Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Clark’s Jalen Hill commits to Oklahoma basketball

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Steve Marcus

Jalen Hill (23) of the Las Vegas Prospects puts up the ball during the Las Vegas Classic at Spring Valley High School Thursday, July 26, 2018. Ben Merritt (3) of the Griffins is at right.

One of the state’s top high-school players made his college decision on Thursday, as Clark senior Jalen Hill committed to Oklahoma.

Hill made the announcement in the gym at Clark, surrounded by his teammates. The 6-foot-7 forward pulled off his jacket to reveal a custom Oklahoma shirt that read “Commit” in OU colors:

Hill chose Oklahoma over UNLV and TCU, and he said he only came to his final decision this week.

“It feels great. I’m extremely excited,” Hill said. “I finally made up my mind the last couple days, really. Just going over and over which school best fits me and the best situation for me...The coaches [at Oklahoma] are amazing, the players there are amazing. It just felt like another home over there.”

Hill averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds for Clark as a junior, and his impressive play on the summer circuit elevated his draft stock in recent months. He is currently rated as the No. 130 player in the nation by Rivals.com and the No. 27 small forward.

UNLV made a strong push for Hill, and he said it wasn’t easy to pass up an offer from his hometown school.

“It was a real tough decision,” Hill said. “They were right there at the end. Coach [Marvin] Menzies and the rest of the staff there is great, the program is great. I wish them the best as well and they’re like family over there, too.”

Hill took an official visit to Oklahoma on Sept. 1, and he visited TCU last weekend. He said his trip to Norman only enhanced his view of Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger and the Sooners’ program.

“It was a great vibe,” he said. “I really felt like they wanted me. My future teammates over there are really great… The program with coach Kruger is really great. Coach Kruger is probably one of the best coaches in the history of the college game, and he has always won. The program is always pointed upward.”

Now that his college announcement is out of the way, Hill said he will focus on the upcoming high-school season, which he hopes will end with a state championship.

“Win state this year,” Hill said. “High-school basketball, get better as a player and win state.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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