Three years ago Kent State redshirt sophomore Jimmy Hall was sitting inside of a jail cell in New York. Three years ago Hall’s basketball, and possibly his future, was over.
Hall had been arrested and charged with burglary. That was the moment in Hall life when for the first time in his life when he realized that there were serious consequences for his mistakes.
“We were just kids who weren’t doing the right thing,” Hall said of the situation. “We got caught up in something we weren’t supposed to do, stealing, just knuckle head things. We definitely paid the price for it and I learned my lesson.”
For the first time in Hall’s life he was forced to learn a valuable lesson on just how serious his actions were. For the first time in his life, Hall began to grow and mature as a person. “(That situation) was a chance for me to be a man and grow up and deal with the consequences,” Hall said. “I learned that everything that you do negative or positive it comes with a consequence. When you’re of age, you’re not a kid anymore and with things like that they’ll really come down on you. I was just fortunate to have a second chance and I know now not to do that ever again.” Hall is a product of St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. Home of the Friars and legendary high school coach Bob Hurley, the father of current Buffalo head coach of the same name. During Hall’s junior season, the Brooklyn, New York native helped the Friars to a 32-0 record and a consensus national championship. “It was a great experience playing for a legendary coach, a hall of famer,” Hall said. “He really taught me to play with a lot of effort, a lot of enthusiasm. If I learned anything it’s just to work as hard as I can on the floor and just play as hard as you can.” Hall play in high school earned him a multitude of scholarships. Prior to the start of his senior season Hall committed to play at Hofstra. “I really liked the coaching staff and I liked the home feel,” Hall said. “They came over to my house and I just really thought that it was a good position for me to be in and play right away.” Through the first seven games of the season Hall was leading the team in both points (12.7) and rebounds (9.4). But that would be all the games he would ever get to play in a Pride jersey. Hall, along with teammates Dallas Anglin, Kentrell Washington and Shaquille Stokes, were immediately suspended for the season and eventually kicked out of school following their arrest. Kent State did not recruit Hall out of high school but was the first team to do so while he was attending ASA College, a junior college in New York City. Hall was contacted by assistant Coach Bobby Steinburg and eventually offered him a scholarship. “Everybody you bring in is …show more content…
“I let a lot of people down and I don’t want that feeling ever again.”
Senderoff knows a thing or two about second chances.
“Everybody deserves a second chance and it’s really up to you what you make of that second chance,” Senderoff said. “At this point Jimmy has made good of his second chance in terms of what he’s done off the court and in terms of what he’s done on the court. Sometimes you make mistakes in life, hopefully you learn from them and move forward from that point”
Hall has done a lot of growing sense the incident at Hofstra. Though those mistakes will follow him for the rest of his life, he hasn’t allowed his to define him as a person.
“Sometimes you make mistakes in life,” Senderoff said. “Hopefully you learn from them and move forward from that point. “
Hall has made the most of a second opportunity. Last year around this time the Flashes finished the season .500 and didn’t even make it to Cleveland. This year, their MAC regular season champions and earned a three seed in the tournament sending them directly to Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland,
Hall had been arrested and charged with burglary. That was the moment in Hall life when for the first time in his life when he realized that there were serious consequences for his mistakes.
“We were just kids who weren’t doing the right thing,” Hall said of the situation. “We got caught up in something we weren’t supposed to do, stealing, just knuckle head things. We definitely paid the price for it and I learned my lesson.”
For the first time in Hall’s life he was forced to learn a valuable lesson on just how serious his actions were. For the first time in his life, Hall began to grow and mature as a person. “(That situation) was a chance for me to be a man and grow up and deal with the consequences,” Hall said. “I learned that everything that you do negative or positive it comes with a consequence. When you’re of age, you’re not a kid anymore and with things like that they’ll really come down on you. I was just fortunate to have a second chance and I know now not to do that ever again.” Hall is a product of St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. Home of the Friars and legendary high school coach Bob Hurley, the father of current Buffalo head coach of the same name. During Hall’s junior season, the Brooklyn, New York native helped the Friars to a 32-0 record and a consensus national championship. “It was a great experience playing for a legendary coach, a hall of famer,” Hall said. “He really taught me to play with a lot of effort, a lot of enthusiasm. If I learned anything it’s just to work as hard as I can on the floor and just play as hard as you can.” Hall play in high school earned him a multitude of scholarships. Prior to the start of his senior season Hall committed to play at Hofstra. “I really liked the coaching staff and I liked the home feel,” Hall said. “They came over to my house and I just really thought that it was a good position for me to be in and play right away.” Through the first seven games of the season Hall was leading the team in both points (12.7) and rebounds (9.4). But that would be all the games he would ever get to play in a Pride jersey. Hall, along with teammates Dallas Anglin, Kentrell Washington and Shaquille Stokes, were immediately suspended for the season and eventually kicked out of school following their arrest. Kent State did not recruit Hall out of high school but was the first team to do so while he was attending ASA College, a junior college in New York City. Hall was contacted by assistant Coach Bobby Steinburg and eventually offered him a scholarship. “Everybody you bring in is …show more content…
“I let a lot of people down and I don’t want that feeling ever again.”
Senderoff knows a thing or two about second chances.
“Everybody deserves a second chance and it’s really up to you what you make of that second chance,” Senderoff said. “At this point Jimmy has made good of his second chance in terms of what he’s done off the court and in terms of what he’s done on the court. Sometimes you make mistakes in life, hopefully you learn from them and move forward from that point”
Hall has done a lot of growing sense the incident at Hofstra. Though those mistakes will follow him for the rest of his life, he hasn’t allowed his to define him as a person.
“Sometimes you make mistakes in life,” Senderoff said. “Hopefully you learn from them and move forward from that point. “
Hall has made the most of a second opportunity. Last year around this time the Flashes finished the season .500 and didn’t even make it to Cleveland. This year, their MAC regular season champions and earned a three seed in the tournament sending them directly to Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland,