Saint Joseph’s guard Jordan Hall will withdraw from the NBA draft and return to school, he told ESPN on Wednesday.
“I had the opportunity to go through the NBA pre-draft process and received valuable feedback from teams,” Hall said. “After sitting down with my family and discussing that feedback, we felt as though it is in my best interest to return to St. Joe’s University and resume my experience as a student-athlete on Hawk Hill.”
Hall, a member of the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team, had originally announced his intention to transfer to Texas A&M last month, but he has reversed course and will return to St. Joe’s for his sophomore season.
“I am most looking forward to reconnecting with my teammates and building upon the success we had late last season,” he said. “On a personal level, I am looking forward to improving my entire game and developing leadership qualities.”
Hall ranked second in the Atlantic 10 in assists at 5.7 per game despite standing 6-foot-8, seeing some time at point guard for the Hawks. His versatility earned him an invitation to try out for USA Basketball’s FIBA U19 World Cup training camp earlier this month.
Hall’s return is a major boon to a St. Joe’s team that finished 3-9 in the Atlantic 10 last season but returns much of its roster outside of leading scorer Ryan Daly.
The NCAA deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA draft and maintain college eligibility is July 7.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams.