On game nights in the Smith Center, students carry signs, wear homemade T-shirts and bring cereal boxes celebrating their favorite players. Few of these spirit gadgets, however, are fashioned for junior Mike Hall. As fans fixate on Pops Mensah-Bonsu’s athletic dunks and J.R. Pinnock’s seemingly impossible blocks, Mike Hall quietly plays the best overall basketball on GW’s team. And while his play is hardly flashy, one cannot overlook the importance of his effort to GW’s success in the next two years.
After reeling in three recruiting classes at GW, coach Karl Hobbs created an athletic team capable of pushing the ball in transition leading to easy baskets. Neutralizing the fast break weapon – and subsequently forcing GW into a half-court basketball game – puts the Colonials in a precarious position. Having athletes running the break results in jaw-dropping finishes at the net, but athleticism does not necessarily correlate into the crisp execution required for success in a half-court setting. It is in this setting where Mike Hall’s strong fundamentals help GW most.
Hall is a unique player in that he does not need the ball in his hands to be effective. On offense, he moves well without the rock, throws crisp passes and rarely takes bad shots. He positions himself well for offensive rebounds, and scores a lot of points on put-backs. While ranking second in the Atlantic 10 his freshman year (2002-03) with 8.2 rebounds a game, Hall ranked first in the conference last season with 3.13 offensive boards per game. Hall also has the ability to stretch the defense with a consistent midrange jumper and the ability to hit open three-pointers. When grinding out points in a slow-paced game, having a player like Hall with sound fundamentals who is willing to set strong picks and do the dirty work under the basket is immeasurably valuable.
On defense, Hall is a powerhouse. Unlike other big men on the team, Hall’s defensive contributions are not confined to rising for an occasional block. He fights through screens, clogs passing lanes and has exceptional defensive footwork in the post. On any given night, Hall can guard either the opposing team’s best guard – evidenced by his strong showing guarding Romain Sato at times last year against Xavier – or its best big man – shown during stretches against Wake Forest big man Eric Williams. While the team is often out-rebounded because of an inability to gain superior position under the basket, Hall has a good nose for the ball and is effective at boxing out his opponent.
Surely, he is not without his faults. Although the team’s best overall player, Hall does not assert himself enough on offense. Looking for his own shot more often would result in a higher points-per-game average, but his unselfish play is precisely what makes him so effective. In doing the small things to help his team win, Hall wisely defers to offensive playmakers T.J. Thompson and J.R. Pinnock to carry the scoring burden.
After spraining his knee during the Wake Forest game, Hall sat out the two games before returning against Mount St. Mary’s last night. During both games against Morgan State and Fairfield, GW gave up offensive rebounds because of an inability to gain position on the defensive glass. While such an effort is masked by the general inferiority of the opponents thus far, such a deficiency would be exposed if Hall were forced to sit out Saturday’s game against Michigan State. Spartan center Paul Davis – who outplayed Duke big man Sheldon Williams for much of the Big-10/ACC match-up on Tuesday – is a physical bruiser capable of a consistent double-double effort. Hall’s defense on Davis will be a critical match-up if GW hopes to steal one from the Spartans on Saturday.
Mike Hall is not the most exciting player on the Smith Center floor. He doesn’t pound his chest or draw technical fouls. What he does do, however, is provide a consistent effort on both ends of the court and makes his teammates better. As the Colonials’ best pro prospect, it is time the fans start showing him the love he deserves.
