2015 Virginia Basketball Player Profiles: Devon Hall

OMG, it's game day. That's right, our countdown has reached 0. And so, while the team and the fans get ready to face Morgan State tonight, we're taking a look at #0, Devon Hall.

Maybe you already know this, but just in case we'll start with an interesting fact about Devon Hall; His older brother, Mark, is a LB on the UVA football team. Maybe you would expect a LB's brother to be a frontcourt player. But Devon Hall is a combo-guard. Though listed in the recruiting services as a PG, the 6'5" 210 pound Hall is comfortable on the wing as well.

And that is good, for him at least. Because right now that is where his minutes are likely to come. He's likely to split time with Marial Shayok and Darius Thompson as the backup at both backcourt positions. Devon didn't play a whole lot of minutes last year, and he may not see many more this year. After all, neither London Perrantes nor Malcolm Brogdon come off the floor very much. However, with the departure of Justin Anderson, there are minutes available at the 3. Hall will see some of those minutes, especially when the Hoos go small.

Hall's biggest game last year game in the Hoos' win at Wake Forest. With Perrantes out after an injury, Hall played 24 minutes. He scored 9 points on 3-4 shooting, including a 3. He also went 2-2 from the FT line. He had 1 assist and did not turn the ball over. Though he did not start that game, Hall came on at the first TV timeout and helped the Hoos build their lead up. He scored 5 points during an early Hoos run which put the game out of reach by the end of the first half.

Hall would play just 244 minutes during the season, and score just 42 points. He had 18 assists and 12 turnovers, which isn't bad for a part time PG. He made 5/15 from the 3 point line, which again is pretty good for a guy who isn't getting regular minutes.

Hall's biggest strength is his size. He's very big for a PG. He also has outstanding vision. Coming out of HS, one of the most talked about aspects of his game was his leadership. He was seen as a very good teammate and an on-court leader. Of course, he hasn't had much chance to show off the on-court part of that, but he has shown the off-court part, as he chose to remain at UVA even though his minutes likely to be sparse again. His brother's presence may have helped, but many people thought he'd transfer and certainly there are many schools that would've taken a player of Hall's size and ability.

Oh, and also, Hall is a lefty. Sometimes, that poses problems for players who aren't used to guarding a lefty.

The biggest problem with Hall, right now, is that he is similar to Shayok, but has been largely outplayed by Super Marial. And now Thompson further complicates the matter. On the court, Hall's weakness is his overall lack of quickness and athleticism. That isn't to say that he's slow or unathletic. Just that, as a bigger PG, he is often giving up quickness to some of the quicker guards the Hoos will face.

Next year, there will be more minutes available in the backcourt, and Hall has a chance to grab some of those. That may be when he really begins to shine.

The Stats:

Position: PG/SG

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 209

Nickname: None that we know of. So, we've dubbed him "New Cabell" (as in Cabell Hall). His brother can be Old Cabell.