Josh Hall, a 6-foot-3 Middletown Christian senior from West Chester, is third in the Metro Buckeye Conference in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game. He is hitting 44-percent of his shots from the floor and 41-percent from 3-point range for the 4-5 Eagles.

Hall recently sat down with the Journal.

Question: Lakota West is a pretty good basketball school, why did you decide to go to Middletown Christian?

Answer: My parents are strong Christians and they wanted me to go to school somewhere I would have a Christian background. I played for Lakota in junior high, but my parents wanted me to go to a Christian school.

Q: How did you end up at MCS?

A: I used to play at Landmark, but I stopped playing there and started working on just getting better as a player. I heard about Middletown Christian at church. We checked it out and last year was my first year here.

Q: Do you ever look at your record and Lakota West’s record (7-4) and wonder what if?

A: Our record is not where it should be, but I think we will get better. We don’t have guys who have been playing together for years like the teams we have. For most of us, it is our first year playing together and that makes a difference.

Q: How has your role been different this year?

A: I have stepped up and become the leader. I look at myself as being a leader because I am a senior. I’m vocal, I don’t get out and run like some of the guys can, but a lot of times, the runs come from my scoring.

Q: What about MCS has been the best fit for you?

A: My parents don’t have to worry as much about me. At other schools, you never know, but they know my friends have the same Christian values as me. They don’t have to worry about a lot of the bad things when I am with them that other people might do as well.

Q: What about MCS, on the court, has been the best fit for you compared to if you went somewhere else?

A: I enjoy it here. I enjoy the leadership and being the team leader. I like that it is up to me that we keep the direction of who we are; if we are not playing as well as we can be, it is on my shoulders. Individually, I enjoy the fact that I am getting better with my choices of when to drive and when to shoot. I took 4,000 shots a week during the summer and had to make 500 a day before I quit. I am seeing that work pay off.

Q: Are you looking at a Christian school for college?

A: I have been looking at some, but I want to go play basketball somewhere. That is what I want to do. If not, I will stay local and go to UC and major in accounting.