DALLAS — Last Saturday night, shots weren’t falling for Dallin Hall against SMU. But despite going 0-for-8 from the field, the former BYU Cougar who is now at Virginia, impacted the game in other ways with a season-high nine assists, one steal and a huge block in the final minute to preserve a 72-68 win at Moody Coliseum for the 14th-ranked Cavaliers.
For his new head coach, Ryan Odom, it was nothing new from his hardworking graduate newcomer.
“He’s the ultimate competitor,” Odom said postgame of Hall. “He’s a tremendous leader. He does so many other things for our team. In a lot of ways, he’s the foundation, especially (for a new coach like me). There’s not a better player to have on your side when you’re first coming in, and I’m really proud of what he’s able to do, what he’s done for our program so far in Virginia.”
“Yeah, Dallin Hall, we can’t put into words how grateful we are for him. He’s a dude that rallies us up before every game, before every practice, to just stick with our process and that’s a credit to him. He does so many other things besides scoring to affect winning, it’s ridiculous. That’s a testament to what type of person he is.”
— Virginia guard Malik Thomas on Dallin Hall
With 47 seconds left and Virginia ahead 70-68, SMU star Boopie Miller, who earlier in the week had drained a buzzer-beater against Virginia Tech, drove the baseline looking to tie the game; however, Hall rejected his shot out of bounds in a play that epitomized how he consistently impacts winning wherever he plays.
“Today my shots weren’t falling, but my teammates were on me to keep firing. Grateful for that and got to play with that mentality, trust they’ll fall and when they’re not, doing everything I can to help the team,” Hall said. “I’ve tried to take pride on the defensive end this year. I’m all about winning, trying to find a way to win, whatever it takes, whatever it looks like. That might be different things different nights.”
Hall is someone BYU fans remember well after the Plain City, Utah, native came to Provo and earned a spot on the 2022 WCC All-Freshman Team, the start of a solid three-year run as a Cougar.
“It was an awesome home, a great three years there. Wouldn’t trade it for anything and had a lot of amazing memories there,” Hall said. “Grateful for my family back there, the people I met along the way. It was a great time and I’m super excited for this next chapter I’m on right now.”
Hall finished his tenure playing under Kevin Young, who is now in his second season guiding the Cougars, but carries positive lessons from each coach he played for in Provo. “I had the privilege of playing for three really good coaches in my college career. Coming in every day, being with a great group of guys, I’ve been real fortunate at all the stops I’ve been at to be surrounded by high-character individuals,” Hall said. “When you do that, it’s easy to lay a foundation and find success.”
Even though his primary focus is on helping UVA contend in the ACC and hopefully have an extended run in the NCAA Tournament, he still checks on how his former team in Provo is faring. “Yeah, I got a couple buddies back there. Obviously, I played three years with Richie (Saunders), played with Keba (Keita) and Mihailo (Boskovic),” Hall said.
“Dawson (Baker), my heart goes out to him being hurt. I don’t get to spend a ton of time watching. Pretty locked in on our season and trying to stay present there, but happy for Richie and the success he’s having.
“He deserves it and he’s an incredible player, works his tail off. I’ve got love for those guys, but just really trying to stay present with my team.”
He’s also watching former BYU teammate Egor Demin, who is having a strong rookie campaign with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, and his instant success, which isn’t surprising to Hall or to anyone who knew Demin as a Cougar.
“He’s having an incredible rookie season. I’m happy for him,” Hall said. “We all knew when he got there that he was a real high-character guy and was going to find a lot of success in life. Works really hard, has a great attitude. He’s just going to keep getting better. That’s the great thing.”
Hall is also aware that in going from BYU to UVA, he went from one of the top conferences in the college game in the Big 12 to another league held in equally high esteem, the ACC. Facing such high-level competition on a nightly basis is what fuels a consummate competitor like him. “I feel extremely privileged to see some of the best venues in college basketball. Big 12, great league. ACC really took a step up this year and it’s been fun to see these venues and play against these teams,” Hall said.
“It was an awesome home, a great three years there. Wouldn’t trade it for anything and had a lot of amazing memories there. Grateful for my family back there, the people I met along the way. It was a great time and I’m super excited for this next chapter I’m on right now.”
— Former BYU player Dallin Hall on his time as a Cougar
“I’d say (playing at) Kansas was pretty cool. It’s very nostalgic, a special place, it was loud. Marriott Center was awesome. It wasn’t hostile for me. Those venues were a lot of fun. SMU, I was really excited about this opportunity to play here. It got really loud there at the end of the game and as a competitor, that’s what you really love.”
Hall admits that much like it was during his three seasons at BYU, there is something extra special about the start of conference play as those games mean more than the tuneup contests played earlier in the year. “Certainly, yeah. The teams have scouted you better and there’s higher energy. They’re more physical. I love it,” he said.
However, it’s not just his new coach in Charlottesville who was an instant fan of Hall and what he brings to the Wahoos on and off the court, his teammates, who he calls a band of brothers, also feel he’s been a welcome addition to an already talented group.
“Yeah, Dallin Hall, we can’t put into words how grateful we are for him. He’s a dude that rallies us up before every game, before every practice, to just stick with our process and that’s a credit to him,” fellow graduate transfer Malik Thomas, who had a game-high 23 points against SMU, said. “He does so many other things besides scoring to affect winning, it’s ridiculous. That’s a testament to what type of person he is.”
With both the Cougars and Cavaliers having great seasons and ranked, what are his thoughts on a potential matchup between his former team and current team in the NCAA Tournament later this year? Well, he’d welcome it of course. “It’d be fun, exciting. It’d be awesome to see those guys, but I’m a competitor, so it’d be a great matchup,” Hall said.
Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.