2016-17 Virginia Basketball Player Profiles: Devon Hall is ready to shine

Game day has finally arrived! We know everyone is eagerly counting down the hours until they get to watch the Hoos in action again tonight, so to help pass the time we’re finishing off our player profile series with #0, Devon Hall.

Hall, a redshirt junior from Virginia Beach, already has the distinction of becoming the first player of the Tony Bennett era to graduate in three years after earning his bachelor’s degree in media studies last May. Having made great strides in the classroom, Hall will now look to step up and continue building on the success he had on the court last season.

After a freshman campaign in which Hall saw the court in 23 games but only started one, the lefty guard became a mainstay of the Virginia starting five last season. As a sophomore, Hall appeared in every game for the Hoos and started 20, including every game in the ACC and NCAA tournaments. While his per game averages of 4.4 points and 2.0 assists don’t jump off the page, Hall showed flashes of brilliance last year including an eleven point performance in UVa’s statement win over North Carolina on national television.

Taking a deeper look, it becomes even more evident how pivotal Hall was to last year’s Elite Eight run and how important he will be to determining the ceiling of this year’s Cavalier squad. Hall’s 77% free throw percentage made him a huge asset down the stretch in tight games and showed marked improvement over his freshman year when he shot just 46% from the line. Additionally, his 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked third on the team, behind London Perrantes and Malcolm Brogdon.

Hall’s ability to continue to distribute the ball effectively while avoiding turnovers will be even more important in 2017 as he takes on an increased role in the offense following Brogdon’s departure to the NBA draft. While it’s unreasonable to expect Hall to singlehandedly replace everything Brogdon brought to the table, he will undoubtedly become the team’s primary ballhandler along with Perrantes. Moreover, Hall’s size and length on the wing will prove crucial to the success of the famed Packline defense as he’ll likely be asked to guard opposing team’s best wing scorers. Lastly, Hall will also be asked to take on a more active, attacking role scoring the ball within the flow of the offense. While shot only 38% from the field and 33% from three last season, his shooting stroke is spectacular and is proof that he should be able to improve on those figures as his confidence grows. Overall, Hall will be a key component to UVa’s aspirations this season and Virginia fans should expect to see great strides in his play.

The Stats:
Position: Guard
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 207
Instagram: d_hall3
Fact You’ll Hear Every Broadcast: Did you know his brother Mark is on the UVa football team? If not don’t worry, you’ll hear it 35 times this season.