By: Nailah Thomas
2025 Jaylen Cross simply loves the game of basketball, as he continues to show and play throughout the summer. Playing with Team D. Will at the Phenom Summer Grind, he simply put on a show; whether it was his 70-point output or his 33-point showing vs. the Durham Hurricanes, Cross’ love of the game just can be seen.
The start of the game was pretty slow for Team D. Will but they were able to get themselves together for a win. “The game (D. Will vs. Durham Hurricanes) was good,” Cross said. “We came out a little flat at the beginning. I was missing some shots but as we went through the game and started playing together, the game got easy.”.
In a high-pressure game, Cross says “Honestly, we can’t get rattled. We must stay calm even when we are getting double-teamed with pressure. Just stay calm and look for the open guy.”
This summer his goal was “to try to get a stronger, better feel of the game, and improve my jump shot.” He has done that and so much more, as he continues to rise up the rankings here in North Carolina and even nationally.
He also spoke about his recent success and his recruitment process.
“I pride myself in my game by being as selfless as possible and not being selfish at all, just making everybody better on the court,” he said. “(I’m) really not trying to let that (offers) get to my head. I don’t want to be cocky; I want to stay humble as possible throughout this process, have humility. At the end of the day, it’s just blessings from God.”