Why N.C. State basketball signee Josh Hall is choosing to test the NBA draft process
N.C. State basketball signee Josh Hall dropped a bombshell on Wolfpack Nation on Monday morning.
Hall, the No. 2 player in the state, posted on his Instagram account that he would be going through the NBA draft process while keeping his college eligibility.
The 6-foot-9, 190-pound 4-star recruit out of Moravian Prep signed with N.C. State his national letter of intent to play for Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts in November. If this all sounds familiar, it’s because last spring, Keatts and N.C. State faced the same situation with Jalen Lecque, the top prospect in the class of 2019.
Lecque signed with State, but tested the NBA process, then kept his name in the draft field instead of enrolling at N.C. State. He went undrafted but signed a contract with the Phoenix Suns. Prep school players are eligible for the NBA draft if they turn 19 during the same calendar year as the draft or are at least one year removed from the graduation of their high school class.
Hall wrote on his post: “I am so thankful that I have an amazing support system behind me who constantly push me to pursue my goals. I would like to thank Coach Keatts (and) the entire North Carolina State community for welcoming me with open arms (and) believing in me.”
He added: “I will be going through the NBA Draft process while keeping my college eligibility.”
Players who enter their name for draft consideration have until June 15 to withdraw.
The News & Observer spoke with Hall’s father, Quincy, about the decision to test the NBA waters. Quincy, who played basketball at East Carolina University, said the family started to seriously consider the NBA after Josh scored 51 points in a game in December.
“When he scored the 51 points, things heated up,” Quincy said in a phone interview Monday. “A lot of scouts started taking notice of the kid with him having the length that he has and the way he scores the basketball.”
When asked if Josh qualified to get into college or had any issues with N.C. State, the elder Hall confirmed that his son got in, and that he had a conversation with Keatts before Josh made the announcement to test the NBA. Quincy Hall said the family had the full support of Keatts.
“We had a really great conversation,” Quincy Hall said. “That’s one of the reasons we chose North Carolina State. He (Keatts) has always had the best wishes for Josh at heart. He’s going to help guys through this process, help weed out the negative things and help us decide if we should go or not. We’ll always be a part of the Pack, no matter if we do or don’t go play there.”
Quincy Hall said Takayo Siddle, who recruited Josh, leaving to take the job at UNC-Wilmington did not play a factor in this decision.
Last season, Hall played at Moravian Prep in Hickory and quickly became one of the top players in the nation, averaging 24 points per game and leading the Lions to a 34-3 record. According to 247Sports composite rankings, Hall is the No. 6 small forward in the county. He’s the highest ranked-player to pick N.C. State since Keatts has been in Raleigh. The Wolfpack’s 2020 recruiting class ranked No. 3 in the ACC and No. 8 in the nation.
Quincy Hall told the N&O there wasn’t a certain round or selection range that would sway their decision. He also said that Josh would not be taking the route of playing overseas if he doesn’t get good feedback from the NBA. With a 6-9 frame and the ability to handle with both hands, Josh Hall has a game that has been compared to one-time NBA MVP Kevin Durant.
Josh Hall rose to stardom his senior season of high shool, climbing up the rankings and finishing No. 2 in North Carolina. At the John Wall Holiday Invitational, Hall was one of the fan favorites, taking pictures with kids and signing autographs for ball boys. At the time, Josh Hall said he couldn’t imagine being in that position a year earlier. Now he could put himself in a situation to get paid to play the game he loves.
“I’ll be completely honest,” Quincy Hall said. “I saw it coming. He just had a body, like mine, our bodies develop late. He stretched out way later than he should have. He had a really late growth spurt.”
Quincy Hall said Josh wasn’t nervous about what’s ahead, but admitted this is a big step for a 19-year-old kid. Even with COVID-19 more than likely to ruin chances of a lot of in-person workouts, the next few months will be filled with interviews and teams wanting to learn every single detail they can about Hall.
The family is not completely ruling out Josh wearing the red and white for the Wolfpack next season.
“We’re in good standings with North Carolina State,” Quincy Hall said. “That’s why we left the door open. We’ll get some feedback. If Josh is going to be on North Carolina State’s campus for nine months I need to know what he needs to be working on, Keatts needs to know what he needs to be working on with him. This is just a process we’re taking. In the event it does work out, we’ll stay in (the draft). In the event it doesn’t work out, we’ll go to North Carolina State and give North Carolina State the best nine months of their life, hoping they’ll give us the best nine months of our life.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 12:49 PM.
