Spotlight: Jeff Halbert

It was a physical contest between the New York Ravens and the Howard Pulley AAU team at the Rumble in the Bronx. The semifinal game inside Fordham University became even more physical in the second half as Howard Pulley pulled away from a very talented Ravens team.

One of the players behind that big victory was Jeff Halbert, a 6-5, 205 pound small forward from White Bear Lake H.S. in White Bear Lake, Minn. Halbert never backed away from banging with the big bodies inside and continued to attack the middle of the Ravens' defense with dribble-penetration drives.

Halbert was a big factor last June in helping his team win the Rumble in the Bronx. However, coaches were not allowed to view players during this period and they never got the opportunity to see how good a player he really is.

While most coaches missed that opportunity, Halbert continued to impress us during the July period. It was the same Jeff Halbert at the AAU Nationals in Orlando. Halbert led his Team Minnesota to a victory that hot day in Florida. It was the same Jeff Halbert -- crisp passes, tough defense, diving on the floor for loose balls, and hitting the key jumper.

Before the Rumble in the Bronx, Halbert was named all-tournament at the St. Louis Eagle tournament and helped lead the Howard Pulley Panthers Blue squad to the title game of the event. Pulley lost to Boo Williams in the final.

Halbert has an excellent understanding of the game of basketball. He shoots the ball well, especially from mid-range, and is an alert passer. He has the ability to hurt defenses in many ways.

As a junior last season, Halbert averaged 22 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He said he has a 3.3 GPA and has achieved a qualifying score on the SAT exam.

Add all of these factors up and what you have will be a pretty good college basketball player. We look forward to watching his progress this season and on the college level.