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COURTSIDE SEATS — A lot of people passed through the concourses of the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, the Dee Events Center in Ogden, and the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield this weekend as state basketball champions were crowned in Class 1A, 4A, 5A and 6A.
That list included Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.
And then Mitchell proved — once again — why he is so beloved by the Beehive State.
As always, click the video above for more Great Clips of the Week.
Dallin, meet Donovan
Just one night after dropping 38 points in a semifinal win over Region 1 rival Layton, Fremont High star Dallin Hall had a slightly less dominant 18 points against Davis.
But those 18 were more important, as they led the Silverwolves to a 55-52 win over the Darts in the Class 6A championship for the program's first state title since 2005.
It was also enough to catch the attention of one Utah Jazz phenom Donovan Mitchell, who tweeted "Shout out #30 on Fremont!! Hooper!!!"
Nothing will replace the elation Hall felt while celebrating the final game of his prolific senior season, when he averaged 22.4 points and 5.3 assists per game with his friends, teammates and brothers in arms.
But walking toward the courtside seating area, the championship trophy still cradled under one arm, and approaching Mitchell for a few words of counsel and congratulations? That will come pretty close.
Mitchell also stuck around for the 6A girls championship, when Bingham rallied over Fremont for a second-straight state title. But it was another Silverwolves star who caught his eye there: sophomore Timea Gardiner, who holds offers from almost any college she would ever want to attend, including every local school.
"I try to get at least once a year, catch a few games, and I think that was really fun to watch," Mitchell told the media during pregame shootaround in Cleveland. "Dallin Hall is pretty talented ... and there was (Gardiner), the girl from Fremont, who had 17 points at halftime. I was more impressed with her than anybody.
"It's fun to watch that. They gave me a sweatshirt, and they won, so I figured I might as well wear it."
His mother, Nicole, captured the whole thing on video.
The conversation between the two Utah basketball stars in their own right is unknown. But it clearly made an impact on Hall, judging from his reaction to the meetup.
And it clearly made an impact on Mitchell, who was spotted flying to the Jazz's game Monday night in Cleveland wearing a Fremont High sweatshirt (seen courtesy of Jazz teammate Royce O'Neale's Instagram videos).
Hall's career isn't over; he's set to choose between BYU, Utah and Utah State before the end of the year. After that, he'll jet off to parts currently unknown on a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He'll do so as a state champion, among the first at Fremont in 15 years. And maybe — just maybe — with a new best friend in the friendly neighborhood Spida man.
Double trouble
What's better than one buzzer-beater in college basketball? How about, two buzzer-beaters in the same game?
Grace College trailed Taylor 85-82 in the final seconds of an NAIA Crossroads League Tournament game in Indiana when it beat the clock with a halfcourt shot to tie the game.
The only problem? They left just enough time for Mason Degenkolb to do the same thing, firing a full-courter to top the Lancers in the quarterfinals of the postseason tourney.
It's official: this is March.
Walking into the tourney like... pic.twitter.com/egeaWbqlAd
— BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) March 5, 2020
Contributing: Ryan Miller, KSL.com
