Recruiting Report: Jay Heath (2019)
There were some of the best players in the country at Hoop Group Southern JamFest last month, which allowed us to see big time talent match up with each other. In an electric atmosphere like that, players are bound to step up and make a name for themselves, and one of the guys who really showed out was Bishop O’Connell and Team St8ment guard Jay Heath.
A new addition to the 16U Adidas Gauntlet, St8ment did not shy away when matched up with some of their biggest local competition. They opened up with wins over the Arlington Rockets and District Basketball Club, and headed into a highly anticipated matchup with fellow Adidas Gauntlet members Team Loaded VA.
Playing without their starting point guard Jonathan McGriff, Heath, a combo guard moved over to be the primary ball handler and absolutely took the game over. He scored 13 of his game high 19 points in the first half, and it all started with a little trash talk from both sides. The DC native didn’t back down nor shy away from the talk, as he just kept pouring in buckets and kept letting them know.
It’s something the 6’3” guard isn’t afraid to admit he and his teammates aren’t afraid to talk about either.
“We just wanted to come out and play hard,” Heath said about their win over Team Loaded VA. “Everyone was talking, they’re a big team ranked like number 5 in the country, we’re ranked 25, so we had to make a statement and prove ourselves.”
“We play with heart, and we aren’t scared of anybody,” he continued. “We’re going to play hard, we believe in ourselves and we believe in our coaches. We think we can beat anybody.”
Everybody remember the name. Look for him to BLOW UP this Summer – @adidasUprising Team St8ment '19 6'3 Guard JAY HEATH! 🔥🍜 pic.twitter.com/L6wa6fOf6h
— Team Statement (@TeamSt8ment) June 2, 2017
Despite playing meaningful minutes as a sixth man on one of the best teams in the WCAC, Heath was still relatively under the radar until the summer. He came into the spring live periods with an offer from JMU, and has since picked up an A10 offer from Rhode Island. It’s only the beginning for him too, as SEC and ACC schools such as Alabama, South Carolina and Virginia Tech are starting to show serious interest in him as well.
With a strong frame and the ability to play both on and off the ball, Heath is really starting to hone his skill set and become a two way impact player that can both score it and make his teammates better. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, and has that toughness that elite DMV guards from Ty Lawson to Greivis Vasquez to Steve Francis have all possessed.
With that in mind, it isn’t surprising to hear what the stock rising guard is looking for in a school as his recruitment continues to develop.
“I’m looking for a school that fits my playing style, a team that’s one family and stays together,” Heath said. “I want a team that prides themselves on playing hard like I do, because I’m a team player and feel like I’m very coachable.”
Expect to hear a lot more about Heath on the recruiting trail, especially as his St8ment team continues to make noise on the Gauntlet.