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Paul Biancardi
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Paul Biancardi
Basketball Recruiting
- National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
- Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Senior Jalen Haralson, the No. 10 recruit in the 2025 ESPN 100, announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Wednesday, becoming the Fighting Irish’s highest-ranked recruit in the modern era.
Haralson chose Notre Dame over Indiana and Michigan State, although the recruitment became a two-team race between the Fighting Irish and Hoosiers down the stretch. Notre Dame extended a scholarship offer weeks after Micah Shrewsberry became the head coach in South Bend, while Indiana was one of the first schools to offer the talented wing.
“Notre Dame is the best option for me,” Haralson told ESPN on Wednesday. “This was not an easy choice. Notre Dame recruited me since the day [Shrewsberry] got the job. They stuck with me through my injury, stayed with his vision for me and it helped a lot.”
Shrewsberry’s recent success with perimeter players was a big plus in Haralson’s mind.
“My ultimate goal is to get to the NBA,” Haralson said. “I trust Coach Shrewsberry and his staff with my game. They have had success with players like me. They did a great job with Jalen Pickett and Seth Lundy at Penn State. He was with the Celtics and helped Jayson Tatum.”
A 6-foot-7 small forward from Indiana who attends La Lumiere School (Indiana), Haralson is considered the best high school senior in the state.
He represented USA Basketball at the FIBA U17 World Cup this summer, averaging 11.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in seven games as the team won the gold medal. He also averaged 21.2 points and 7.3 rebounds with the Indy Heat on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring, then followed it up with 16.6 points at the Nike Peach Jam in July, including a 29-point performance against No. 1 overall prospect A.J. Dybantsa.
“Jalen is a versatile playmaker that impacts winning all over the floor,” La Lumiere coach Pat Holmes said. “Whether it’s with his scoring, passing or defensive versatility, Jalen is going to do whatever is necessary to help a team be successful. He has a tremendous work ethic and radiates positive energy that teammates gravitate toward.”
Haralson becomes the first top-10 prospect to commit to Notre Dame since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007, jumping past J.J. Starling (No. 19 in 2022) and Demetrius Jackson (No. 24 in 2013).
He’s the second ESPN 100 prospect to commit to Notre Dame this week, following a pledge from four-star forward Brady Koehler (No. 98) on Monday.
