The state’s top basketball prospect in the 2020 class, 6-9 PJ Hall of Dorman, Friday night released his final five schools. Hall named Clemson, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech as the schools he will take official visits to in the weeks ahead, and he will choose one prior to his season. USC also was in strong pursuit but did not make the cut.

“We were talking about really seeing the Gamecocks, but I just thought in my head I wouldn’t be happy and I didn’t want to waste their time,” Hall said Friday night from Los Angeles where his AAU team is playing the adidas Gauntlet Finale. “I’m just moving on to the other options.”

USC coach Frank Martin had to cancel a scheduled in home visit in May and did not reschedule though he did meet with Hall and his teammate PG Myles Tate at school. Hall took an unofficial visit to USC in late June. He also visited for the final regular season home game against Georgia.

Clemson gives Hall the hometown option. Hall took one of his junior official visits to Clemson in early June and the Tigers have remained in hot pursuit.

“I’ve been having a great relationship with them for almost a year and a half now,” Hall said.  “Whenever he (Brad Brownell) first started recruiting me, he made it known that I was a top priority of his, and he’s approached it that way. I know that if I went there I could contribute to the team and play well in the offense.”

Hall also took a junior official visit to Florida where his sister is a volleyball player. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes also has made Hall a high priority and was the first head coach to visit him at school when it was allowed by NCAA rules. And Hall has had a long standing relationship with Young. Hall’s dad played at Wofford and Young, of course, was the coach at Wofford until moving to Blacksburg after last season. Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner got into the mix later than the others.

Clemson will be the first to get one of the five official visits. He is set to visit the Tigers September 6th. Two weeks later he will visit Florida. Hall has set his official visit to Virginia Tech for October 11th. The next week he will visit Tennessee. And the Georgia Tech official will be either November 1st or 8th.