Indiana Basketball Recruiting: Top Target Haralson Nears a Decision

Jalen Haralson’s recruitment might be down two teams based on recent reporting from On3’s Jamie Shaw — Indiana and Notre Dame. The 2025 five-star forward is one of the country’s most coveted prospects for his size and skill level and would be a massive get for the Hoosiers. A Haralson commitment would help remedy Indiana’s recent recruiting struggles, notably the loss of 2024 five-star wing Liam McNeeley to UConn.

Scouts have paid close attention to Haralson over the last few seasons playing his high school house at La Lumiere in La Porte, Indiana, a national powerhouse. Haralson played his final AAU season with Nike EYBL’s Indy Heat, averaging 19.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 51.2% true shooting per Synergy.

Haralson’s offensive strengths

The 6’6 forward excels in the open floor. In transition, Haralson pushes up the floor after his own or others’ rebounds to pass and score. Haralson draws fouls at will — he posted an excellent 0.64 free-throw rate this past AAU season — in transition, as high school defenders can’t stop his downhill strength and size.

Haralson’s preferred mode of strength-based offense isn’t as potent in the half-court, though his playmaking and fluidity for his size help him win against set defenses. Indy Heat often asked Haralson to initiate offensive from the perimeter, especially in games where Jeremiah Fears wasn’t playing. 15.1% of Haralson’s possessions came out of the pick and roll where Haralson converted an excellent 1.0 points per possession. 

He still draws plenty of fouls in the half-court, especially when he matches up with bigger, slower defenders. His handling diversity and fluidity helps here, as Haralson can buckle slow point of attack defenders with simple in and outs and crossovers. In the pick and roll, Haralson can navigate around screens to carve space for his own shots. When defenders can’t cut Haralson’s initial move off, he can be a handle downhill. He’s a solid finisher at the rim, converting an excellent 60% of his half-court rim attempts.

Haralson’s playmaking stands out for a 6’6 wing. It’s impressive to see tall teenagers working as offensive hubs like Haralson can, even if he isn’t proactively creating passing windows with advantage creation and manipulation. Haralson wins like a game-managing quarterback, punishing defensive mistakes with passes through and over the defense. When defenses rotate and scramble, Haralson can skip and bounce passes to punish those.

Haralson’s offensive improvement points

His scoring struggles are the main concern when it comes to Haralson’s translation. Despite Haralson’s great playmaking vision, his inability to bend defenses in the half-court limits his passing efficacy. Haralson’s poor 0.73 assist-to-turnover ratio may indicate significant passing and decision-making woes. His accuracy isn’t consistent and Haralson can miss some higher-level reads but the turnover struggles result from handling and creation issues.

When Haralson can’t power through defenders, he often loses his handle and falls over as the ball control isn’t there yet. Those handling woes magnify Haralson’s total lack of burst, explosion and flexibility, which may be his most significant translation concerns. He’s also not a reliable floor spacer yet, shooting 23.9% on a pedestrian 3.7 attempts per game.

Haralson’s struggles shooting off of the dribble yank down his efficiency on jumpers. He shot a solid 34.5% on catch-and-shoot threes; he only took 29 of those, so more volume shooting off the catch will be critical. Haralson must improve as an off-dribble jumper to play on ball at higher levels. Shooting 24.7% on all pull-ups like he did this season won’t sustain.

He’s a disruptive, cerebral defender, specializing off of the ball. Haralson translates his offensive feel for the game to defense, as he’ll read passing intentions to nab steals with his excellent length and active hands. His size provides a baseline of value and that plus his defensive instincts and off-ball positioning provide a high defensive floor.

Haralson’s future outlook

Quicker, more explosive players can burn Haralson off of the dribble, as he’s not the quickest or most fluid laterally. He only blocked two shots this past AAU season, which makes sense given his lack of quick-twitch athleticism and vertical explosion.

If Haralson ends up playing in Bloomington, he’ll need to work out what his optimal role is. He’s most comfortable commanding the ball at this point, but Haralson may not be a potent enough scorer for that job. His playmaking, cutting and foul drawing craft suit Haralson for an off-ball role, though he must improve his off-ball shooting for that to materialize.

This role discovery may take a few seasons, which could be beneficial for Indiana in the long term. Haralson’s physical and skill development could lead him to stay in college for a few seasons before leaving for the NBA, hopefully as an impactful college player for the Hoosiers if he ends up committing there.