After leading Freedom High School Eagles to their first play-off appearance this past season, Bermudian point guard Jaren Haley has been rewarded with a Division One scholarship to Wagner College in New York.

The 5 foot 11 inch basketball player, a cousin of 2006 Female Athlete of the Year Arantxa King, scored 1,100 points at an average of 16 per game and drained 178 three-pointers from beyond the arc to become the Eagles’ second all-time leading scorer.

He also led the Eagles’ in assists, averaging three per game.

Haley capped off his senior year at the Virginia school in style, earning First Team All-District, Second Team All-Region and Honourable Mention All-Metro Team Honours.

The 17-year-old also helped carry the Eagles to a 21-6 season record, and a Group AAA state semi-final in which he buried four three-pointers and scored a game high 24 points.

“Wagner is a great choice for a first class kid like Jaren and his family,” said Eagles coach Ahmad Dorsett. “A tremendous athlete and a smart young man - I have no doubt he will excel at the collegiate level.”

Haley said this week he was eager to improve both on and off the court.

“Wagner is a good fit for me both athletically and academically. They have a good coaching staff already in place and I enjoyed meeting with the other guys on the team,” he said.

“Coach (Mike) Deane is really concerned about education and knows what is it takes to be successful on the court.”

Deane said Haley’s superb shooting ability and quickness on the court would be a welcomed asset to the Seahawks’ team roster.

“Jaren was exactly the type of player we were interested in,” he said. “He’s the type of guard who can create his own shot and has the ability to create for others with his speed and quickness.”