Advertisement
basketball Edit

Jaiden DeLaire ponders move to 2018; talks Duke, UCLA, more

Jaiden DeLaire
Jaiden DeLaire (Kelly Kline/Under Armour)

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. – Despite sitting within the top half of the Rivals150 for the past year, Jaiden DeLaire didn't receive his due on the recruiting front until this spring. DeLaire has become a priority recruit for a number of schools, and he may reclassify to the 2018 class and join a team this fall.

“I definitely like the relationships that I have built with most of my schools," he said. "I feel like the coaches have done a great job of reaching out to me and developing more of a family-based relationship, which is something that I look forward to.”

DeLaire said Duke, UCLA, Stanford, Georgetown, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Pitt, UConn and Yale are among the group pursuing him.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Advertisement

Duke: “They are basically telling me that they have a good interest in me and that they like my versatility and he mentioned my similarities with Jayson Tatum and he said to basically be patient with them. Coach K hadn’t been able to see me live until this week in Atlanta. He wanted to in Indianapolis (in April) but couldn’t, so I am just excited that he got the chance to see me.”

Virginia: “They have a good interest in me, too. Whenever I was on the phone before July with them, they were just telling me that they wanted to get the 2018 class in order first before they look to expand, but I really like them as a high academic school and that they play in the ACC, which are two really great characteristics that appeal to me.”

UCLA: “Coach (Tyus) Edney has been at most of my games; I have talked to him and coach (Steve) Alford, and I am definitely going to visit them while I am out there at the Steph Curry Camp. I feel like I have a great relationship with them and I talked to coach Edney for a while now. He visited me at my school and I feel like all those things are great.”

Stanford: “Ever since I started out, Stanford has always been that top academics, top basketball school playing in the Pac-12. That is always going to be on my list. I am going to go out there and visit there whenever I am out that way.”

Georgetown: “I talk to coach (Akbar) Waheed and coach (Patrick) Ewing pretty often. Coach Ewing offered me after Dallas in April and we have been talking since then and I they know that I want to get up there soon after this month, so we are working on that. It is in a good area and it is in the city and the level of academics is high as well.”

WHAT'S NEXT?

DeLaire will complete his senior summer this month with the NE6 17-under unit.

Thereafter, he will have to make the decision to reclassify into the 2018 class or remain in the 2019 class. Either way, a more groomed college list is in the making.

“I am either going to narrow it down after July or after this week. I would like to get it down to between five or 10,” he said. “I just want to continue to keep playing and building relationships with the schools, and I am going to begin taking some visits in August to the schools that interest me the most, but I haven’t set any of those up just yet.”

Some of the best basketball names look to be ones that will host DeLaire in the weeks ahead.

“I want to visit Duke, Virginia, UCLA and Stanford. I am going to visit some of the schools out on the West Coast next month since I was invited to the Steph Curry Camp,” he said. “I have talked with Coach K and I already visited Duke, I have gone around at UNC, and I also want to get down to Georgetown.”

RIVALS REACTION

DeLaire is the ideal combo forward that can play multiple positions and on both ends of the floor. He has lured some of the best programs into his recruitment thanks to his ability to facilitate in the half-court, make shots from each level and defend across the floor. He has also shown his game can grow even further.

There is more than a slim chance that DeLaire could reclassify into the 2018 class this summer and enroll at a high-major program in the fall. A favorite has not been established as much still has to play out in the coming weeks before a final decision is made but look for Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Stanford and UCLA to remain in the hunt, as others including Virginia, Duke, UNC, Pitt and UConn keep a close watch.

Advertisement