Top-30 sophomore Jayden Lemond updates his recruitment
New Jersey is absolutely stacked with talent, from current high school seniors, all the way to guys in the 2023 and 2024 classes. One of those names is Jayden Lemond, a 6-foot-4 guard who will now be attending Blair Academy in New Jersey.
Lemond was one of the youngest players in the entire 2022 class but he has opted to move into the 2023 class, a move he alerted Stockrisers.com about in January. He starred at Dwight-Englewood prior to his move to the popular Blair Academy and will add an extra year of AAU ball with the PSA Cardinals.
His recruitment will likely skyrocket. Already has proven himself as a 2022 prospect playing against high-level talent. Now, he joins another talented class that he will likely find himself in a lot of the rankings. Lemond already holds a handful of high-major offers and I expect those to remain on the board for 2023.
Lemond is one of the more intriguing options in the 2023 class. Such a skilled offensive player who has the ability to create space, excellent first step, quick burst, and defensively has all the tools to be an elite defender at the next level which has been proven in his game this Spring, he prides himself on the defensive end, which coaches enjoy.
So, where do things stand with his recruitment since the move into the 2023 class?
He gave Stockrisers.com all the hard-hitting answers.
Which schools are heavily involved?
“Oklahoma State, UConn, Michigan, and Vanderbilt.”
Any new schools?
“Washington, Texas and Indiana.”
Discuss your offer from Oklahoma State. What were the pitch and your overall thoughts?
“Coach Rencher had been recruiting me when he was at Creighton and continued to recruit me when he made the move to OSU a few weeks ago. The main pitch was that the Big 12 is the new thing and that it’s a conference where you have to be mentally and physically strong and said that I cover all of that. Besides, from the basketball standpoint, it’s a place where the character is important and that’s something he said I carry where ever I go.”
How about a school like UConn, they’ve been on you for a while, where do things stand?
“They stand very good, I talk to Coach Young almost all the time, and they just check-in and send me highlights about their guards or things to work on for the next level.”
And how about Michigan, another team who’s been on you a long time, overall thoughts on them?
“I liked them a lot. With Coach Howard and Coach Eisley, I feel like they are doing an amazing job over there with their players. I contact Coach Eisley like once a week and he just checks in with me as well and whenever we play he lets me know how I play and gives me feedback.”
Now, let’s talk visits, you have any plans for on-campus visits?
“As of right now, I don’t have any visits planned. This may change in a couple of weeks but right now I’m not sure.”
Are you staying firm in the 2023 class or you may jump back into 2022?
“As of right now I’m staying in 2023 and I’m pretty sure I’ll stay in 2023, but if there's an opportunity down the line then I may jump back into 2022. But, as of now, I’m 2023.”
And how has your game evolved? Breakdown your game.
“I’ve become a better leader and better at controlling the game. When it's crunch time or the game starts to get out of hand I make sure that I have the ball and I’m telling everyone where they need to be on the floor. Overall, I’ve become a better vocal point guard whether it's on offense or defense. Defense is where I take my most pride in and I think that separates me from a lot of other players.”
What are your goals on and off the floor entering the summer with AAU ball?
“My main goals on the floor were to get closer with my teammates. This is my first year playing with PSA and getting to know the guys better, as well as the coaches, building chemistry and I think that’s why we win most of our games. Off the floor, I’m just always looking to be in the gym and I watch a lot of our Livestream games to see what parts of my game I can improve on.”