The Daily Hoosier caught up with class of 2025 5-star guard Jalen Haralson over the weekend to discuss the latest with his game and recruitment.
On the Nike EYBL Circuit this spring, Haralson is averaging 20.2 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Indy Heat. He’s tenth overall on the circuit in scoring.
Here’s our full Q&A with the national top-20 6-foot-6 Indiana native.
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TDH – When it comes to your decision to attend La Lumiere, why’d you make that choice, and how do you think your junior season went?
Haralson – I made the decision for their good player development. I felt like it was the best decision for my individual development for my game, and I think it was a good choice. I got stronger, I’m more efficient, and really just learning how to play basketball. Obviously Indiana high school basketball, you can’t beat that, but I’m trying to get to the NBA, and I think it was the best decision.
(Note: La Lumiere is a national prep school in LaPorte, Ind. Haralson attended Fishers H.S. in Fishers, Ind. for his first two years of high school)
TDH – How hard was that for you personally to leave home at such a young age?
Haralson – Yeah it was real hard. I did it at the end of the summer. It took me three or four months to make the decision. I had a lot of people in my circle, family and friends who helped me with it, but like I said, I felt like it was the best decision for me, and I’m not going to regret anything.
(Note: Haralson had just turned 16 when he started evaluating a transfer to prep school.)
TDH – What are you still working on, and trying to improve this spring and summer?
Haralson – All areas of my game. Really just keep developing until everything is elite in my game. I feel like I’ve grown as a distributor. But just continuing to get more reps, continuing to get to my spots. I’m getting stronger, so I’m able to get to my spots. So really just getting more efficient and more dominant.
(Note: Haralson scored 37 point in his next game after this interview.)
TDH – At Fishers you played a lot of point guard, now I see you playing some as a wing facilitator along with some primary ball handler duties. How are you being recruited in college? What kind of role do schools envision for you?
Haralson – They mostly tell me that positions don’t matter. At the end of the day, I’m a complete basketball player, I can play anything from the one to the four. I think that’s my strength. I really don’t have a position. I’m versatile, I can pass, I can handle the ball, I can finish. They kind of tell me, my position is Jalen Haralson, just come in and be me. I don’t hold myself to one position, I’m just a basketball player.
5⭐️ Jalen Haralson erupted for 22pts and 8rebs to lead Indy Heat to a big win over Team Why Not 🔥 @NikeEYB I @JalenHaralson3 I @indyheatgymrats pic.twitter.com/rPqgHciMiY
— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) May 19, 2024
TDH – Have you taken any official visits yet?
Haralson – Yeah, Auburn, that’s the only one so far. I’m looking to take some more in the next couple months. I’m just spreading them out. I just cut my list to nine schools, so going on officials to the schools I haven’t gotten to, that’s my goal over the summer and the fall.
(Note: Haralson’s top nine schools are Auburn, Duke, Gonzaga, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan State, Missouri, Notre Dame, and Purdue.)
TDH – What schools are you talking with right now about setting up visits in the near future?
Haralson – Missouri, I’m looking to go there in the next couple months, Gonzaga, Duke, Kansas. Those are some that I haven’t visited at all yet.
TDH – Where are things at with Indiana?
Haralson – I was Coach Woodson’s first offer in our class of any player, and they’ve been recruiting me the longest. Maryland offered me first but that coaching staff left, so IU was really my first offer that I’m still talking to. Obviously I’ve been down there a whole lot of times with my brother, so I know a lot about the program. I’m looking to go down there and talk to them more about my development in their program.
TDH – You’ve been around the IU program for a long time, what stands out?
Haralson – The fan base is crazy. You can’t beat that fan base. It’s very passionate. I think that’s the thing that sticks out the most. And obviously Coach Woodson is an NBA coach and that’s where I want to be. He got me connected with Jalen Hood-Schifino, and me and him talked a couple weeks ago.
TDH – Do you see a lot of similarities between your game and Hood-Schifino?
Haralson – Yeah, for sure. Both bigger guards, both know how to get to our spots, and we’re both pretty good defenders. He’s an NBA guard, obviously got drafted by the Lakers, so that’s really good for him.
TDH – I saw you said recently you want to wrap up your recruitment by the end of the summer. Is that still what you’re thinking?
Haralson – Probably more like early fall. I want to take as many visits as I can, and I feel like I won’t have a lot of time with USA Basketball to take a lot of them in the summer and during the dead period. But I want to decide before my senior season. I want to play the whole season committed.
TDH – When you go on these visits, what are going to be the main things you’re looking at?
Haralson – Three things, style of play, relationship with the coaches, and I want to win. That’s the main thing, I want to win. I feel like all nine of my schools have all of those things. So I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot with recruiting.
TDH – Will how a college wants to play you — on the ball or off the ball — have an impact on your decision?
Haralson – Not too much, like I said, I’m versatile, I can change, and I feel players can change the style of play (at schools). Like Jaden Ivey went to Purdue, and he changed their style of play. So style of play is probably the least important of the three, but I don’t want to go somewhere I don’t get the ball. But the man thing is winning. I want to win in college.
For complete coverage of IU basketball recruiting, GO HERE.
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