Questions, questions, and more questions. They all seem to surround Brooks Hall. For most incoming freshmen, those questions center around how many minutes will he play, what position, and how he will fit in within the concept of the team.

Not so with Brooks. Everyone knows about his skills, but many wondered whether he’d even be playing for the Flyers this season after an NCAA investigation into an alleged wrongful loan between a UD booster and his father. Brooks was finally cleared to play after months of silence from the committee. We can all breathe a little easier. Brooks comes from Troy High School as probably the most heralded recruit for UD in the ’90’s – Chip Hare (former Top-50 player, Massillon, OH) is perhaps the only one that comes close. Hall was named Ohio Player of the Year by the coaches (Emmanuel Smith, Euclid HS, was POY for the media), a consensus 1st Team All-State selection, and along with Wisconsin-Green Bay recruit Lance Hargrove, led Troy to the Division I regional finals.

When all was said and done, Hall put up 22ppg, 11rpg, 6apg, and 6spg. You’ll be hard-pressed to find those numbers attached to another recruit anywhere else in the country. Playing practically every position in high school, the 6’6″ Brooks displays a silky smooth game with seemingly unlimited range on his jump shot. In fact, the biggest knock on Hall’s game is that he doesn’t exploit his superior size and athletic ability to do damage inside. Other supposed cons of his game include being “too unselfish”, and, unlike Tony Stanley, a reluctance to be “the man”. Minor criticisms indeed.

So how does he fit in with the Flyers? A shooting guard’s range and build. A small forward’s height and athleticism. A point guard’s ball handling and unselfishness. He will in all likelihood play a combination of the 2-3 position. Teaming with David Morris, Yuanta Holland, and Tony Stanley would certainly result in one of the fastest Dayton teams ever. More importantly though is Brooks’ effect on the whole program. As the premier player in the state, he chose UD over suitors such as UK and UC. To the Flyer Faithful, the inking of Brooks can be seen as a sign that UD can attract quality, blue-chip recruits. But will it be a trend? It is in these hopes that recruiting gates to superior talent will soon open up. Brooks Hall – with all the potential . . . if only the rest of the questions get answered.