Top 30 junior Jaemyn Brakefield breaks down junior season and visits
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. -- During last weekend's NY2LA Swish 'N Dish, Jaemyn Brakefield showed why he is one of the top juniors in the country.
Ranked No. 30 overall in the class of 2020, the skilled four man from Mississippi who attends Huntington (W.V.) Prep put together and impressive performance for Phenom University. He hit shots from deep, attacked the rim, cleaned the glass and looked to be playing a more mature game than ever before.
That play was the product of lots of maturation during his junior season.
"I feel like I was a leader for the younger guys and that I've built on being a leader from last year," Brakefield told Rivals.com. "It's all about being around good guys and picking up their attributes and I think that's helped me a lot.
"My ability to pass and seen the floor has also improved. I'm trying to tune up everything and be able to dribble the ball more."
During his junior year, Brakefield took an official visit to Ole Miss along with unofficial visits to Kentucky, Louisville and North Carolina. The Rebels and Cardinals have offered while UK and UNC continue to watch.
Kentucky: "The fanbase, how good Coach (John) Calipari is and the history there stand out. They just tell me to keep working and that they will keep watching. My freshman year (at Huntington) I lived with Keldon Johnson and he stays with me when he comes back and he tells me to keep working and we have a bond."
Louisville: "I think Coach Mack is doing great already. He's come in there and won and I know he has a top rated new class coming in next season. That's definitely great to see. It's a good atmosphere at the games there."
North Carolina: "We went down there later in the season when they played Miami. We actually played right before them and then took a visit right after that. I really liked it a lot. It was a great atmosphere and there is a lot of tradition there."
Ole Miss: "They have a new coaching staff and Kermit Davis is from Mississippi so it felt like home. I knew the coaches real well so it wasn't a culture shock when I went there. They are just family based and trying to make themselves the best fit for me."
In addition to the offers and interest above, Brakefield holds offers from programs like Oregon, Oklahoma State, LSU, Boston College, Ohio State, West Virginia, Florida State, Cal, Mississippi State, Florida, Alabama, Illinois and many others.
He's an ideal fit as a four who can face up defenders and he's even got enough size to play some as a college five in a system that is predicated on playing fast and spreading the floor.
Brakefield said that he won't put together a true list of finalists or favorites until after the summer and that while he would like to test himself at the highest level, there are positives to be found in many types of programs so it will be about fit and opportunity.
"Bluebloods compared to other schools it's not really a difference for me," said Brakefield. "I've seen other schools and they have good things too so I wouldn't want to overlook them and what they can be."