COACH SPEAK: Discussing Rutgers Hoops commit Jaden Jones
St. Louis (Mo.) St. Louis Christian Academy head coach Casey Autenrieth spoke with The Knight Report for a question-and-answer about his shooting guard and new 2021 Rutgers commit Jaden Jones. Autenrieth answers everything there is to know about Jones.
From your perspective, what led to [Jones] committing to Rutgers and what made the Scarlet Knights the right fit?
CA: ”Ever since they went on that first visit to Rutgers, they came back super impressed on a few different things. The top of the list was obviously the facilities, he went on and on about how nice, new, modern, and high tech the facilities were. They just felt that the facilities were top notch and they also really connected well with the coaching staff. The Rutgers staff did a really good job showing what type of player they see Jaden as, compare it to what he’s doing with us here and then what his family feels is best for him. They spoke with him about his position with the team and they felt he can come into a big time program like themselves and make an impact immediately. I feel that was something that really enticed him, with the big stage and with the vision that coaching staff has for him.”
What kind of relationship do you have with the Rutgers coaches and how well have you got to know them?
CA: ”This was actually the first time the Rutgers staff and myself have worked together. So we don’t have much of a relationship at this point, but I’m hoping to build on that through this commitment and in the future. I think they got a good thing going on up there and I’m excited to see that program succeed.”
This past offseason, Jones saw his recruitment take off a little bit, thus landing him the ranking of the 90th best recruit in the country for his class. What is it that has made him so successful and what has he brought to your team this year?
CA: “In my opinion there are a lot of high level kids and a lot of them will play at the next level, but to me I think he’s a top 10 kid in the country, honest to god I honestly do. As far as what he brings to the table, he has a natural ability, great intangibles and a natural skillset and that puts him into a very small group of high level guys. As far as his shooting, he has the range. He can shoot it from all the way out and shoot it comfortably, anywhere from the college to NBA range consistently. He also knows how to get a shot off quickly and knows how to create space in order to get those types of shots off. Now you put all that into a package, he’s 6-7/6-8, good coming off ball screens, makes good reads, has a 7-foot-2 wingspan and he’s even still growing. I don’t even think he’s come into himself athletically yet. To me he is going to be one of top pro guys to come out of this 2021 class and have a long career.”
You’ve only had Jones on your team since early fall, what has he progressed on the most in these past couple of months with St. Louis Christian Academy?
CA: “I think he’s got a little bit tougher, since he’s been here with us. We try to get another level out of him, as far as being gritty and competing with maximum effort. He’s just such a coachable kid and we’ve seen a lot of growth in that area. We’ve also seen him grow as a playmaker, we’ve put the ball in his hands and let him create with the ball coming off of ball screens, in transition and making reads. These are all things that we’ve seen him kind of come into his own and we’ve seen his confidence build up. I think he’s grown most in that area.”
How much of an impact do you see him having year one at Rutgers?
CA: “I see him having a big impact. I think he will be ready to go. He’s been applying himself in the weight room and he’s going to have another 12 months of that before heading into college. So we expect him to be a lot stronger going into next season and he will continue to just improve in those areas where he is really good at. I think he’s going to be a major impact player in that Big Ten league.”
You’ve mentioned that you feel Jones will have a big impact at Rutgers and will eventually become a pro, if you had to pick any NCAA or NBA player to compare him to, who would it be and why?
CA: “If I had to compare him to a player I’ve coached previously and is already in the league, I’d say Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans. I feel like they have a lot of similarities, but Jaden is a lot bigger. The range, the shooting, the touch, instincts and the are both rangy guards, I think make this a pretty good comparison.”
Now we’ve talked a ton about Jones on the court, but how is off the court? How does he fit the culture that you have down at SLCA?
CA: “He’s a great teammates, super coachable, likable kid. He is very well mannered and you can tell he’s been raised right. He’s a really polite, young man and everybody loves him. He gets along well with his teammates, his teachers, he’s just super likable guy.”
So Rutgers obviously landed Jones, but is there anyone else on the roster that Rutgers or the fans should be aware of?
CA: “We have a lot of guys, but Jaden will be the first kid that Rutgers has recruited. They were actually recruiting him as he came to us, so that’s kind of how that started. We have a couple other guys, who we would love for Rutgers to look at in the future. Jordan Nesbitt is one of our guys who is just having a phenomenal year, a class of 2021 kid. We’d love for them to get involved with our team any chance they get.”
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