With the high-school basketball season over for months and school out for the summer, New Albany center Donnie Hale has definitely earned some rest and relaxation.

But that’s going to have to wait.

Exhaustion is all part of the reward for the junior-to-be, who had a breakout sophomore campaign last winter with the Bulldogs. One that catapulted from him from a first-time varsity starter to someone drawing attention from the biggest names in college basketball.

So while other high-schoolers work summer jobs and recharge for the school year, the 6-foot-8 Hale is working hard to improve his game and increase his national profile.

And doing a good job of it, too.

“I’d like to have a break,” Hale said. “But this is what it takes to get better.”

Hale spent two days in Bloomington at Indiana University’s team camp this week, then immediately departed for Indianapolis with his New Albany teammates for a tourney in Indianapolis.

That will be followed by games with University of Louisville players early this week, not to mention his responsibilities with not only his high-school team, but with his AAU team, Spiece Indy Heat.

Such is the life of a major-college recruit in the age of the Internet. Hale is already listed on recruiting Web sites like industry-leader Rivals.com, as well as the Rivals-based home pages of Indiana University, the University of Louisville. He has threads devoted to him on Purdue’s main fan site, and is coveted by fans from as far away as Oklahoma State, which has reportedly been interested in taking him from Floyd County all the way to Stillwater, OK.

For his part, though, Hale doesn’t seem very interested in all that, instead preferring to think of his summer work as not being about exposure as much as improvement.

“I don’t worry bout rankings and all that,” he said. “It’s hard for me not to know, because people come up to me and say ‘hey, I saw you on Rivals.’ But I don’t take it personally or anything. It’s not that big a deal.”

Right now, the big deal is getting ready to improve on a sophomore season where he averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, emerging as a steady and reliable option for a New Albany team that went 26-1 and grabbed the state’s No. 1 ranking for the majority of the season.

Hale — a left-hander — intends to use the summer to work on playing stronger from the right, as well as his outside shooting touch, which wasn’t much needed with last year’s Bulldog roster of sharp-shooter Matt Lynch and Indiana All-Star Braydon Hobbs.

“That’s pretty much what we did (at the Bloomington Elite Camp),” Hale said. “They were more worried about trying to raise our shooting percentage and our defensive skills.”

He’ll certainly be meeting the most elite competition by playing for Spiece. The former team of Greg Oden and Mike Conley, Jr., Hale is now a teammate of Rivals’ No. 3 player in the Class of 2010 — Ohio State recruit DeShaun Thomas — as well as Broad Ripple’s 6-foot-9 Robert Goff. The team is stocked with incoming seniors, as Hale made the decision to play with older players.

“I chose to play up,” he said. “It always makes you better to play with the best talent you can.”

It could lead to even more travel, as the team is scheduled for events like the Best of Midwest tournament in Indianapolis, as well as The Main Event, a national tourney in Las Vegas.

In the meantime, Hale maintains his top priority is fitting in with his new Bulldog teammates. After the loss of guards Hobbs, Lynch and Spencer Shannon, along with forward William Barber and center Will Young, Hale will likely be the No. 1 option in the revamped New Albany offense.

“I’m going to have a bigger role and (returning starter) TeNale (Roland) will have a bigger role,” Hale said. “I’m not too worried about it at this point. I’m not going to force it. It’s always been my way to let the game come to me.”

While that works on the court, it’s not as easy away from it. With each new blog or message-board post, the pressure is there for Hale to make his college choice.

As of now, Hale concedes that Purdue has been the most aggressive suitor, with head coach Matt Painter making a live appearance to see him in person last season.

But he acknowledges speaking with new Indiana coach Tom Crean, as well has having conversation with Kentucky boss Billy Gillespie. Rivals currently lists six colleges on Hale’s list, with Purdue and Xavier leading the pack.

But Hale says he isn’t close to making a decision, still needing questions answered about the schools he has seen and those yet to show up in the running.

“I’m looking for a program that I fit into, as far as my style of play, somewhere I can be comfortable,” he said. “I need to know that the coach is honest and won’t make promises and not follow up. I’m also very concerned about the academics of the school — does the coaching staff know what you’re taking, will they help you if you ask?”

“They’re all a possibility at this point. I don’t favor anyone and I’m keeping an open mind.”

So far, all the answers haven’t come. But there’s plenty of time. And still a plenty busy summer ahead.

“A break wouldn’t be too bad,” Hale said.”