Prospect Introduction: Jaylen Carey (2023)

When watching Jaylen Carey, you can see glimpses of what his older brother Vernon Carey Jr. has become. At 6'7", 260 lbs., Jaylen Carey is only in 8th grade currently as a 2023 prospect. He is a big body, who has nimble feet and is able to mix it up down low because of his size and power. His jumping ability will be the focus moving forward. Vernon Carey Jr. is headed to Duke in the fall and Vernon Carey Sr. played eight seasons in the NFL as an offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins. So Jaylen Carey has been around two true standout athletes his whole life. Here's what his takeaways he says he learned from his older brother and father. "I learned from Vernon that I can’t take days off and I can’t stay the same because someone could be working while you're not so there getting better than you," Jaylen Carey told Prep Hoops. "From my dad, I learned that everything is a business and they could rid of you quickly if they find someone better." This past season, Carey suited up for the JV team at NSU University School helping his team post a 10-5 record overall. He says he saw the most growth in his game with his jumper and taking people off the dribble anywhere on the floor. Playing with the Nightrydas 14U, this marks the first summer Carey has been with this group. "It has helped me in a lot of ways with exposure and I’m playing with a good group of people who aren’t selfish and who want to play together," he said. As for his top strengths, Carey alluded to his ability to score at will in the post, take people off the dribble from anywhere and his shooting. He says he's working on his conditioning and ballhandling. This past weekend in Daytona, Carey proved that he's well on his way. Certainly bigger than the normal 8th grader, he does a lot of dirty work in the paint on the boards and as an attacker. He has a quiet confidence in his game and with a great support system around him from his brother and father, Carey certainly knows what he needs to do to get where he wants to be. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M1jrpFSAm6Q" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>