Colorado Recruiting Report: Will Halfon (2016)
Will Halfon has taken so many jump shots in empty gyms that he doesn’t even thing about the science of his shot anymore.
“I practice so much so it’s like second nature to me,” said Halfon, a 6-foot-1 senior shooting guard at Cherry Creek. “It’s like breathing. But it feels pretty good when it’s going.”
Halfon put the sharp shooting touch on display Saturday in Cherry Creek’s 71-54 victory over Thomas Jefferson, when he scored a game-high 23 points and knocked down four 3-pointers.
Halfon’s is a squared and quick shot, his elevation, release and follow-through all on a quick clock, like a metronome. Tick. Tock.
“He’s a great shooter,” Cherry Creek coach Mike Brookhart says of Halfon. “He’s got great range. He’s got really good confidence. We rely on him to shoot well. When he shoots well, we have a chance to win.”
Halfon’s shooting ability should give him the opportunity to play basketball at the next level. He has an academic scholarship to Drake University in Iowa, where his family is from, and he has the opportunity to join the program as a preferred walk-on.
“That’s the path I think I’m going to take, but if something changes I’m always open to it,” said Halfon, who added he’s also talked with the College of Charleston about being a preferred walk-on with their program.
Halfon entered Saturday shooting 48-of-101 from 3-point range. His 48 percent clip from behind the arc was tied for sixth in the state among all players with at least 50 attempts. That shooting ability has helped him average nearly 20 points per game for the 12-7 Bruins.
It’s all impressive stuff considering Halfon didn’t play basketball until fifth grade and admittedly wasn’t strong enough to shoot 3-pointers until he was nearly finished with middle school.
“So I just kept shooting mid-range shots and working my way out,” he said. “Now I’m shooting for hours every week. ”
The hard work has paid off for Halfon, and he’s hopeful he can help the Bruins make a deep run in the playoffs. At 6-4, the Bruins are currently fourth in the Centennial League, with huge home games against 9-1 Eaglecrest (Wednesday) and 8-2 Overland coming up this week.
“I think our team is getting better every day,” Halfon said. “We lost a few early, but to top-10 teams. I think we’re getting a lot better and gelling more as a team.”