Q & A with former Spalding star Chartrael Hall

Note: I did this interview for Bluegrass State Basketball, but I thought it was so interesting — plus I covered Chartrael at Spalding before his transfer to Bellarmine — that I wanted to post it here, too.

Chartrael Hall went on a heck of a ride since graduating from Manual High School in Louisville. He played two years at NAIA Division II Spalding University in Louisville where he led the Pelicans (now Golden Eagles) to the NAIA National Tournament in 2007 and received All-American honors. He transferred to NCAA Division II Bellarmine University after the ‘06-’07 season and led the Knights to its first NCAA Tournament since 1989 in his senior year. After connecting with IU-Southeast coaches and former Louisville Cardinals Wiley Brown and Scooter McCray, Hall was hooked up with Allen Houston, who helped him set up a workout with the New York Knicks earlier this month, and now Hall is looking to begin his professional career. I caught up with Chartrael this afternoon and talked to him about his aspirations and what it was like to work out for the Knicks.

TY: How did the tryout come about?
CH: I went over to IU-Southeast, and I’m really cool with Wiley Brown and Scooter McCray. They’re like my big brothers — they look out for me. Scooter got me hooked up with Allen Houston, and we set everything up, and I went up there June 17 for a workout with the Knicks.

TY: Was it cool working out with those DI guys?
CH: Yeah, but I don’t look at them like they’re something big; they got lucky and got the opportunity, and I didn’t get the opportunity to play DI. I have the utmost respect for them, but you deal with politics a lot. Once you’re all on the same playing level, it doesn’t matter what school you went to — they want to see your talent and how you perform.

TY: Take me through what the workouts were like.
CH: I started off with the basic height, weight, wingspan, body fat and all that. Then we went to the bench press, then agility drills, foot speed, covering the lane, vertical, everything like that. Then we went into running their offense, which is basically guard up top, big man on the elbow, man in the corner, and you have to pass and cut and sprint and keep moving and just knock down the open shots. Then we started doing a lot of full-court shooting drills, one-on-one, one-on-one in the post, two-on-two, three-on-three, half court, full court. It was about a two-and-a-half-hour workout.

TY: How did you do?
CH: I did extremely well. There were about 40 people in the gym; there were scouts in there. Allen was talking and letting me know, ‘You did great.’ Mike D’antoni was impressed because I’m coming from a small DII school, so they were very impressed. One of the scouts actually talked to Allen, so I’m going to go through him and get an agent and go overseas somewhere.

TY: Have you been looking at places where you could end up?
CH: I have some offers in Germany, and I’ve got one in Iceland. I was waiting to see if I’d heard something else, but I haven’t picked an agent, so after I hooked up with Allen, I decided I would go through the Knicks, and whatever agent they hook me up with, that’s who I’m going to run with.

TY: Is the goal to get back to the states and play in the NBA?
CH: Most definitely, most definitely. I’m trying to stay in the loop right now, go over there for a year or two and sharpen up my skills and let them know that I can play and hang with the big boys and come back over.

TY: Obviously every kid’s goal growing up and playing ball is to be in the NBA. Did you believe through your career that you would make the league, or at least get a tryout with the New York Knicks?
CH: No I did not, not at all. My mom told me growing up that I was going to play in the NBA, and my mentor always told me I would get there, but me personally, I did not believe in myself because I had never gotten any attention. I had always been the guy behind the scenes, always been overlooked. I definitely dreamed about it all the time, so it’s kind of a dream come true.

TY: How crazy is that, going from an NAIA DII school to NCAA DII to now…is is just a whirlwind?
CH: It’s amazing. It shows the power of God. If you believe in God, you can do all things. Live an uncommon life, you get uncommon blessings and have uncommon faith. I just got closer to God and he took me from Spalding, going to nationals where I led in scoring and rebounding for two games and got my All-American honors. Came over to Bellarmine and took them back to the NCAA tournament. The best-winning season, 26-7, best start — 14-0, #2 in the nation, sold out four games, it just goes on and on and on with all these accomplishments this season. But it’s great, the best feeling ever.

TY: How much did you improve under your coach at Bellarmine (Scott Davenport)?
CH: I really didn’t improve with him, it was through my mentor, Chris Morris. He wanted me to come because of the way I play. Coaches want you to come to their school because of the way you play. Yes they help you any way they can, but it was really like, Chartrael’s gonna play his game the way that I play — I just play hard and go all out — and he had enough faith to let me do whatever I wanted to do on the floor.

TY: I heard people say you were the best point guard in the state of Kentucky last year. Is that true?
CH: Ah, well I don’t know. If that’s what the people are saying. I haven’t heard that, but I’m grateful that they’re saying that if they are. I mean, I don’t know where I stand.

TY: Can you think of anybody better?
CH: In the state? At the point guard spot, not really that I can name.

TY: Well there you go!
CH: (laughing) Well Mendez-Valdez (from Western Kentucky) was good, but he wasn’t really a point guard. Louisville was going through it with McGee and Sosa — they weren’t really performing how they should. I mean, I won’t say that I was the best, I just work hard and try to be consistent. That’s all I can say, that I try to be consistent with my play.

TY: Can you hang with the best?
CH: I can definitely hang with the best.

TY: Some rapid-fire questions. Ready?
CH: Alright

TY: Kobe or LeBron?
CH: LeBron.

TY: Best Michael Jackson song?
CH: Can we go best song/video? I’ll go with Do You Remember The Time.

TY: Whose fault was it — Jon or Kate?
CH: I’m gonna go with Jon.

TY: What’s the last CD you bought or downloaded?
CH: Drake.

TY: What’s your favorite pair of shoes you own?
CH: My Hyperdunks.

Wherever Chartrael ends up this fall — he texted me last night and said he would let me know as soon as he found out — I’ll be pulling for him. He was one of my favorite players Asbury ever faced, and he’s a really nice guy. My roommate TJ and I were talking last night about how we can’t wait to get a Chartrael Hall jersey, hopefully one day it will be an NBA one.