That was a good game right there because you get to see when the game’s on the line what happens, who rises to the occasion, and he’s come up with big hits for us, he came up with big hits out here, and when the game’s on the line, you want him up there.”

Futures Navy ran short on pitching in the fifth game of the day, matching up against a tough Ontario Green squad and leaving the field after six innings because of the tournament’s mercy rule, taking the 12-1 loss in a game prominently featuring players from the GLC program.

Green used three Canadians arms to get through the game, with right-hander Corben Peters taking the hill to start and allowing one run on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Fellow righty Garner Spoljaric followed with two perfect frames, and Dallas Hunter retired the side in order to secure the win for Ontario.

“It was a well-pitched game,” said Ontario Green coach Rick Johnston. “We swung the bats, the kids played really well. It was nice for them to go out and do what they did. Obviously there were some walks in there, but that’s going to happen, and we put the ball in play.”

Ontario first baseman Jameson Hart, an outfielder in the Great Lake program, paced the offence, going 2-for-2 with two walks and driving in three runs. 16-year-old GLC catcher Ian Jordan drove in the only run for the Navy squad, singling and walking in the game.

Adam Hall brings maturity and intensity into his draft year

TORONTO – Adam Hall is not the player he once was.

The Great Lake Canadians infielder is back at Tournament 12 for his fourth time in the event’s fourth year of existence. But throughout the months that have passed since Hall was originally selected to participate as a 14-year-old, he has a newfound maturity that has helped him to continue his growth in the game.

It was bound to happen as the Bermuda-born native of London, Ont., got a little older and a little wiser, and spent more time on the field than ever before, but the results are still nice to see for the player expected to be at the top of the country’s draft class next June.

“There’s some on-field maturity he’s been going through,” said Adam Stern, Hall’s coach with both Ontario Black and the GLC program. “When you come here [to T12] early, there are no expectations; a little bit less pressure on yourself. The good ones find that when it’s your time and your year, and you can play with that pressure still, that makes you special.

“Some guys can’t deal with that and they try too hard and they don’t let the game come to them. Out here, he’s just playing baseball. He’s not concerned about anything else. He just wants to play baseball, and that’s a really special thing, because sometimes you get caught up in everything else, especially for the kids in their draft year.”

In addition to adding size and strength over the last four years, Hall feels as though he’s learned a lot about the game and has gained a better understanding of what to expect and how to make adjustments throughout.

“Obviously the physical maturity levels are up higher,” the shortstop said. “I’ve become a smarter player, knowing myself better and knowing how to control my emotions a little bit better as well, knowing what a pitcher is going to do to me a little bit more.

“I remember my first year I was coming here to T12 and I was facing 82 and I had to try to catch up to that, and now I’ve got to sit back, so that’s helpful. Sometimes it’s not good, but it’s part of being a well-rounded, more adjusted player too.”

Criticized for showing visible frustration out on the field, and becoming emotional when things aren’t going well, Hall believes that he is much better than he used to be in that department. The 17-year-old also knows that he may be occasionally misunderstood, and that being invested isn’t necessarily negative.

“I’ve grown a lot with controlling my emotions,” Hall said. “My intensity and my emotions are a good thing not a bad thing. Some people are going to say you can’t get mad out there, but that’s caring and I care about the game, so I’ve found a pretty good balance right now. There are still times that I need to bring it back a little bit, but it’s better to have to bring it back then to have to try to get it there.”

Taking each and every game very seriously, Hall knows that his intensity can be misinterpreted. He is often told that he doesn’t look like he is enjoying himself, but there’s nothing he loves more than playing the game.

“There are lots of people who don’t think that I’m having fun when I play because I’m so serious about it,” he said. “But there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s a great quality that I have, with my competitiveness. I may not be smiling out there, but I am having fun. It’s the competitiveness that I like and the way that I play the game is serious and always intense, so that’s just me. That’s how I play.”

There are a few traits – including the lack of smiling – that haven’t changed much for Hall over the years, consistently bringing his intensity and competitive nature to whatever team he is playing for and improving the level of play.

“He hates to lose, that’s the biggest thing you have to understand about Adam,” Stern said. “The best way I can put it is that he puts his hard hat on, goes to work, has an approach, but plays with a level of intensity, and I believe he brings the others around him with him.

“Obviously that’s what he wants to do. He wants to win the game and he hates to lose. That was a good game right there because you get to see when the game’s on the line what happens, who rises to the occasion, and he’s come up with big hits for us, he came up with big hits out here, and when the game’s on the line, you want him up there.”

Added Hall: “I always bring intensity with me. That’s my main thing I always bring, that intensity. I never want to lose at all. Even out here in these games, I know it’s a tournament but it’s really a showcase. I find myself in these games getting into the game quite a bit.”

CPBL players lead the way on Tournament 12’s opening day

TORONTO – With four teams shut out of their respective matchups and plenty of early success on the mound, the first day of games at the fourth-annual Tournament 12 was highlighted by the arms featured on Friday at Rogers Centre, with multiple Canadian Premier Baseball League hurlers at the forefront.

“Pitching right now is ahead of these hitters,” said former Blue Jay Duane Ward, an alumni coach at every T12 event. “A lot of these hitters haven’t seen somebody like [Ontario Green’s] Landon Leach or [Ontario Black’s] Ben Abram, or some of these other kids who are throwing upper 80s and low 90s.

“Once they get to see them, the hitters will start turning up the notch a little bit to catch up to them. And I’ve seen a lot of great plays out here behind the pitchers. When you have a bunch of kids who have a lot of talent, on the same team, they’re going to make some good plays. That’s what a pitcher loves, being able to have those guys behind them.”

Leach pitched in Friday’s fourth matchup, the Toronto Mets and Team Canada hurler notching the highest velocity of the opening day of games with a 92 mile-an-hour fastball, striking out six in four innings of work. While he was certainly one of the showcase’s main attractions on the mound at the beginning of games, the teams have plenty left in the tank as the tournament continues.

“I’m looking forward to seeing more of these pitchers,” Ward said. “I know there are probably five or six more pitchers that I definitely want to see who haven’t thrown yet. They’ll probably throw [Saturday], so I’m looking forward to that. I’m please with what we’ve seen right now…I want to see these guys light up that radar gun a little bit, but also throw strikes.”

Leach matched up against Ontario Blue Jays hurler Noah Skirrow in what was the most anticipated contest of the first day, with Ontario Black hosting Ontario Green, a game that saw Skirrow’s Black squad come away with a 4-1 victory. The 18-year-old OBJ righty threw four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, walking three and striking out seven to keep his team in the matchup.

Great Lake Canadians middle infielder and Ontario Blue Jays outfielder Cooper Davis saw their first game action in the same affair, on opposing teams for the first time as the only players to participate in all four years of Tournament 12. For Black, Hall singled, was hit by a pitch, drove in a run, scored a run and stole three bases for his squad on Friday, while Davis notched the only hit his Green team got off of Skirrow.

“The guys played great,” said former big leaguer and OBJ infielder Pete Orr, coaching on the Black staff. “I thought [16-year-old OBJ catcher Noah] Naylor behind the plate had a great day catching, blocking balls, and making some throws. Obviously the way the guys ran the bases was nice to see, and of course a couple guys stand out but there’s a lot more opportunity for other guys to show the people here what they can do.”

Never having had opportunities like the current players are experiencing at Tournament 12, Orr signing as a free agent in 1999 with the Braves organization and playing pro ball for 16 seasons before taking on this coaching opportunity, the native of Newmarket, Ont., is excited about what it means for young Canadians, and how it can help continue the progression of the game north of the border.

“This is great,” Orr said. “Any time a player at any level gets an opportunity to make an impression on people who make important decisions, it’s a great thing. If you’re in high school and you get to play in Rogers Centre, that would be pretty neat on its own. I hope the guys appreciate that, the players.

“At the same time you’re playing in front of all these scouts, college recruiters, and it’s just an opportunity. If you’re not on the radar already, put yourself on the radar. If you are, just either confirm the positive things they say or change their minds if someone has seen you in the summer and you didn’t have a great game. You have an opportunity here to change people’s minds.”

The Futures Navy squad led by a majority of CPBL players had two games on the first day of action, the first a pitching duel and the second with an offensive outburst, both finishing without a winner. Against the defending champion Prairies Purple team, they ended in a scoreless tie after seven innings and a game-changing injury.

The Futures team, featuring players who will be eligible for the draft in 2018 and 2019, looked as though it would take a lead in the top of the sixth when, with a runner on first, 16-year-old GLC catcher Ryan Faragher sent a two-out hit to the wall in left field for extra bases.

“I’m watching the ball thinking [the runner] is going to score,” said Nigel Wilson, former big-league outfielder and coach on the Navy squad. “I’m watching the runner telling him to go ahead, and then I’m trying to pick up the guy who hit the ball at second base. I’m looking and looking and I thought he fell in between and I thought, where is he? I look at home plate and he’s rolling around and I thought, oh no.”

Faragher went down almost immediately after making contact, having trouble with his knee and eventually limping off the field and heading to the hospital. The runner came around on the play, but his run was disqualified when the out was made before the injured native of London, Ont., could reach base.

“I don’t think he rotated on his back foot,” Wilson said. “It was his back side, and I don’t know 100 per cent but I think his upper body rotated and his lower half didn’t. So it was his knee and he’s heading to the hospital and I hope he’s fine. He walked out of here, which was a good sign.”

Futures pitchers Eric Cerantola, Carter Seabrooke and Noah Paterson combined for the shutout on the Navy side, with Carson Campbell, Tanner Bercier and Brody Frerichs no-hitting the younger team through 6 1/3 innings, eventually allowing just one base knock.

“The pitching was good,” Wilson said. “Our starter [Cerantola] was good. He did well. The younger guys, and it’s not only them, but they’ve got to get used to the 1-1 counts [that every player begins their plate appearance with]. These are going up thinking no balls, no strikes, and they’ve got to be more aggressive at the plate. It just takes a little bit to get used to…

“We are underdogs, and I thought we played well. We played good defence…Guys just need to be a little more aggressive at the plate. You want to try to show what you’ve got, so at least swing.”

The final game of the day between Navy and Quebec Blue ended with an 8-8 finish after their seven innings of play.

Quebec took an early lead, scoring once in each of the first and third frames, before its younger counterpart put up an eight-spot in the fourth inning, thanks to five hits, four walks, and two wild pitches. Chipping away for two runs in the fifth, the Blue squad added four in the sixth to knot the game.

The event hosted by the Blue Jays features more than 160 of the country’s top draft and college-eligible players, competing on the major league field for more professional scouts and college coaches than at any showcase in the nation. Tournament 12 is named for its commissioner, Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar, who is joined by fellow alumni coaches Ward, his father Sandy, Mario Diaz, Lloyd Moseby, Tanyon Sturtze, Devon White, George Bell, and Carlos Delgado, all supporting the development of Canadian baseball.

Tournament 12 kicks off with strong CPBL presence

Tournament 12 got underway at Rogers Centre on Thursday, and the Canadian Premier Baseball League is incredibly well-represented at the fourth-annual Toronto Blue Jays-hosted event, with 52 players and four coaches from around the circuit participating at the tournament.

In its fourth year, the showcase has brought together more than 160 of Canada’s top draft and college-eligible players from across the country, with almost a third of them coming from CPBL programs including the Great Lake Canadians, Ontario Blue Jays, Ontario Nationals and Toronto Mets.

“It’s a great sign to what our league has accomplished in such a short time,” said Kyle Fillier, 16U field manager for the Toronto Mets program. “We are confident that we have the best players, coaches, and teams in the province. This is a testament to the league, and we will continue to showcase the best players to the most scouts and colleges.”

The showcase began Thursday with a combine day for upwards of 60 professional scouts and college coaches at the big-league stadium. Players from each of the eight teams participating took turns running, throwing, and getting in some batting practice before games are set to begin on Friday morning, with the first players from Ontario seeing the field in the afternoon.

“We’ve gotten a lot better over the four years,” said Jamie Lehman, the Blue Jays area scout for Canada and New York. “That relates to player selection, and our footprint across the country, we’re seeing who we need to see now, and that’s led to a higher calibre of player in the tournament. Then at the same time, that’s been reflected in the colleges and pro teams that have come.

“Our tournament’s the best it’s been this year. The [T12] alumni and what they’re doing in professional baseball and college baseball are helping us prove that worth, and it’s only getting better.”

Named for and commissioned by Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar, the event is something that he is extremely proud to be a part of, and he believes the results have and will continue to speak for themselves.

“T12 is an opportunity for the young guys here in Canada to be seen by the scouts, from college and professional baseball, and hopefully we can make their dreams come true,” Alomar said. “This is our fourth year doing Tournament 12 and over 50 guys have been signed, going to play professionally and going to college, and I’m so glad that we have touched on this great opportunity.”

Alongside the 12-time All-Star are several other former major league players, who work as alumni coaches at the event. Returning to the showcase this year are Alomar’s father Sandy, former big-league infielder Mario Diaz, and fellow former Blue Jays George Bell, Lloyd Moseby, Duane Ward, Tanyon Sturtze and Devon White. Carlos Delgado joined the staff for the first time on Thursday, and was impressed by what the tournament provides.

“This is a great opportunity,” Delgado said. “Sometimes kids don’t get the exposure they need, and bringing them to Toronto and having all the scouts in the stands, it’s great. And the competition itself, playing against the best amateur players in the country, it would be a great experience. It’s a nice treat for the kids to come out and play here at Rogers Centre, and with some of the alumni. Robbie’s done a fantastic job to give these kids an opportunity.”

Only two players have participated in each of the four years of the event, GLC middle infielder Adam Hall and OBJ outfielder Cooper Davis. Back for their final turn at the tournament, Alomar is excited to see what they can bring to the showcase this year, and they’re just happy to return once again to Canada’s only major league field.

“This is their year,” Alomar said. “Now it’s time for them to show their skills. I know Cooper really well, and I like Cooper and Adam a lot. I’ve worked with them with the [Canadian Junior National] Team, so I know what they can bring to the table. It’s up to them now to showcase their skills here, in front of the scouts…they’re getting better, they’re getting stronger, they’re getting smarter.”

Said Hall: “It’s like graduating Tournament 12 now. The actual tournament itself hasn’t changed too much but my mindset on it has changed. Obviously the first year I was kind of just going there and not really knowing what to expect, not really knowing what exactly Canadian baseball was. But now, having the experiences that I’ve had there, I understand and I get what it’s going to be.”

Among the tournament’s coaching staffs are CPBL coaches Adam Stern and Chris Robinson, from the GLC program, John Marriotti of the Mets, and OBJ coach Mike Steed.

CPBL players dominate Ontario rosters for Tournament 12

The Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy announced the majority of players named to Tournament 12 rosters on Tuesday, gearing up for the event hosted by the major league organization at Rogers Centre from September 14 to 19, and the names released for both Ontario teams had a distinct Canadian Premier Baseball League feel.

Of the 21 players already named to the Ontario Black and Ontario Green rosters – with more to be announced after next week’s second tryout for local players taking place at the Ajax Sportsplex on Wednesday and Thursday – there are 19 young men hailing from across the seven programs who joined the CPBL in its inaugural season this year.

Adam Hall and Cooper Davis, currently the country’s top high school draft prospects, will look to lead the way at Tournament 12. Both are coming off of strong appearances at the Area Code Games in California, and are heading into the fourth year of the Blue Jays event having participated in each one. Hall, a shortstop with the Great Lake Canadians program, will suit up for Ontario Black this year, with Davis, an Ontario Blue Jays outfielder, playing for Ontario Green. Both players are also members of the Canadian Junior National Team.

Invitations for players called back to the second tryout in Ajax will be sent out this week by the Blue Jays Baseball Academy, and coaching staffs are set to be named next week.

The tournament, named for its commissioner and Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar, is an amateur event providing a showcase opportunity for 160 players from across the nation. It aims to centralize the best Canadian baseball players with the intention of exposing them to as many professional scouts and college recruiters as possible, and has found much success in its first three years.

Tournament 12 rosters can be found here.

GLC’s Hall takes Wrigley Field amid whirlwind summer circuit

Baseball Factory’s Under Armour All-America Game is another opportunity for Adam Hall.

The 17-year-old Bermuda-born native of London – and mainstay member of the Canadian Junior National Team and the Great Lake Canadians – is getting a lot of those lately and he’s doing his best to take advantage of every one.

Each chance is a piece of the puzzle that is seeing Hall’s dream of playing professional baseball at the highest level start to come to fruition. And after relocating from Bermuda to Ontario with his parents Tyler and Helen – in part for love of the game – he believes that every step in the right direction makes it all worthwhile.

“I’m sure they’re happy to see me getting to experience the opportunities that I am,” the young middle infielder said of what his parents enjoy the most about his journey. “Just the overall everything, getting to watch it unfold and see everything work out.

“You can’t really plan for this the way it’s worked out, after moving from Bermuda. But seeing everything go the way we wanted it to go so far is probably most exciting for them.”

Each opportunity Hall has received from the time he moved permanently to the Great White North right up until next year’s draft – the selection process that he will head into as Canada’s top high school prospect – is one he made for himself, but with some help along the way.

The Londoner grew up playing soccer, cricket and volleyball in Bermuda, but loved the times that he found himself on the diamond. Playing in Bermuda’s rookie league under Phil Ray, he began developing his baseball skills by competing with older players, a chance given to him by the late Tom MacNeil, before earning funding from the Bermudan government to help him pursue his dream further.

Moving to Ontario, he learned under the staff of former professional players at Centrefield Sports, becoming a member of the Great Lake Canadians program in its inaugural season. He began the showcase circuit early and was quickly offered several scholarship opportunities – committing to the Texas A & M Aggies – and became a Team Canada mainstay.

“Obviously you’re always trying to create separation for yourself and do the best you can, whatever that means for you to do to show all aspects of your game,” Hall said. “But things are going pretty well for me as of right now.”

Pretty well is a slight understatement.

Just this season, Hall has been all over the map as scouts get their last full-season looks at the teenager before he graduates from A.B. Lucas Secondary School. In March and April, he travelled with Team Canada to Florida to match up against spring training competition. In May, the Junior National Team went to the Dominican Republic to play Dominican Summer League squads.

In June, he participated in a Perfect Game All-American event in Fort Myers, before being named to the Perfect Game All-American Classic game, which will take place at Petco Park in San Diego in August. From there, he rejoined Team Canada for their Cuba summer series amidst his Canadian Premier Baseball League schedule with the GLC.

After Saturday’s Under Armour All-America Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Hall will head to the East Coast Pro Showcase in Tampa before the Area Code Games in California, and a final trip with the national squad to Orlando in October.

“It’s obviously a great honour to be the only Canadian going to the [Under Armour All-America Game], and just to be going to the game itself, but I’m not looking at just Canada,” Hall said. “I’m looking at all of North America and comparing myself.

“So it’s good to be able to go up against those guys and see what they are, see them all at once and what you’re up against. I’m excited for it, but you’ve got to use it as a learning experience too. Obviously there’s more work to be done but you can see what you have to do and what you are going up against.”

While the young shortstop doesn’t think of himself as the prototypical type of player expected at these kinds of showcase events, not blowing anyone out of the water in any one category, his ability to remain consistently at the top of every facet of the game is what separates him from the crowd.

“You think of the guys who go to that game and you think of big guys who are hitting the ball far and pitchers who are throwing 95 mph plus,” Hall said. “I wouldn’t say I’m the typical guy to go to that but obviously I’m pretty happy that I’m going to it…

“I can bring a little bit of everything to it. Whether that’s speed, defence, my arm, batting, power. When I bring all of that to a game, that’s what impresses people. It’s not just one thing in particular that I’m going to impress someone with, like using [power-hitting Canadian Marlins prospect] Josh Naylor as an example, and him hitting a huge home run. I’m not going to hit one as far as he is.”

With the Under Armour All-America game set to get underway, and Hall just in the middle of his summer run through showcases and high-profile games, the young infielder is as relaxed as ever, always looking forward to what’s next.

“There’s always a certain amount of pressure, but I can’t say I go out there feeling any of it,” Hall said. “I don’t think I did before but I didn’t have any experience with big events and whatnot. Tournament 12 [hosted by the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre] was really the first thing I did and even then you’re young.

“But once you realize that there are lots of events and you’re going to have lots of opportunities for the most part, there’s still the pressure that people expect you do well but as long as you don’t pressure yourself too much and don’t let it get to you then you don’t feel it.”

Finally entering his year of draft eligibility, after watching many of his Team Canada teammates and friends move on to Division-I colleges or into the professional realm, and seeing players he shared a field with like Naylor and Mike Soroka selected in the first round of the selection process, Andrew Yerzy taken in the second round just over a month ago, and Demi Orimoloye and Miles Gordon chosen in the fourth round, Hall is looking forward to where his future might take him, and what else he might be able to get his parents excited for.

“This year isn’t different quite yet,” Hall said. “I don’t think it’s completely started to sink in but I’ve been looking forward to having my turn at the whole experience…I’m my own player, and I know I’m not the same as those guys, but seeing where they’ve gone and what they can do, you get excited being able to do the same things in that way, with the draft or going to school, or whatever the option turns out to be.”