There were times Jimmy Hall considered a change of address, frustrated with the 90-minute commute and lack of playing time at New Jersey powerhouse St. Anthony of Jersey City. The thought, however, never lasted very long. And now, the junior forward from the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn is reaping the rewards from remaining in Hall-of-Fame coach Bob Hurley’s renowned program.
Following up an impressive spring on the AAU circuit with New Heights, he has begun to draw interest from a varsity of Division I programs. He’s already visited Boston University and will take a look at Temple on Thursday. A versatile 6-foot-6 forward with an improving back-to-the-basket game, he has also caught the eye of Penn State, Siena, Hofstra and George Mason. Boston, Temple, Siena and Hofstra have offered, he said.
Hall is expected to start for the Friars, who return dynamic 6-foot-8 junior Kyle Anderson and finished last season ranked No. 1 in the country by USA Today.
“It’s my time to show that I’m one of the top players in the coutnry,” Hall said after New Heights was eliminated in the U17 semifinals by the Playaz Basketball Club at Rumble in the Bronx. “I want to get more schools and I want to get better and get ready for college.”
Grady’s Peters remains undecided, breaks into AAU hoops: This is all new to Jabarie Peter’s, the sharp-shooting guard out of Grady who made a name for himself over the winter with a series of high-scoring performances. He never played AAU basketball before, never traveled and played in front of college coaches or opposite big-time Division I prospects.
“I really wasn’t open-minded to the situation,” said Peters, who averaged 27 points per game this winter for Grady, was an All-Brooklyn third team selection by The Post. and helped New Heights U17 team reach the semifinals at Rumble in the Bronx this weekend “I feel it hurt me. I would have a lot more exposure. …. After my season [with Grady], New Heights gave me a call and they gave me an opportunity to play with them. I was looking forward to it. I took the challenge.”
It’s only been a few weeks, but the 6-foot-1 guard can already see a difference. Peters has drawn preliminary interest from Texas Southern but may end up at prep school.
“You’re playing against a lot of Division I talent, you got to play hard every game and that’s makes me a better player,” Peters said.
Playaz Basketball Club sweeps: Rumble in the Bronx was played in New York, but it had a Garden State feel to it. The New Jersey-based Playaz Basketball Club claimed the 17U and 15U titles Saturday at Manhattan College’ Draddy Gymnasium.
In the 17U championship, the Playaz outlasted Albany City Rocks, 67-65, behind 19 points from tournament MVP Kyle Anderson, the highly-recruited 6-foot-8 St. Anthony (N.J.) junior who recently trimmed his list down to Seton Hall, St. John’s, UCLA, Arizona, Xavier, Georgetown and Florida. Villanova recruit Savon Goodman had 16 points and Myles Davis added 14 points while N.C. State-bound wing Tyler Harris paced Albany City Rocks, the organization which runs the tournament, with 31 points and Tyler Cavanaugh had 13.
The 15’s final, the Playaz outlasted the Westchester Hawks, 58-51, as Alex Thomas scored 12 points and Jordan Forehand had 11. Christ the King’s Thomas Holley led the Hawks with 18 points.
NOTES: St. John’s signee D’Angelo Harrison was on hand to support his former team, Team Franchize All-Stars from Texas, in the 17U Silver Division finals. … Thomas Jefferson forward Edson Avila said he is going to prep school, though he is not sure where yet.