USA Basketball experience teaches Wayne’s Bree Hall important lesson

>>RELATED: Why Travis Trice Sr. switched Warriors squads

Although she did not make the final roster of the USA Basketball Women's U-16 National Team, she did learn something that could have a big impact on her future.

“Since I went to Colorado I think I will probably have to be on the East Coast or at least this side of the United States (for college) because I think I would miss my parents,” she said. “This was my first time actually thinking like I actually missed them because the whole time I always said I would never do that — like if I went to UCLA or something like that — but I think I would have to stay semi-close to home.”

This is good information for any high school junior-to-be looking at prospective colleges to have, but it’s even more so for Hall because she has just about her pick of programs across the country.

Her father, Bryan, sounded happy to hear about Hall’s recent revelation related to distance from home, but he isn’t about to take anything for granted — or get in the way of her doing what she wants to do.

“I mean as a father I would love for her to go to school 30 minutes away from home, but it’s her decision,” he said. “At one point she wanted to go far away. Then she went out to Colorado and was like, ‘Maybe I want to go to school somewhere win the East.’ That could change by the end of her junior year. You never know. Somebody out west could give her a call and she could go out there and visit and fall in love with it. You never know.”

Ohio State and Michigan State offered her a scholarship before she even played a high school game, and Tennessee, West Virginia and Illinois recently joined a list long list of schools to get in the game for the 2021 prospect.

She declined to name any leaders in her recruitment at this time but listed UCLA, Ohio State, Indiana, South Carolina, North Carolina and Maryland as schools she has already visited.

This summer she plans to visit Tennessee and Notre Dame but does not have a timetable for making a decision.

“I think I’ll know when it feels right, honestly,” she said. “I have no idea.”

Hall, who also took part in Team USA trials in 2017, was the No. 2 scorer for the Warriors last season as a sophomore.

The 5-foot-11 wing averaged 13.9 points, 57 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and said this summer she wants to work on her all-around game and especially her shot.

“More shots going up, more steals and rebounds on the defensive end,” she said. "I just feel like I can always improve.”

She is playing with the Wayne team this month as they compete against other schools in team camps at various colleges.

In July, Hall will return to the AAU circuit with the Sports City U team that also includes Nevaeh Dean and Chance Gray of Lakota West, Madeline Westbeld of Fairmont and Cotie McMahon of Centerville.

She looks forward to taking lessons from another round of competing with the nation’s best players in her age group and continuing to get better.

“I think it was an amazing opportunity for me,” she said. “It was really nice being out there with a bunch of girls who have the same or even better ability as me. Being able to have the opportunity to play for my country was really an amazing opportunity for me.”