Prospect Spotlight: Jason Hardy (2019) Valley High School
At the beginning of the season every team has a goal of making it to the State Basketball Tournament in Boise. Not everyone makes it there. Out of the 29 teams in the 1A Division 1 classification only 8 make it to that coveted weekend. For three years in a row Jason Hardy and his Valley High School teammates have been apart of this final weekend of high school basketball. “I started playing Varsity as a sophomore and I’ve made it to state all three years of Varsity. My sophomore year we lost in the 3rd place game, junior year lost in the state championship, senior year we lost in the 3rd place game.” Even though it may not have ended exactly how Hardy hoped, making it 3 years in a row to state is something not many high school players get to do.
Since he was little Hardy has worked to be the best player he can, “Summers from 5th grade to 8th grade I played Idaho Prep. It was a great experience for me to get exposed to and play against some high level kids. I enjoyed learning how I had to improve my game to still be successful at that level.” This early competition helped him develop into the player he is today. Hardy loves to be in the gym. “My favorite thing to do is go to the gym and just work on my game. There are endless things I can do on the court to improve as a player and I never get tired of putting in work and it’s the best feeling in the world when you can see all the work you’ve put into your game. I’d love to surround myself with high level competitors like college teammates. All that work becomes much more fun when you share the same dreams as a teammate and you work towards them together.”
“Something I’ve worked at since a young age is my shooting. Countless hours have been spent in the gym using the gun and working on all kinds of shots. I’m working now on my ball handling and 1 on 1 moves to create my own shot or get downhill and finish better at the rim or create for teammates. I currently use the Elite Guard Training programs which honestly help you with whatever aspect of the game you want.”
One of Hardy’s standout qualities on the basketball court is his ability to see the floor. “Even at a young age my ability to see the floor and find teammates has been a strength and just been natural to me.” That ability to see the floor has lead to Hardy averaging 4.5 assists per game this year to go along with his 12.3 points per game. He is also having “a career high year in made 3’s, total points, and total assists.” In the first game of the state tournament Hardy had 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 22 points earning him the IdahoSports.com player of the game.
Offense isn’t the only place Hardy excels at, “My defensive effort has also been a constant in my game for a long time.” His defensive ability is also part of one of his favorite memories, “I had a great feeling after we won my first district championship sophomore year. I was assigned the task of guarding the other teams best player, he averaged over 20 points a game and was the best 3 point shooter in our conference. I wasn’t worried about scoring I just did my job to help the team win. I held him to 4 points (no threes) on the game and we ran away with the title. On the offensive end all I was worried about was taking care of the ball and sharing it which is a skill I’ve just always had inside me. Being that it was the first chapter to the journey I’m on now is something I’ll always remember.”
Basketball can be a great tool for learning life skills. Doing what is best for the team is one lesson most good players learn. ” I’ve learned early on to be selfless and help lead teammates to be selfless as well. Maybe it’s your game maybe it’s not, but the result on the scoreboard means the most. Playing in different roles and taking on new challenges as I’ve grown up has helped me see that. Whatever is required to get the job done I’m going to give my full effort too.”
When asked who he patterns his game after, Hardy reached back into the NBA past, “Though I grew up at the end of Steve Nash’s career I loved the way he played. His ability to excite a crowd with his passing and shooting is something I strive for. The undersized underdog image Isiah Thomas gives is inspiring and I just want to maintain the mentality that I can succeed no matter the circumstances.” At 5’8″ 150 lbs Hardy isn’t the biggest on the court, but that doesn’t bother him one bit.
I asked Hardy how his coach would describe him if asked, “My varsity coach is my dad which has been a blessing. I believe he would say I have such a strong desire to succeed and accomplish great things and I understand how to work hard and what to work on to get those things. I think he would say that I have a natural ability to lead and uplift the teammates around me. Other players would enjoy playing with me and share the court with me because I work hard and am selfless.”
Hardy hopes to play basketball on the next level, “I have thought recently about playing college and it would be something I would give my full effort to if I was given an opportunity. I am not in contact with any coaches, but I have a FieldLevel recruiting profile with highlights.” Another positive stat Hardy has is his academics. He currently has a 4.0 GPA, a 1110 SAT, and a 23 ACT score. He not only works hard on the court but in the classroom also.