6/21/2023 basketball Edit

UConn Hoops Freshmen Intros - Four-Star W Jayden Ross

Stratton Stave • UConnReport

Staff Writer

Next up in this summer’s freshman introductions is Jayden Ross, an intriguing four-star out of Long Island Lutheran High School. The wing committed to UConn last summer and has been rising ever since.

Ross is close with fellow Husky commit Solomon “Solo” Ball, as the two started their high school careers at Saint James in VA and played for Team Melo in the AAU circuit. They eventually spent their final year before college at different locations, but either way their connection delivers an immediate chemistry.

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SCOUTING REPORT

Ross was an undistinguished three-star when he first announced he was coming to Storrs, but in the year since, he’s made a lot of strides. He now stands firmly at No. 80 in the latest rankings and has the game to back it up. Many UConn players have been rated in similar territory and had success, namely James Bouknight who was No. 84 or Shabazz Napier who sat at No. 98.

His game is very different from Napier or Bouknight though. Ross is a fair bit bigger, a great embodiment of what a wing looks like. His offensive game, which was unrefined and a bit messy last year, is a lot cleaner now. He’s always been athletic, but the key to his improvement was going to be harnessing that athleticism. He’s already moving in the right direction.

He’s best off the ball and thrives at making smart cuts to the basket to catch passes and lobs from teammates. He’ll have a number of capable passers, notably Tristen Newton and five-star Stephon Castle who can help him get buckets in his spots. Ross is especially great in the fast break and his ability to get emphatic dunks at the rim will be a great way to get Gampel Pavilion rocking to its max.

When he’s not dunking–the best part of his offensive arsenal at the moment–he is able to get to the rim with a solid layup game. That’ll help him in college, as it’s certainly easier to get layups than dunks at the higher level. One thing that is encouraging is that he did play at the top level of high school ball. Granted, high school and college are entirely different beasts, but the transition does tend to be easier for players who were tested against the top recruits.

Beyond the paint, Ross is an undistinguished mid-range shooter, but has improved vastly from beyond the arc. He uses a jab step and some double fakes to threaten a drive, but then pulls up for a three. The move is hard to defend with how effectively Ross drives and has added a new and much-needed depth to his game. He’s also capable as a catch and shoot option, which is perhaps equally important. Ross’ size also helps get shots off and as he develops his shooting stroke, it will be the piece that allows him to thrive as a Husky.

Another great thing about Ross is his willingness to play with energy and do the dirty work. He’s not afraid to hit the ground and also gets up to block shots. His defense is strong, something that coach Dan Hurley values highly. The forward has a good feel on the ball and can get steals that lead into his offensive game. He’s also a good rebounder, which will be of high value with Andre Jackson Jr. and Adama Sanogo leaving.

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STORRS IMPACT

Looking holistically at Ross’ abilities and what UConn has, it’s truly hard to predict what his first year at UConn is going to look like. He’ll have an impact at some point as a Husky, but UConn has a crowded roster this year. It’s likely that Samson Johnson and Alex Karaban will occupy the lionshare of the power forward minutes and Cam Spencer, Jaylin Stewart, Ball and maybe Apostolos Roumoglou will all be fighting with Ross for time at the wing.

At best it feels like Ross is looking at the ninth or 10th slot in the roster, unless he really overperforms. He’s valuable in small-ball lineups, but again his main competition is Stewart, who has a much more college-ready build than does Ross. If he does find minutes, Ross will maximize every second. He’ll bring a high energy that is critical and will impact the game in any number of ways. It’s entirely possible that he takes longer than this year to end up on the floor, but whenever it happens, Ross will be ready for the moment.