4-star Jazz Gardner talks USC, Pepperdine, Kansas; more will come
Jazz Gardner is the No. 70 ranked player in the 2023 On3 Consensus. The 7-foot-0 junior at Los Altos (CA) Hacienda Heights is the son of a former McDonald’s All-American (Jelani Gardner) and is emerging as one of the top centers in his class.
“I am a five-slash-four who can do a little bit of everything basically; dribble, pass, and shoot,” Gardner told On3. “I am going to always play hard and make the right play. I am processing and reading the game a lot quicker this year. Also, my strength has developed since last year.”
Given his height, skill-set, and bloodlines, he is already at the top of a handful of college program’s recruiting boards. On3 caught up with Jazz Gardner, playing with Deam Vision during the 3SSB circuit’s first stop to get more in-depth information about which schools are prioritizing him.
“I have offers from Pepperdine, USC, Kansas, Illinois, St. Mary’s, and Pittsburgh,” Gardner said. “I have taken unofficial visits to USC, Pepperdine, and St. Mary’s. I plan to take my five junior year visits, but we haven’t sat down to talk about where just yet.”
Gardner talks recruitment
Southern Cal: “I got to see their gym and locker rooms when I went for practice. Watching them play, I like how they use their bigs. It compliments my game how they play through the bigs and let them make decisions.”
Kansas: “Their pitch is pretty much they will always give it to their bigs and let the bigs play freely. They run their offense through their bigs as we saw in the tournament this year when they won the championship with (David) McCormack.”
Pepperdine: “They are trying to build their program up, and they think I am the player they can build it all around. I think they are building something special.”
St. Mary’s: “They are a fundamental team; they play hard and smart, which I like. They are a program on the rise as well in the WCC.”
Gardner’s take
“I will be looking for a coach I can trust first and foremost,” Gardner said. ” A coach that I have a good relationship with. I will look closely at the offense to ensure it compliments my game. I want to go to a place that I am comfortable sticking with and winning with no matter how long I am in school.”
The G-League
“I have been approached about the professional leagues, the G-League or OTE,” Gardner said. “I’m looking toward the college route. I am not interested in that.”
On3’s take
The first thing you notice about Jazz Gardner is his size. He is a legit 7-footer with long arms and a projectable frame. Watching Gardner play, you see he has a lot of tools. He has good timing when protecting the rim, he moves well laterally and up and down the floor, and he is a good area rebounder. Gardner’s most interesting attribute maybe his passing. He had some great reads from multiple spots on the floor. Gardner’s game is still raw, and there is still some tightening and growth to be had. But, with his ability to make shots and make plays on both ends, there is a lot to like, and expect a continued upward trend.