Top-5 junior Jalen Haralson talks recruitment, game, move to LaLu
It was a big summer for Top-5 junior Jalen Haralson. Transitioning from Fishers High School (IN) to national powerhouse La Lumiere in LaPorte, IN, he was well-prepared and ready to begin his new chapter with his new school.
Haralson is a 6-foot-7 junior who had a very successful summer with the Indy Heat on the EYBL circuit, averaging 11.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, while notching shooting splits of 48% from the field, 42% from three, and 76% from the free throw line.
He also attended USA Basketball Training Camp and was a top performer out of that camp. I fully expect him to make that USA team eventually after being snubbed over the past two years.
On the high school side, he’s been terrific over his last two years at Fishers, progressing and seeing his stats go up the last two seasons. As a freshman, Haralson averaged 16.5 points and five boards per game. In his sophomore campaign, he averaged 23.4 points, 7.7 boards, and nearly four assists per game.
It was evident that he advanced as a well-rounded player and his sophomore year development makes it even scarier for his junior campaign which will now be at La Lumiere, where they will be in position to be one of the top-ranked teams in America.
La Lumiere has begun their season and Haralson has unsurprisingly had a great start. Had 25 points in the team’s lone preseason game and recently had 18 points in the regular season opener.
Haralson got with Stockrisers.com to discuss that move to LaLu and also dropped plenty of nuggets on his recruitment.
How has your move to LaLu been and how has it affected your game?
“It’s been amazing, the guys here are really competitive and we go at each other's heads in practice and we’re right back as brothers afterwards. I’m in the gym a lot more so I feel more confident in my craft.”
For those who don’t know your game, how would you best describe it?
“I would say I’m a versatile player that plays best at the guard position. I use my IQ and my size to gain an advantage on my opponent and someone that just can go make winning plays.”
Now, on the recruitment side, which schools are heavily in the mix?
“There are many great universities involved with me. I would say Duke, Gonzaga, Indiana, Michigan State, Auburn, Mizzou, Arkansas, and Kansas are some of the schools heavily involved with me.”
And have any newer schools entered the mix or steadily boosted their interest as of late?
“No, I would say the schools that have been recruiting me have stayed consistent.”
What’s Duke pitching and how is your relationship with Coach Scheyer and the staff?
“They think I can be really effective with the ball in my hands and they’re impressed with the way I think about the game and make the right plays. The relationship is great with Coach Scheyer and also all of the assistants.”
How about Auburn, how were your official visits, and your current thoughts on them as a whole?
“Coach Pearl is an amazing coach and has great people around him. He knows how to get guys to the next level and he showed me the plan they have for me if I were to choose Auburn during my official visit.”
How about Mizzou, they had one of the top recruiting classes this cycle, and early impressions on them.
“They have a great coach in Coach Gates, and they have a close-knit team and family. They started recruiting me early so we have built a great relationship to the point where Coach Gates can get on me and tell me what I have to work on.”