OGDEN — To say Dallin Hall’s first collegiate offer came as a bit of a surprise would be entirely accurate.
The occasion was a game during an AAU basketball tournament which saw the then-sophomore at Fremont High School score a grand total of two points. But Mark Pope, who then coached at Utah Valley, didn’t seem to care one bit — offering the 6-foot-3, 180-pound prospect immediately after.
“It really did surprise me, and yeah, it was amazing to have that first offer,” Hall recalled. “I think it also just showed me that I didn’t have to score to stand out. It all validated a lot of hard work I’ve been in.”
Standing out has rarely been a problem for BYU’s most recent basketball commitment since, with tournaments proving especially kind for him through the years.
His junior season at Fremont saw several college programs take notice shortly following his standout performance during the 6A state tournament, leading up to a senior-year tournament which warranted the praise of Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.
Hall, nor his family, will soon forget the response, with Mitchell pouring on praise on Twitter while taking time after to speak with him after a Fremont semifinal win over Layton, which saw Hall score 38 points.
“I don’t even know how to describe it other than an amazing feeling,” Hall said. “To have the premier figure of basketball in this state to shout me out and recognize I can play is something I’ll never forget.”
Turns out Hall loves most everything about his home state, and therefore was only interested in playing for a local college program when his recruitment picked up considerably after the 2019 6A basketball tournament.
While still relatively unfamiliar to most at the outset of the tournament, Hall rose to be a known commodity for many shortly thereafter. After scoring 25 points during first-round action in a win over Lone Peak, he then did it all in the quarterfinal round, logging 38 points in a win over Riverton.
It was shortly after when college coaches came calling in earnest, albeit for somewhat opposite reasons than when Pope did over a year earlier.
“I think some coaches were wondering about my ability to score up to that point,” Hall said. “I knew several coaches were there, so it was important for me to show I can score when needed, when in AAU I was definitely a pass-first type of player.”
Weber State soon followed with an offer, shortly followed by Oregon State and Utah State, among others.
Hall’s BYU offer came almost immediately after Pope took the head-coaching duties of the program back in the spring of 2019.
“It was one of the first things he did after he was hired there, which made a strong impression on me,” Hall said. “He called me and told me that no matter where he went that he wanted me to come with him.”
Hall didn’t necessarily have a favorite college when growing up, but supported BYU’s program, much in the same way he supported all the local programs.
“I just really love my home state and always want the state of Utah to show it has great basketball,” Hall said. “It probably would have made the decision easier if I had a favorite school growing up, but I did know staying home to play locally is what I wanted.”
He ultimately rested on BYU primarily due to his strong relationship with Pope and the program’s assistant coaches, such as Chris Burgess.
“I love Coach Burgess and he’s a big reason I chose BYU, but it’s really all of them down there,” Hall said. “I love and admire Coach Pope so much. I love his energy and I love how he cares for all his player. He’s just an awesome coach and the type of coach I want to play for.”
Hall has definite plans to serve a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before enrolling and will receive his service assignment in the coming weeks.
As for what type of player BYU fans can expect, Hall hopes to emulate some of the play shown forth by current point guard TJ Haws.
“I see myself as a point guard and they do as well,” Hall said. “I have a lot of work to put in to become a good college player, and I know that, but I’m so excited for the opportunity. I love BYU’s program and couldn’t be more honored with the opportunity to play there.”