Jadon Burgess 6’3 160 2023 Harrisonburg High School, VA / VA Premier – 2023 AAU
Jadon immediately impresses with his length, effortless and pure shooting stroke, and diverse skill set. Very intelligent and savvy off the ball scorer he makes great cuts and floats to open spots, stays active, and understands how to create scoring opportunities for himself without the ball. Jadon can score from anywhere on the floor either on catch and shoot or off the dribble and demonstrates a great feel having been around the game his entire life. He can stretch the floor with a fluid left-handed stroke and high release. His shot mechanics and footwork are sound, disciplined. Jadon likes to use shot fakes and jabs to set defenders up and attacks hard closeouts effectively. His middle game is really impressive and his combination of shot-making versatility, length, and footwork puts defenders at his mercy.
Jadon can get to the rim with good regularity and is a very good ball-handler showing the ability to create for himself and for teammates off the dribble. Slippery attacking the rim he absorbs contact nicely and is a creative finisher. Jadon can also thread the needle and find cutters with the pass showing good vision and very good passing skills. His long wingspan and strength allow him to play through contact nicely and he demonstrates great touch and the ability to finish with either hand at the rim. Jadon is an excellent shooter with three-point range. Judicious in his shot selection. His shot variety includes spot-ups, dribble pull-ups, floaters, and runners and he converts at an impressive rate from all angles. As diverse a scorer as you’ll find in the 2023 class in Virginia!
He is very good in transition where he can grab a rebound off the glass and go coast to coast. He is a solid decision-maker and is effective in pushing the ball up the floor or filling the lanes again demonstrating playmaking savvy to complement his strong scoring instincts. Jadon rebounds both ends of the floor using a long wingspan and the ability to get off the floor quickly on his initial and subsequent jumps. He has proven to be effective in passing lanes defensively. His solid footwork and length are defensive assets as well and he demonstrates the ability to guard multiple positions effectively.
Jadon plays at Harrisonburg High School where his Dad, Don Burgess once starred and currently teaches and is the head boys basketball coach. Coach Burgess went on to play at Radford University and then enjoyed success in the collegiate coaching ranks as an assistant at Radford, VMI, Coastal Carolina, Central Florida, and High Point before becoming the Head Coach at Bridgewater College where he spent seven seasons before returning to his high school alma mater in 2015 to teach and to coach.
As for Jadon, his talents extend beyond the basketball court and into the classroom where he carries a 4.2 GPA! Jadon enjoyed a solid summer that saw him catch the attention of several college coaches at the Division I level. His AAU team includes a number of college prospects and is coached by former JMU assistant and current Independence High School Head Coach Corey Stitzel so Jadon is surrounded by highly regarded basketball coaching as he continues his development. More reasons to be excited about this 15-year-old sophomore sensation.