Q&A: Five-star Jaemyn Brakefield talks recruitment, reclassifying

ATLANTA – The recruiting process is nothing new for five-star junior Jaemyn Brakefield as he begins his junior year with the Huntington Prep program. Following his team’s win at the Holiday Hoopsgiving, the 6-foot-8 forward discussed his recruitment with Rivals.com.

Corey Evans (CE): How has junior year been going for you so far?

Jaemyn Brakefield (JB): It started out really well. I got some young guys around me so I am just showing them the ropes.

CE: On the recruiting side, things haven’t stopped so who are the programs on you the hardest right now?

JB: Xavier, UCLA, Kansas and Ole Miss. Those are the main ones.

CE: What about Xavier intrigues you? What are they telling you?

JB: They have just been watching me and keeping their eyes on me. They are on me a lot.

CE: What are your thoughts on the program?

JB: I haven’t gotten a deep look into them but I have been watching them recently since I had a prior teammate that just went there, so I have been watching them more.

CE: UCLA, what are your thoughts there?

JB: Great campus and a great city. A great atmosphere and a lot of great players have come out of there.

CE: Ole Miss is a program that you grew up not too far from so what are your feelings there?

JB: The new staff is from there and that is where I am from, so I feel like it is home there whenever I have gone to campus.

CE: What are your feelings about the new staff?

JB: They all have great personalities and I think they will change it a lot for the better.

CE: Kansas is the last one so what are your thoughts with them?

JB: Kansas is Kansas. They are on me real hard, watching me a good amount and telling me to keep working hard.

CE: They have had great success with guys at your spot on the floor; have you taken not of that at all?

JB: A lot of people say that since (Andrew) Wiggins went there that it would be a great look for me but I look past that some and see how I would really fit in and see how they play.

CE: Kentucky was a school that was on you hard earlier on and hosted you for Big Blue Madness this fall. Are they still a presence within your recruitment?

JB: Yeah, we still stay in contact, but it has slowed down some. It is still early in the season so I am not rushing it too much.

CE: Have you been anywhere else this fall?

JB: I took my first official visit to Ole Miss.

CE: The topic of reclassification has been discussed in the past. Any truth to that?

JB: It has gone through my mind before. I don’t think that it would be a bad move, but it would just depend on where I would end up and the options that I would have and where I would fit.

CE: Which programs have maybe pushed a little harder for you to come out in 2019?

JB: I know that a couple of schools have done so like Mississippi State, Duke has asked me, Auburn and a few others.

CE: When would you want to make that decision?

JB: Definitely before the summer, for sure.

CE: What has to happen for that to occur?

JB: I have to sit down with my family and just talk it over with them and me thinking about it more and having some deep conversations.