Prospect Profile: Delaware Hale
After making a run to the Kohl Center in the 2017-18 season, it looked as if Sun Prairie would be forced into a rebuild in the following year. Losing Jalen Johnson, the consensus top player in Wisconsin’s 2020 class, seemed…
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Continue ReadingAfter making a run to the Kohl Center in the 2017-18 season, it looked as if Sun Prairie would be forced into a rebuild in the following year. Losing Jalen Johnson, the consensus top player in Wisconsin’s 2020 class, seemed like it would knock the Cardinals out of Gold Ball contention. However, it did the opposite. With Johnson leaving for Nicolet, new players stepped out of his shadow and displayed their talents. One of those players was Delaware Hale. Hale stepped up for his team last year, scoring 12.7 points per game while competing in 19 contests. Hale doubled his scoring output from his sophomore season and helped guide the Cardinals to a WIAA Playoffs title birth.
Heading into his senior season, Hale’s stock continues to shoot up. He is a long-armed, athletic four who has great skills. At 6’6″, Hale is comfortable when entrenched in the paint, but he also has proven that he can step outside and make jump shots. With his senior season approaching, he will look seal the envelope and put a stamp on his legacy at Sun Prairie.
“I feel like this season was pretty good,” stated Hale when asked about his junior campaign. He continued saying, “We had got back to where we wanted to be, but I felt like I also could have been on top of my work more this season.” In the Cardinals’ most recent playoff runs, Hale has not been Sun Prairie’s first option; that will change in the 2019-20 season. Brock Vogit, last year’s leading scorer, has graduated. Hale will be forced to step into a new role next year. Double teams, in-depth scouting reports, and the opposing team’s best defenders will be thrown at him during his final year in high school.
Since their incredible tournament run last year, many of Sun Prarie’s top players have graduated. Replacing eight seniors from last year’s roster will be a difficult task, but Hale believes that the Cardinals will be right back in the mix of things next year. “In my opinion, I definitely feel like we will have a good squad,” stated Hale. He also said that his team will have a chance to get back to state for the third consecutive season.
Hale’s progress and improvement have been temporarily halted due to a stress fracture in his foot. The forward was planning on playing with Wisconsin Swing ‘s 17U team, but he has been held out of play this spring. Not being able to get on the court has not helped Hale’s recruitment, but he still has some colleges who are following him closely. The senior told Prep Hoops Wisconsin that Winona State, Highland (JUCO), and Lehigh have all been showing some interest. The SP standout has peaked many coaches interest levels, but a strong senior season could convince some more notable programs to get involved.
This will not be the first time that Sun Prarie heads into the offseason with major roster turnover. Last year, the Cardinals were able to compensate for their loss with new players stepping up. This year, led by Delaware Hale, SP will look to make the short trip to Madison for the third time in as many years.