RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2019 Team rankings | 2019 Position rankings
AURORA, Ill. – The high school season could not have gone much better for Jaden Springer. After winning the Geico National High School Championship, Springer now has centered his focus on the final travel ball season of his career as a number of acclaimed colleges have remained in touch.
“I feel like I had a real good season,” Springer said about his junior campaign at IMG Academy. “We won the whole thing and I was playing with three McDonald’s All-Americans and a bunch of great talent. Playing with guys like them really helped me to become a better basketball player.”
Auburn, Kansas, Maryland, Memphis, NC State, Tennessee, Texas, UNC and Wake Forest are the programs the Springer noted that have already offered and remain in close contact.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Kansas: “A top program and well-run college team, they have a pretty good history and a lot of top-level talent at that school.”
Memphis: “That was a pretty big offer for me. I have been watching them and they are getting some big guys and building something special, especially with the upcoming season.”
NC State: “I love them, too. I have been there on some unofficial visits a few times and watched how they ran practice and stuff like that. They are very intense and another great program. Everybody is going hard and is locked in and that is something great to see.”
Tennessee: “They are a well-coached team; had one of their best seasons in a while this year. The environment there, their fans and stuff are crazy. They love their Tennessee basketball there.”
UNC: “One of the best programs in college basketball. Whenever you get an offer like that, it is big time. To receive that, I was blessed to get that and I talked to Roy Williams, it was pretty good. He talked to me and said that he has been watching me for a while and that he wants to come out and have a face-to-face conversation and stuff like that.”
Wake Forest: “The coaching staff, they love me. I just love the way they run their program.”
WHAT'S NEXT & RIVALS' REACTION
Having spent an official visit to Tennessee over the winter, Springer, who has also visited Maryland, NC State and Wake Forest within the past year, has hopes of seeing a few others in the coming months.
“I don’t know yet but I might be taking some soon but I don’t have anything planned,” Springer said. “Probably towards the end of the summer, I will probably start narrowing it down and cut my list.”
A commitment is not expected until next year as Springer is likely to play out his college recruitment through the winter months. The recent UNC offer could push the Tar Heels atop of his list, but more time is needed before Springer comes his decision. The summer months could define the favorites for the five-star guard.
