Jalen Haralson would like to hear from Kentucky, prioritized by Indiana (among others)
It’s been a hectic week for consensus top-10 prospect Jalen Haralson, arguably the best guard in the 2025 class. With the direct contact period opening up for rising juniors on Thursday, the 6-foot-7 shooting guard’s phone has been ringing off the hook since the clock struck midnight on June 15.
“It was crazy, really crazy. A lot of schools contacting me, and that’s new, because before I always had to contact them first,” he told KSR at the KABC Titans Shootout in Shelbyville. “Getting that first contact from a lot of schools — even at midnight, schools were hitting me up. That was really big for me.”
Haralson is a long, athletic and skilled guard out of Anderson, IN, suiting up for Fishers High School. Capable of playing on and off the ball, he fits the mold of, say, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Anthony Black from this year’s draft class — big guards, both likely lottery selections.
“(I want to) show my dominance and my versatility, that’s the main thing. I want to show I can play all three positions and control the game at my size. Those are big things for me,” he said. “I’m a big guard that can play-make, and I can score. That’s the main thing, I’ve been working on my scoring this offseason, just change the game defensively and make an impact when I’m on the floor.”
Indiana, the hometown school, is considered an early favorite. They’ve been using the Hood-Schifino comparison to their advantage while also using deeper connections to build a relationship with the potential future lottery selection himself in Haralson.
“Really how they would use me, it’s like Jalen Hood-Schifino, but they said I can be different in a way with my athleticism. Me and Jalen Hood-Schifino, that’s a tough match, really big for me to compare (to a player like that). We’ve got similar traits,” he said. “They want me to be a big guard. Coach (Mike) Woodson is an NBA coach so he knows the importance of big players with skill sets. … They’ve been recruiting me since I was 14 and my brother went there so I know everything about the school. They made me a priority early.”
Indiana was one of the first schools to reach out to open the direct contact period. Duke was, too — the first, actually.
“Duke was the first one, they made sure they were first. They wanted to show I was a priority in that 2025 class,” he told KSR. “Obviously they’re rounding out the ’24 class and they told me my time was coming for me to be their priority. That was really big for me getting that call at midnight.”
Others included LSU, TCU, Arizona State, Louisville, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Gonzaga, the Zags extending an offer — one he’s been waiting on.
“I’ve been talking to them for over a year now. They offered me and that was really good for me. I really wanted that one,” Haralson told KSR. “… It’s just about building a relationship with them, it’s a blue-blood school now and one of the top offenses in the country. I feel like I’m a good offensive player that can also play defense. I would fit into their system really well.”
Another school he’s hoping to hear from? Kentucky. He spoke once with assistant coach Orlando Antigua, but he’d like things to ramp up moving forward. The program’s blue-blood status and pro history intrigue the standout guard.
“I heard from them once, Coach Orlando (Antigua) hit me up once. They’re rounding out their 2024 class, so they told me my time is coming. It’d be cool hearing from them later on,” he told KSR. “It’s the players that came out of there, you know? Devin Booker, Malik Monk, guards that can score. They’re a really good school at developing, Coach Cal is a really good coach. And they’re a blue blood, so obviously there’s interest there.”
He’s already established himself as a clear top-10 prospect, but how can he take his game to the next level to close out the remainder of his high school career?
“Really just shooting the ball. I’ve put in a lot of reps this offseason, trying to stay consistent with my shot. I’m getting better with everything, strength is getting better, things in that area,” he said. “Continue to show my (shooting) stroke, that’s the main thing. Show off my ability to hit shots. If I can do that, it’s game over.
“Since (college coaches) told me that, I’ve been really working at that all day, every day. And I want to be a more physical player, a dominant player. I want to be an all-around player, that’d be big for me.”
Will Kentucky get involved? Haralson hopes so.
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