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Published: 8/22/2012 | Updated: 5/25/2013
By MATT SCHUCKMAN
Herald-Whig Sports Writer
Although her play seemed to mask it, Marley Hall never felt totally comfortable at Illinois State University. "Overall, it hasn't been right for me from the beginning," said Hall, the former West Hancock all-state basketball player and 2008 Herald-Whig Player of the Year. "It's something you can't ignore. You can't keep going on like that." She is ignoring it no more. Hall confirmed Tuesday night she has left the ISU women's basketball program and is transferring to Western Illinois University. The 6-foot-2 forward must sit out one year, per NCAA transfer rules, but will have two years of eligibility remaining. She is allowed to practice with the Leathernecks while sitting out her transfer season. That's after she registers for classes, which she was planning to do Wednesday. "It got to be something that it was now or never," Hall said. "It was very last minute." Hall was the Redbirds' third leading scorer last winter, averaging 11.8 points per game while starting 31 of 32 games. She was the second leading rebounder, pulling down 5.8 points per game. As a freshman, Hall played in 30 games, averaging 2.5 points. "It's nothing bad against ISU whatsoever. Great school. Great program," Hall said. "While I was at ISU, (playing) was my focus. I didn't want to take anything away from my teammates or the program. I gave everything I had." She said it wasn't an easy decision. "It was hard," Hall said. "It was one of the hardest things to do." Hall is the second high-profile area player to transfer to WIU since former Quincy University coach JD Gravina took over the program. Tori Niemann, a former Canton, Mo., all-stater who walked on at the University of Missouri, announced in April she was transferring to WIU. Niemann said it came down to the coaches and the direction they are taking the program. Hall echoed those thoughts. "Coach Gravina has made it easy," Hall said. "Even just in the very beginning, contacting him about the situation, it was easy to talk to him. It was easy to communicate everything we need to do. It makes things 100 times easier when you can relate to a coach like that." Hall was a three-time all-stater who led West Hancock to the Class 2A state championship as a sophomore in 2008. As a junior, she led the Titans to the state championship game, and she finished her high school career with more than 2,500 points. -- mschuckman@whig.com/221-3366
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