The Pursuit of Greatness

                                                            Jaedon Ledee, #5 Rated Basketball Prospect for the Class of 2018

                                                                         Published July 4, 2015 

 

                                                                                                                    By Jacob Polacheck 

 

          “I’m not great. I’m getting to be great, but I’m not great yet. So, everything I do helps.”  Those are the words of 15 year old basketball phenom Jaedon Ledee. On May 1st, Ledee became one of the youngest high school prospects to receive an offer from John Calipari at The University of Kentucky. That was only the beginning. Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana and Texas are just four of the 11 schools that Ledee holds offers from. This past year has been one filled with incredible accolades for the 6’7’' shooting guard/small forward out of Houston, Texas. On June 9th, 2015,  ESPN ranked Ledee #5 on the ESPN 25 for the class of 2018. Ledee was overwhelmed by the ranking stating, "It’s pretty big. There are a lot of good players out there. A lot of good people, so I mean, I gotta stay humble [and] keep working. I want to be here for a reason. So I keep learning everyday.”

 

 

        Jaedon Ledee was born on August 25, 1999 in Houston, Texas. His father has influenced him most in playing basketball. “My Dad. He kind of introduced me to the game. He played overseas and in college, so like growing up he just always trained me. So, I had no choice, but to play basketball.” Ledee started playing basketball in the fourth grade at the age of nine and since then he has worked hard to become one of the best high school basketball players in the nation. The high school freshman had this to say about his goals for the future, “First, high school wise, [I want to] win a couple state championships, SPC Championships. Then hopefully make the USA team. I had the trials, but I didn’t make the team, so next year I’ll hopefully make the team. Future wise, [I want to play in] college and hopefully the NBA.”

 

       

        “It’s just nonstop every day. Then, the circuit that I play on is all the best players, so I know that everytime I step on the court, there’s [going to be] good competition.”, explained Ledee on how AAU ball has improved his game. He currently plays AAU Basketball with Basketball University (TX). Standing at 6’7", 190 lbs., and still growing, Ledee has proved that he can play with the best of them, but still, he sees room for improvement. “Defensively I need to get a little better. I’m a solid defensive player, but I mean I can always be better.  Overall, I want to work on everything.”

 

        While Ledee is a very well rounded player, he excels most in his mid-range game.  “I try to mix my game up a little bit. I kind of take bits and pieces from different players. One person that I try to model my game after is Kobe [Bryant]. Another person is James Harden with his stepback," said Ledee. His work ethic is clearly apparent and he has shown that he has a bright future ahead of him.

 

       

        Many high school prospects today face distractions from friends and family which can hurt their performance on the court. Ledee has been able to avoid the distractions saying, "My friends and family are real supportive. People around me, people I keep close, they tell me what I need to hear instead of just the things that I want to hear. They help me grow as a player and as a young man."

 

        Being a teenager, keeping up with a high school curriculum and playing endless hours of basketball keep Ledee busy. He remains focused on achieving his goals on and off the court and is a name to look out for in the Class of 2018.