The second most important player for BYU basketball’s success this season is its returning junior point guard, Dallin Hall.
Hall entered the portal after Mark Pope’s departure and returned to BYU to play for coach Kevin Young. For Hall, Young’s experience in the NBA and developing elite talent was key to his decision to return to BYU.
Last season, Hall was the only true point guard for the Cougars and led the team in plus/minus. Hall averaged 9.0 points and 5.1 assists per game for BYU and was in the 97th percentile nationwide in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.92. Hall shot 35.9% from 3 last season, with most of his attempts coming as unassisted, off-the-dribble pull-ups. Hall’s range extends well beyond the 3-point line and will be an essential tool for BYU to stretch opposing defenses. He showcased this ability last season against Hunter Dickinson and the Kansas Jayhawks in BYU’s upset win, snapping the Jayhawk’s 19-game home win streak. Hall hit three 3-point shots in that game, including the game-sealing bucket over Dickinson.
When Hall struggled last season, it was not entirely his fault. As the only high-level point guard on the roster, the offense late in games became predictable, making it easy for defenses to defend. Late in games, the responsibility fell almost entirely on Hall to create a good shot for himself or his teammates. Often, Hall would succeed, and other times, he came up short.
This season, with the added playmaking of Egor Demin, the scoring punch from Kanon Catchings, the return of Dawson Baker and the other talent BYU has retained and added this offseason, Hall’s job will be much easier. He will not be tasked with running every ball screen late in games and there will always be someone on the opposite side of the floor to attack after the initial action.
This will put Hall in a position he has rarely been in throughout his career: off the ball. Hall will attempt many more catch-and-shoot 3s this season and attack closeouts against an already scrambling defense. The key for Hall will be his consistency on these catch-and-shoot 3s; last season, he only attempted eight corner 3s, a spot he will find himself in much more frequently this season. With Demin and Catchings’ ability to create offense, Hall will be tasked with finishing the play as a scorer.
While it will be an adjustment process, Hall has had all offseason to acclimate to the new offensive dynamics and build chemistry with his new backcourt mate, Demin. Hall will still have his share of possessions, where he sets the table for everyone else, but having someone just as capable of setting the table in Demin will allow other areas of Hall’s game to flourish this season.
