Published: June 24, 2009 01:22 pm      

Hale pledges to Purdue

NA star gives verbal committment to Boilers

Donnie Hale made his college decision Tuesday, his family announced. The New Albany star will stay in-state after his senior year of high school to play for Matt Painter’s Purdue program.

Hale, a 6-foot-8 forward, is relieved the recruiting process is behind him.

“I’m really glad it’s over,” Hale said. “I put a lot of thought into it for a long while; and at the end of the day, it just seemed like (Purdue) was the best option for me. I’m really glad to be a part of their program now.”

The Boilermakers were one of the first major Division I schools to show interest in Hale.

“They offered me (a scholarship) a long time ago but other players committed and it was taken away,” he said. “But they never backed off of me, and they were always there – at open gyms during school and at AAU tournaments in the summer. They seemed really interested and did everything they could to get me there.”

Hale also fielded serious interest from Butler, Indiana State, Oklahoma State, Virginia and Xavier.

“I really appreciate the interest (from other schools),” he added. “They’re all good colleges with great coaches. But I felt Purdue was the place for me and I’m honored to get the chance to play there.”

The entire New Albany team will travel to the West Lafayette campus later this month for a team camp and again on Jan. 2, 2010, for the Super Hoops New Year Classic, a one-day showcase of games where the Bulldogs will face Zionsville.

“Going to Mackey (Arena) is going to be really cool, especially now that I’m committed there,” he said. “Mackey is a great place to watch a game or play. It’s going to be really nice to play there with my high school teammates.”

With his college decision finalized, Hale now will focus on the upcoming whirlwind of July AAU tournaments. During the month-long tour, his Spiece Indy Heat team will play in Indianapolis, Louisville, Kansas City and Fort Wayne.

“A lot of people don’t have the opportunity to have colleges come to them. Now that the process is over, it feels really good.”