Randolph proves worth at Hall
Jon Coleman has been involved with Little Rock Hall basketball long enough to know what a prototypical Warrior guard looks like when he sees one.
So when Jeremy Randolph joined the program after last season, it didn’t take much to convince the long-time coach that the shifty senior fit the mold of some of Hall’s previous backcourt standouts.
“You know, when I first saw him play, and this is saying a lot, but he put me in the mind of A.J. Walton,” said Coleman, referring to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s 2008 Player of the Year who went on to enjoy a stellar career at Baylor and is currently playing professionally overseas. “They have a lot in common. A.J. was a gym rat just like Jeremy is, and both of them can go zero to 100 really fast. The change of direction while stopping on a dime. … That makes a big difference when you’re playing the game of basketball.”
Randolph has proven his worth to the Warriors, who are trending in the direction they’ve grown accustomed to being in for years.
With a lineup full of underclassmen, Hall (8-5, 3-2 4A-5) has began picking up steam over the past month, even in losses. The Warriors have won five of their previous eight games, but two of those setbacks were by a combined five points during the Foster Roofing Holiday Classic in Fort Smith over the Christmas break. The other loss in that span was a 51-42 decision to Fort Smith Northside in a game where Hall watched a 14-point, second-half lead slip away over the final 14 minutes.
Yet, the Warriors, who’ve won five state titles since 2008 and last played in a final in 2019, are still on pace to surpass last season’s win total of 13. But one of the central figures in what Hall has been able to do this season is Randolph.
“I just try to get better every game. I don’t really care for the losses because we want to win. So we play to win, and we keep pushing forward.” Little Rock Hall guard Jeremy Randolph
The 6-0 dynamo has averaged 24 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals per game in his first season with the Warriors. His contributions, combined with production from talented youngsters like sophomores Landen Hill and Shaah Rahmaan, has Coleman optimistic about what his team will be able to accomplish going forward.
“To be honest, I’m pleased with what I’m seeing out of this group,” said Coleman, who’s in his 14th year at Hall. “We’re still fairly young and have been up and down, but the improvement from game to game is evident. With Jeremy coming in, his personality has been a natural fit. The thing is, he’s a team guy and he’s not playing for personal accolades. He just wants Hall to do well, and the kids have embraced him.
“In fact, before he ever played with us, whether he was in the gym at lunch time or just playing after school, it was a natural fit. No jealously or anything, and the guys have gravitated toward him.”
Coleman mentioned Randolph, who is from Searcy, didn’t play basketball at his previous school so he doesn’t have much varsity experience. Incidentally, Randolph noted that he felt he had to prove himself when he initially came in.
“I remember the first time I met Coach Coleman,” he said. “He didn’t really think I could hoop at all. So I had to go out and show him that I really could, and since then, me and him have been locked.
“He’s been helping me with everything, on and off the court. He believes in me, and I really appreciate him for that.”
The Warriors, in general, are certainly appreciative of what Randolph has brought, which is a fearlessness that a team as young as Hall needs as it tries to make it back to the postseason.
Randolph has had several high-scoring nights, but his best came against Little Rock Parkview when he delivered 43 points in an 80-58 win during the Charles Ripley Holiday Classic. If it wasn’t evident to Warriors fans before that game that Hall had a gem in its possession, it was obvious afterward.
“He hasn’t played a lot of organized basketball as far as high school goes, but his ceiling is really, really high,” Coleman said. “He’s still learning, absorbing and maturing, and that’s going to allow him to continue to get better as the season goes. But one of the best things about him is that he’s not afraid.
“I hate to put it like this, but in Little Rock or Central Arkansas, you kind of have basketball politics where they kind of label kids that are supposed to be really good or this or that. Well with him being new to the area, he’s not aware of any of the politics. So with him, it’s like anybody can get it out there on the floor. That’s refreshing because he’s going to compete and go at anyone regardless of who they are.”
That mindset has been on display in virtually every game Hall has played, especially during summer team camps when Randolph showed flashes of just how good he could be against top-shelf competition.
Those strong outings have carried over into the regular season. With the exception of its loss to Little Rock Christian in early December, Hall has had prime chances to win every game. In fact, it’s held a halftime lead in four of its defeats.
The Warriors got off to a good start to the second half of the year when they beat Pulaski Academy 68-48 on the strength of Randolph’s 15-point second half. But the plan is always the same for him, no matter who Hall is facing.
“I just try to get better every game,” Randolph said. “I don’t really care for the losses because we want to win. So we play to win, and we keep pushing forward.
“For me, the toughest thing I’ve had to deal with is consistently keeping my composure during the ups and downs we have during games. That actually goes for my team, too, because we know how good we can be. We’re going to go far. I believe it, and so do they.”