Utah鈥檚 Gatorade Player of the Year will suit up for BYU following a two-year mission
PLAIN CITY, Utah (BVM) 鈥� Corey Melaney has never been around a talent like Dallin Hall.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 have a weakness,鈥� the Fremont High School head boys basketball coach said of his star guard.
The 6-foot-4 Hall led the Silverwolves to the Class 6A state championship while averaging 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists. The senior did whatever he wanted on the court, earning Gatorade Utah Boys Basketball Player of the Year, but Melaney said it was Hall doing what the team needed him to do that set him apart.
Melaney can think of plenty examples to illustrate Hall鈥檚 unsel铿乻hness, but a pair of games during the Silverwolves鈥� state title run paint the perfect picture.
In the state quarter铿乶al game, which Fremont won, 77-54, Hall scored just 铿乿e points on four shot attempts. The very next game, Hall reminded the state why he鈥檚 the seventh-ranked player in Utah and dropped 38 points to clinch a state 铿乶als berth.
鈥淔or him to be one of the top scorers in the state and say 鈥楬ey, I鈥檓 only going to shoot four times because they鈥檙e doubling me and running at me鈥� tells you a lot,鈥� Melaney said. 鈥淢ost kids up 20 or 25 will jack up a couple shots because they can, but he never did that.鈥�
Hall followed up the aforementioned pair of games with a state championship e铿�ort that earned the recognition of an NBA All-Star. Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell attended the High School Basketball State Championship games and watched Hall and the Silverwolves claim a state title.
Shoutout #30 on Fremont!!! Hooper!!!
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell)
Despite an impressive prep career and a shoutout from Mitchell, Hall hasn鈥檛 exactly had Power 5 programs banging at his door. The senior received o铿�ers from Utah, Utah State, Oregon State and others, but Melaney believes other schools might have been turned o铿� by Hall鈥檚 plans away from the court.
As part of his faith, Hall plans to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines. With a tentative departure date of June 24, Hall won鈥檛 play competitive basketball for his college choice until the 2022-23 season.
鈥淚 think some schools were like 鈥楨h, never mind (upon hearing of Hall鈥檚 mission),鈥欌�� Melaney said.
Nevertheless, Hall has found the right 铿乼 for him and a school that supports his beliefs instate. The 铿乺st team all-state selection o铿僣ially signed his letter of intent in April to play basketball at Brigham Young University.
In a press release announcing Hall鈥檚 signing, BYU head coach Mark Pope said his sta铿� has recruited the Fremont star for a long time.
鈥淗e captured the attention of basketball fans throughout the state, including Donovan Mitchell, with his incredible state title run this year,鈥� Pope said in a statement. 鈥淗is vision, o铿� ball screens and ability to read changing defenses are at an elite level already. He鈥檚 a great competitor and a physically imposing o铿�ensive player who can really score the ball. Cougar fans will be so impressed with Dallin鈥檚 leadership and Hollywood-caliber charisma.鈥�
Melaney said Hall had a great connection with Pope鈥檚 sta铿� at BYU and doesn鈥檛 believe the senior鈥檚 decision was impacted by mission plans. Even after two years away from the game, Melaney said he鈥檚 con铿乨ent Hall will have a similar impact on the Cougars as he did at Fremont.
鈥淚 think he鈥檒l have a huge impact (at BYU),鈥� Melaney said. 鈥淢any kids have done it (missions) and been very successful on that BYU roster as well as throughout the country.
