Patience is both maxim and millstone to Ray Hall.
When the 6-foot-11 center from Mullen lets the game come to him, he can be – for long stretches – unstoppable. Through a combination of bank shots, hook shots, transition baskets and smart interior passing, Hall is arguably the most complete post player in the state.
It seems the only thing standing in his way is himself.
That’s when Hall rushes his shots, tries to do too much, overlooks an easy pass and gets frustrated with everything.
“Be patient,” Hall says. “I get reminded every day.”
As a rare four-year starter for the Mustangs, Hall has heard that advice – primarily from coach Porter Cutrell – for a long time now. This season, Hall seems to be having a better time applying it.
The Class 5A Mustangs are 21-2, winners of seven straight, champions of the stacked Centennial League and one of the top four seeds in the state tournament, which began Wednesday night and continues Friday.
“He’s a big reason why,” Cutrell said of Hall. “He has worked hard, and that is to his credit – to get in shape and learning to play with his teammates.”
Hall is averaging 19.6 points and 8.5 rebounds and is the biggest reason the Mustangs are favored by many to win their first state basketball championship since 2000.
Pressure? That’s old news to Hall. Bursting on the scene as a muscular big man, Hall has been saddled with lofty expectations since he was a freshman. It seemed outsiders expected him to dominate as well as lead the Mustangs to a haul of accolades.
After Mullen made a surprising run to the state semifinals in Hall’s sophomore year, the table seemed set for a dominating junior season. But Hall began that year out of shape, and, according to Cutrell, the team’s chemistry was fractured and unable to cope with adversity.
Hall made the extra effort before this season began to be in shape so the Mustangs could use their speed – specifically that of junior guard Devin Aguilar – to develop a consistent transition game.
Since December, Hall has been barreling down the floor with a certain degree of nimbleness and getting rewarded. Refining that part of his game is one of the things that got his future college, Providence, interested.
“Last year I wasn’t in very great shape and we couldn’t play a full-court game,” Hall said. “I took time off things I wanted to do to become better in shape.”
Hall also has worked to streamline his post game. Instead of trying to utilize a variety of moves, he has focused on becoming proficient in one or two.
“I’ve seen too much of him,” Cherry Creek coach Mike Brookhart said half-jokingly, as the Bruins are 0-3 against the Mustangs this season.
Brookhart’s praise of Hall echoes a popular chorus: The kid is playing like a man, along with dangerous teammates Robby Hanzlik and Jon Ward.
Arguably the best thing that happened to Hall this past year was also the toughest for him to endure.
Hall and his family contemplated moving to Los Angeles this past summer, a potential switch they say involved the offer of money from a booster with ties to a local high school there. Ray balked at the move and the Halls’ allegations prompted a much-publicized investigation in California that failed to substantiate their claims.
Besieged by rumors and speculation, Ray said his decision to return was made easier by his teammates and coaches.
“It made me value what I had at Mullen,” Hall said.
Since that ordeal, Cutrell said the team has finally found its chemistry.
“I think they are better. They are more confident,” Cutrell said. “I think they work every day to work with each other and get along.”
In another way, the entire ordeal left a permanent mark on Hall.
Hall, who likes to draw and paint, designed a tattoo for his arm to serve as a reminder of the tough times he was experiencing and to give him strength and faith.
Hall drew on the biblical, wrapping two folded hands with a verse out of Matthew: “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”
Hall also borrowed the phrase “God bless a child who can hold his own” from a tattoo he saw on Phoenix Suns star Amare Stoudemire.
It’s no coincidence Hall also wants to be like Stoudemire – big, physical and explosive.
Not to mention patient.
