Amaker Nabs Second Commitment

Harvard men’s basketball coach Tommy Amaker’s fifth recruiting class with the Crimson is beginning to fill up.

Mike Hall, a 6'10 senior at Woodward Academy (Ga.) committed to Harvard this evening, choosing Amaker’s squad over offers from George Mason and Penn—which he stated were his second and third choices, respectively.

Hall, rated an 89 by ESPN and a member of the Rivals.com Top 150, was one of eight highly-touted high school prospects to visit Harvard this past weekend.

“Just the experience I had this weekend [pushed me over the edge],” said Hall, who noted that he had arrived in Cambridge without expecting to make a decision in the near future. “I really enjoyed my experience up there. It just felt like the right fit for me.”

“Also, [it was] the fact that I had a really good relationship with Coach Amaker,” added Hall, who joins Evan Cummins of Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) as the second member of the future class of 2016. “He showed me some film of his style of play. It’s great, and it really seems like a great fit for me.”

Hall’s announcement has already sent waves throughout the national media, which has been keeping close tabs on Harvard’s recruitment in recent days.

“He is long and athletic, and uses both effectively on the defensive end,” wrote Jeff Borzello, a college basketball writer at CBSSports.com, who said that Hall has the potential to be a “stud” in the Ancient Eight. “He needs to add weight and get tougher, but he’s not afraid to mix it up on the glass.”

“IF the light goes on Mike Hall is going to be a problem for the Ivy League,” tweeted ESPN analyst Dave Telep. “Harvard scores prime commitment from him tonite.”

In addition to bolstering the Crimson’s future frontcourt, Hall’s commitment also marks another disappointment for Harvard’s Ivy League rival Penn. The Quakers, whose four returning frontcourt players combined for just eight starts this past season, were high on the talented big.

“Penn was, as well, one of the schools I was really considering pretty hard,” Hall said.

But just one day after leaving Cambridge, Hall placed a phone call to an “excited” Amaker to announce his decision.

“I’m not really sure how I’m celebrating yet,” Hall said. “I’m just excited.”