Thaddeus Hall, the supremely talented but at times troubled Thomas Jefferson senior who has dealt with academic woes and living in a homeless shelter, capped a whirlwind four-month ride of success with a decision that made him happier than one of his 30-point outbursts.
The 6-foot-5 southpaw wing, known for his sweet perimeter jumper and outward displays of confidence, verbally committed to South Carolina and new coach Frank Martin on Thursday night. Hall picked the Gamecocks over St. John’s, Maryland and Hofstra, among others.
“They came to my school, they kept in contact with me, they talked to my mom – they did everything it took to get me,” he said of his commitment, which was first reported by The Post. “It feels great. I’m going to play SEC basketball and that’s one of the top conferences in the country.”
Really, Hall chose Martin, the fiery coach he said reminded him of Jefferson’s Lawrence (Bud) Pollard for his penchant to get into his players’ faces and drag the best out of them. He wanted a coach who would push him and felt a bond with Martin after spending time with him at Jefferson.
“Once Coach Martin got the job at South Carolina, he kept coming at me,” Hall said. “He wanted me very bad; he was just telling me if I trust him and come to South Carolina I’m going to have a bright future.”
He added: “There was something about Frank Martin I felt comfortable with. He was everything I was looking for in a coach.”
Martin won over April Hall, Thaddeus’ mother, by promising her son would return to Brooklyn a responsible adult and recounting his own struggles as an adolescent. Like Hall, Martin came from a one-parent household.
“That pretty much put the icing on the cake for me,” she said of Martin, who built a consistent winner at Kansas State. “He knows what it is to come from a one-parent home. He wasn’t the best kid, either. He pretty much identified himself with Thaddeus.”
Martin made Hall a priority shortly after taking the job at South Carolina. He offered Hall while he was still at Kansas State and Hall was the first player he personally visited, the Tuesday after the Final Four. South Carolina assistants came to Jefferson on two other occasions as well and told Hall he would get a chance to contribute immediately as Martin looks to rebuild the program, which went 2-14 in the SEC last season.
“Coach Martin said he needs some players who can beat Kentucky and Thaddeus is one of those guys who can go in there and do that,” Pollard said. “When Coach Martin told Thaddeus he needed him to beat Kentucky and protect their house down in South Carolina that was a challenge he was willing to take.”
Hall enjoyed a storybook senior season after missing the first five weeks because of a back injury and academic woes. He led Jefferson to its first Brooklyn AA and Brooklyn borough crowns and guided the Orange Wave to the PSAL Class AA final, averaging 25 points per game in the city playoffs.
During Jefferson’s run, Division I schools started to take notice. St. John’s, Texas Tech, Maryland, Hofstra, Fordham and Dayton all offered him a scholarship. So did South Carolina, first under former coach Darrin Horn and later Martin.
“He has a chance to be pretty good,” one Division I coach familiar with Hall said. “How good, it depends on how much work he puts in. He can shoot the ball and when you can shoot the ball like he does, you have a chance to be good.”
The offers came with a caveat: can he qualify? In part due to his tumultuous living situation – for two years during high school he lived in a homeless shelter followed by staying on Staten Island, which was a 2 1/2-hour commute to Jefferson – Hall struggled off and on academically. But April found a place near Jefferson, Hall stabilized and his grades have improved, Pollard and April say, up to slightly above a ‘C’ average.
He’s taking a heavy course load, meeting with tutors and putting in extra time on his own. He is taking the SATs on May 5, and if all goes well, Hall will be ready to contribute at South Carolina next season.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him bring the house down at South Carolina,” Pollard said. “I’m betting on him. The kid’s a winner. He has a habit of falling behind, but always finishing strong.”
The last four months are a perfect example.