Recruiting Report: Jalen Bryant (2021)
John Carroll is riding a four-game winning streak after defeating Calvert Hall 71-46 on Friday evening to improve their overall record to 6-5. The start of this shortened season had its fair share of bumps for this Patriots team, but they seem to be finding themselves and their recent success is no accident behind the play of their senior point guard Jalen Bryant Jalen Bryant 5'11" | PG John Carroll | 2021 State MD .
I had the chance to see Bryant in action last Wednesday as John Carroll pulled out a close win versus McDonogh. The 5-foot-11 guard played as well as I’ve seen him in his high school career as he finished with 29 points behind seven three’s.
“Our energy is just so much better on the court,” Bryant told Prep Hoops. “In the beginning of the season, we were lacking energy and we weren’t finishing games. Coach just empasized that we have to be aggressive and start playing a full four quarters.”
John Carroll came into this season with heightened expectations after making one of the more impressive turnarounds we’ve seen in recent history last season. As the 2021 season got off to a rough start, the team held a players only meeting and Bryant stepped up as the senior and voiced his concern in how they needed to right the ship.
“We just sat down and told each other what he had to do better and what was expected of each guy. We had to get together on the same page mentally. I wanted to tell the guys that I know a lot of the responsibility for our losses fell on me. I feel like our team feeds off my energy and I wasn’t doing a good enough job to start the season. I knew I had to come out with more aggression to start games and that’s what I’ve done. Ever since that we’ve started winning,” Bryant said.
It seemed as if Bryant was thinking too much in the first handful of games and not letting the game come to him. Since hosting the players only meeting, his approach has changed drastically in a positive manner.
“I just tried to control my pace of the game more. Going at my speed and the way that I want to and taking what the defense is giving me. I had to stop forcing things and just let everything come to me,” Bryant said.
Bryant remains unsigned, but has a number of schools tracking him closely as spring approaches. He was offered an official walk-on spot at Mount St. Mary’s and continues to consider that option. ___ and Kutztown are two Division II programs that are on the verge of offering, but have yet to officially pull the trigger.