At Atlantic 10 (A-10) Media Day on Nov. 11, St. Joe’s men’s basketball Head Coach Billy Lange said Jordan Hall is “[one of the] top seven floor vision [player] that I’ve ever coached or coached against.”
So far this season, the 6-foot-7-inch guard and forward’s passing abilities provided evidence for Lange’s effusive praise. As of Feb. 1, Hall leads all freshmen nationally in assists per game.
Through 15 games, Hall’s 5.9 assists per game ranks first amongst freshmen and No. 13 nationally. Hall also has the second most assists per game in the A-10 Conference, trailing only Yuri Collins of Saint Louis University. To contextualize Hall’s average assists, no Hawk men’s basketball player has averaged as many assists for a season since Jameer Nelson in the 2001-02 season.
Like many of Hall’s favorite passers, including Magic Johnson, Jason Williams and Steve Nash, the basis of Hall’s court vision stems from an intuitive knowledge of the game and his ability to understand and orchestrate an offense.
“I just try to think of the game one play ahead,” Hall said. “I try to be a quarterback on the court.”
According to Hall, the foundation for his passing ability was established when he was young. He said he played on the perimeter growing up before he reached middle school and high school. As he grew into a forward’s body, he retained his guard skills, and despite his height, he considers himself a point guard.
“When I grew and got bigger, my position changed, but I kept my fundamentals,” Hall said. “I think that’s what makes me unique. A 6-foot-7-inch point guard that can pass, dribble and shoot.”
In high school, Hall served as one of Neumann-Goretti’s primary ball handlers. Carl Arrigale, head boys’ basketball coach for Neumann-Goretti, said that Hall’s unique passing vision was evident as a high school junior and senior.
“He’s just a natural born passer,” Arrigale said. “If you’re open, the ball gets to you on time and in a good pocket to be able to shoot it.”
Many of Hall’s assists come from pick-and-roll action in St. Joe’s perimeter-oriented offense. With the ball in his hands as he dribbles off of a ball screen, Hall has the option to shoot, drive to the basket, pass to the roll man cutting towards the basket or pass to an open player for a perimeter jumpshot. In making a split-second decision when presented with these options, Hall said he trusts his basketball instincts.
“Playing basketball for so long, I know how the defense is going to rotate,” Hall said. “I go one way and I know the defense is going to react.”
According to Arrigale, St. Joe’s will have the option to utilize Hall’s passing in even more capacities on the court as he develops more strength.
“We used him in the post a lot in high school,” Arrigale said. “It wasn’t even for him to score. He was picking people apart as a point forward.”
As Hall’s court vision and awareness became a focal point in opposing defenses scouting reports, he is able to showcase different skills that defense are not as focused on limiting.
“The passing opens [my game] up a lot,” Hall said. “It opens up driving lanes and being able to create more.”
According to Hall, teams that pass well and keep the defense moving have the most success. He said that it is important to put teammates in a position in which they have an opportunity to make a play.
“Every team needs to have good passers,” Hall said. “Especially if you have great shooters like we do, like Taylor Funk and Jack Forrest. If you can’t deliver them the ball in the proper layout, it makes it harder for them to hit shots.”
