UConn men land second member of the Class of 2023 in Ross
Jun. 28—When Jayden Ross went on a recruiting visit to UConn about two weeks ago, everything just felt right.
"I just loved the whole vibe," Ross said.
Ross, a 6-foot-7 wing and Class of 2023 recruit, will be spending a lot more time on the Storrs campus down the road now that he's committed to the UConn men's basketball program.
The Huskies first showed interest in Ross last year.
"Initially, I started talking to (assistant) coach Luke Murray back in April," Ross said Monday night. "But I heard that coach (Dan) Hurley took interest in me last year. I went on the visit and everything just made sense to me.
"I've got family up there that are (UConn) alumni and they're really close and I haven't seen them too much since COVID. UConn has got a good history of good players, especially at my position, just making it out of UConn and going to play pro. And they've got a good culture and winning history."
Ross has an aunt and uncle that live in Massachusetts and both attended UConn. His grandmother also resides in the Bay State. He's from Bristow, Virginia, and attended Saint James School in Hagerstown, Maryland, this past school year.
During his UConn visit, Ross spent some time with few of the players, including Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson.
"I didn't hang out with the guys too much," Ross said. "But, in the short time that I did talk to them, they were really good guys. I had Jordan Hawkins at my dinner so I sat down and talked to him for a little while. I talked to Andre a little bit and some of the other guys.
"They all seem very happy to be part of UConn basketball and they're all really good people, a lot of good people that you can look up to. I think that's a good thing."
Ross is the second Class of 2023 recruit to commit to UConn, joining Stephon Castle, a 6-6 guard from Covington, Georgia. He also considered Penn State, Temple, Virginia Tech and George Mason.
He described his game this way: "I feel like I'm a three-level scorer. I feel like I can be very versatile, defensively and offensively. Whatever role UConn needs me to play in order to win games I'm able to do. I feel like I'm a good team player, unselfish. I can pass pretty well also.
"I feel like I'm a pretty good all-around player. Obviously, there's a bit of development to be done. I feel that UConn will do a good job with that."
Ross is searching for a new high school to attend this fall, with Long Island Lutheran and Oak Hill Academy in his top two.
When asked if he planned to reclassify and come to UConn early, he said: "As of right now, probably not. I feel like the best opportunity for me is to just go on schedule."
This summer, Ross will continue to play AAU basketball with Team Melo. He'll also work on adding some weight and muscle to his 6-7 frame.
"Just getting better, working out and getting ready for the next high school season and trying to get my body prepared for college," Ross said.
