Jaiden DeLaire's recruitment blossoms into national affair
Jaiden DeLaire has seen his college recruitment hit the next level in recent weeks, and the 6-foot-8 playmaking wing has a handful of schools standing out with another group beginning to show further interest.
One of the top 16-under standouts on the Under Armour circuit this summer, DeLaire has already turned his college recruitment into a national affair.
“UConn, USC, I am talking to coach (Chris) Capko over there," he said. "Texas, I am talking to coach Cody (Hatt), coach (Orlando) Vandross at Virginia, and I am talking to Stanford and Wake Forest, also.”
IN HIS OWN WORDS
DeLaire spoke further on a few of the schools making a push.
UConn: “I talk to all the coaches over there. I really like UConn. It is the high-major school in my state. All my friends and everybody that graduated from my town go to UConn as just regular students. It is always cool to have that option to be with them.”
USC: “They offered me about two or three weeks ago. I was really excited to have that offer. It is a really high academic school. They play in the Pac-12; high major basketball with a high academic school, which is really what I am looking for. It is a really good option over there.”
Texas: “Ever since I was in the 5th grade, everyone started calling me little KD. Of course, Kevin Durant went to Texas and that is a school that I really want to have the option of. I know Mo Bamba who went to Cardigan up here in the northeast, he is down there now. They got a few NBA guys that got drafted over the past few years. I have talked to coach (Shaka) Smart; he is a good guy and a good coach. It just seems like they have a lot of good stuff going on down there.”
Stanford: “Stanford is everyone’s ideal academics, athletics program. But also, even the people that I talk to at my school, I have friends that assist me with my math that would love to go to Stanford but I have friends on the football team and tennis team that would love go there, too. It is a really a cool place and it is everyone’s desire to go there.
“I talk to coach (Adam) Cohen and coach (Jerod) Haase a ton. I haven’t been able to talk to the rest of the staff yet but the two people that I have talked to, I really enjoy.”
WHAT'S NEXT?
No visits are planned yet but as Sept. 10 approaches, when college coaches are allowed to evaluate during the fall period, more offers should roll in for DeLaire.
RIVALS' REACTION
A 6-foot-8 wing with facilitating capabilities but with the length and frame to play power forward in smaller ball lineups, DeLaire’s stock continues to soar.
No college decision is expected anytime soon, but with elite grades in the classroom and excellent value on the playing floor, look for the nation’s best to jump into the picture for DeLaire. UConn sits as an early leader, though a handful of power programs are due to enter the mix.