Notre Dame Basketball

Coach | Notre Dame Hoops Commit Jalen Haralson Rare Among 5-Stars

By Christian McCollum

October 10, 2024

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By their very nature, five-star prospects are rare.

But according to virtually everybody, including his high school coach, Jalen Haralson‍ is rare even among his fellow five-stars.

“There are times when kids are ranked high way too early and then they start falling down the rankings,” Haralson’s coach at La Lumiere School, Pat Holmes says.

“I think it's a testament to Jalen's character and his upbringing, staying humble and knowing he's always got to improve because his peers are going to get better as well.”

Holmes says Haralson, the 2025 combo guard who committed to the Irish a couple weeks ago, has never been complacent and certainly isn’t about to start now.

“He knows he's the highest-ranked player in Notre Dame basketball history of the modern time,” Holmes says in a ho-hum tone. “That's exciting, cool.

“But he knows that doesn't guarantee him anything. He does a good job of not being complacent. That's a testament to his upbringing, his parents always supporting him, but challenging him.”

The 6-foot-7 Haralson was blessed with supreme physical abilities, but his versatility and the way he plays the game make him different.

“It's his ability to impact the game in so many different ways,” says Holmes. “He's a guy who makes the guys around him better. You can have him run the point guard for you, use ball screens and make plays for teammates. You can have him coming off ball, off-ball actions and pindowns and flares and staggers. He can space the floor and make shots. He's a guy who is not afraid to go down in the low post and utilize his size and strength to make a play in the paint. He can put his head down and play some bullyball and get to the rim and get to the free throw line.

“He's just a guy who's always looking to make the right play. He makes guys around him better. He can make any pass in basketball. His size and strength give him the ability to pass over the top of opposing defenses. He does everything you ask him to do and he's not a selfish player. He's going to make the right play. If he needs to go score, and it's just one-on-one, he's going to go score. If he draws help, he's going to hit the open man, make the right read.”

That versatility extends to the defensive end as well.

“You can switch with him all over the floor,” Holmes continues. “He can sit down and guard quicker guards. He can guard bigger wings. He can do a little bit of everything on the defensive end.”

But Haralson doesn’t just do more things than most, he does all those things better than most.

“He dominates the game with his skill, IQ and, on top of that, his athleticism and frame, which is what separates him,” says Holmes. “It's a testament to him, his work ethic, who he works with, how coachable he is.

“He can do more than the average Top 100 player, which is why he's a Top 10 guy and he does it better. He plays with pace better. He's got a bigger frame. He shoots it better than most. He passes better than most. He can switch better than most people. That's why he's a five-star.”

Haralson’s father, Art, played college basketball and his uncle, Jovon, is a college coach who also helped train him.

“But it all comes down to the kid is very, very coachable and he wants to learn,” says Holmes. “He wants to get better. He knows he doesn't have all the answers. He studies the game. He watches film a ton. So the separator is, yeah, he's got all the physical tools, but his approach and how he handles his business and how he takes care of his body is why he is where he is today, and it's why people see him on that trajectory of being an NBA first-round pick.

“And from a teammate perspective, he's just a great kid, super competitive kid, but his versatility with his size, athleticism, feel, IQ is what makes him so special.”