Jaden Springer
Jaden Tyree Springer (born September 25, 2002) is an American college basketball player for the Tennessee Volunteers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best shooting guards in the 2020 class. He finished his high school career at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
No. 11 – Tennessee Volunteers | |
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Position | Shooting guard |
League | Southeastern Conference |
Personal information | |
Born | Charlotte, North Carolina | September 25, 2002
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight | 204 lb (93 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | |
College | Tennessee (2020–present) |
Career highlights and awards | |
Early life and high school career
While in eighth grade, Springer played varsity basketball for Lighthouse Christian School in Antioch, Tennessee, averaging a team-high 19 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.[1] In his first two years of high school, he played for Rocky River High School in Mint Hill, North Carolina, being drawn by head basketball coach Jermaine Walker despite academic and disciplinary concerns about the school.[2] In his freshman season, Springer averaged 21.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and five assists per game and led his team to its first state tournament appearance.[3] As a sophomore, he averaged 24.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 2.4 blocks per game, helping Rocky River reach the Class 4A state semifinals.[4] He was named Southwestern 4A Player of the Year.[5]
Entering his junior and senior seasons, Springer transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.[6] He joined one of the best teams in the country and became teammates with top recruits Armando Bacot, Josh Green and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.[7] As a junior, Springer averaged 15.6 points, four rebounds and four assists, helping his team win GEICO High School Nationals.[8] He scored 26 points in a 74–73 semifinal win over Montverde Academy.[9] In his senior season, Springer averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game for IMG. He played through an ankle injury throughout the season and was in turn sidelined from some games.[10][11] Springer was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[12]
Recruiting
Springer began receiving scholarship offers from NCAA Division I basketball programs during his freshman season in high school.[13] As a sophomore, he emerged as one of the best players in the 2020 class.[14] On October 23, 2019, he committed to play college basketball for Tennessee over offers from Memphis and Michigan, among others.[15]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
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Jaden Springer SG |
Charlotte, NC | IMG Academy (FL) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Oct 23, 2019 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 15 247Sports: 15 ESPN: 17 | ||||||
Sources:
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Personal life
Springer's father, Gary, was a McDonald's All-American basketball player and played college basketball for Iona. Gary was a sixth-round selection in the 1984 NBA draft but did not play professionally due to a lingering knee injury.[2] Both of Springer's older brothers played college basketball: Gary Jr. for Iona and Jordan for Army. His cousin, DeAndre' Bembry, plays professionally for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association.[14]
References
- Wertz Jr., Langston (August 10, 2016). "One of the nation's highest-ranked freshman, Jaden Springer, to play basketball at Rocky River High". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- McLamb, Michael (June 4, 2018). "The Jaden Springer story: 'A quiet revelation'". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- "Jaden Springer". USA Basketball. December 4, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- Divens, Jordan (April 17, 2018). "2017-18 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Sophomore All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- Wertz Jr., Langston (February 26, 2018). "Jaden Springer, Nia Daniel named Southwestern 4A players of the year". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- Jordan, Jason (August 22, 2018). "Chosen 25 guard Jaden Springer transferring to IMG Academy". USA Today. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- Divens, Jordan (October 17, 2018). "Preseason Top 25 High School Basketball Rankings: No. 3 IMG Academy". MaxPreps. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- Divens, Jordan (April 11, 2019). "MaxPreps 2018-19 High School Boys Basketball All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- Jordan, Jason (April 5, 2019). "GEICO Nationals: No. 4 IMG Academy (Fla.) stages epic comeback to knockoff No. 3 Montverde (Fla.) Academy". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- Divens, Jordan (March 25, 2020). "MaxPreps 2019-20 High School Boys Basketball All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- Jordan, Jason (January 18, 2020). "Ten Five-Star Prospects Make Montverde-IMG Must-See TV". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- Jordan, Jason (March 12, 2019). "McDonald's All American Game Cancelled Amid COVID-19 Concerns". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- Wertz Jr., Langston (January 26, 2017). "Rocky River High freshman's talent dazzles coach, teammates, college recruiters". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- Wertz Jr., Langston (February 17, 2018). "How good is hotly recruited Jaden Springer? 'It's not fair,' Rocky River High coach says". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- Rapp, Timothy (October 23, 2019). "5-Star SG Prospect Jaden Springer Commits to Tennessee over Memphis". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 3, 2020.