Dallin Hall shares why he's returning to BYU

Dallin Hall drew national attention when he entered the transfer portal in reaction to Mark Pope's sudden departure. The portal has become an excellent way for players to weigh their options and gauge interest from other programs. Though Hall decided to return to BYU, he gained plenty of interest from some great programs across the country.

In an interview with BYU Sports Nation, Hall shared his experience in the transfer portal, what caught his attention while he explored different choices, and why he's all in with BYU for this season.

Hall learned about himself

During his search, Hall had plenty of suitors jostling for a chance to land his talents for their program. His top five destinations were: BYU, Creighton, St Mary's, Oklahoma, and Utah State. Though he received offers from some higher-level programs, his role likely wasn't as guaranteed as the one he now has in Provo.

Hall shared that many programs he spoke with were very direct and straightforward about how his game could improve. According to Hall, he "eats that kind of stuff up" and was grateful to hear what others thought he could improve upon.

Teammates

After Hall entered the portal, it wasn't long before a few more teammates joined him. In uncertain times, finding solid ground to stand on is significant. For college athletes facing a shift in their team's make-up, the transfer portal is a great way for players to control their destiny. Hall shared this experience with players like Richie Saunders.

"When we both jumped in the portal to weigh out our options," Hall opened, "we said 'let's keep each other in the loop' and between all the phone calls we were having, we weren't able to do that."

Hall then mentioned what happened the night they decided to return. "I texted him and said, 'Rich, where you at, man?' Because, obviously I was leaning towards BYU and I was thinking if I come back, I definitely want to be teammates with Richie. And he called me that night and told me that he made his decision and I told him that's where I was leaning. [...] But we both came to the same decision and we're stoked, because who doesn't want to play with Richie Saunders, right?"

Kevin Young

When asked what ultimately swayed him to return to BYU, Hall touched on Kevin Young's influence. "BYU has been an incredible place for me these last two years," Hall told BYU Sports Nation, "but ultimately it came down to a couple really good conversations with Coach Young."

The impact Kevin Young has made in his first weeks as the Cougars' head coach has been greater than anyone imagined. Coaching hires and scholarship offers are indicating that BYU is serious about creating a real basketball power in the Big 12.

Hall said that Coach Young was "a winner", and his influence convinced the Cougars' starting point guard to rejoin his team and be a part of a new era in BYU hoops. We're very excited to see Dallin Hall return, and can't wait to see what next season's team looks like.

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