4-star Zayden High: "Those are probably my top four schools"
It has been a quick climb for 2023 Zayden High. The 2023 On3 Consensus No. 32 player ended the season unranked, and now the 6-foot-10 forward is pushing a consensus top-50 ranking.
“I can score the ball, shoot it, I mean, I shoot it from beyond the arc,” High told On3. “I’m a team player; I like to move the ball around and get my teammates involved. My confidence has really built up, and I think that is all it is; my confidence is so high now.”
The breakout happened with playing with the JL3 program on Nike’s EYBL circuit. On3 caught up with Zayden High this weekend to see where his recruitment stands.
“I’ve only been on an official visit to UT-San Antonio,” High said. “We are setting up visits now. I want to get to Michigan, Arkansas, Houston, and Texas; those are probably my top schools.”
High talks recruitment
Michigan: “I built a good relationship with Coach (Juwan) Howard; he’s been good to me. I talk to them probably every other day, and they’ve been good to me.”
Arkansas: “They were one of the first programs to go on me and offer. That’s all love right there. Coach Muss (Eric Musselman) has been great; I talk to someone from their coaching staff almost every single day. That sticks out too, to me.”
Houston: “That’s close to home, only two or three hours away. My parents can come to see me whenever. I went on an unofficial visit there; I loved what I saw. The brotherhood is unmatched at Houston.”
Texas: “Coach (Chris) Beard came to visit me in my home; my mom loved that. The fact he took the time out of his day to come to visit with us really sticks out to my family.”
“I’ve been keeping in contact with Villanova,” High said. “Missouri just offered me; there are a couple of other schools I am talking to who haven’t offered yet.”
High’s take
“My dad, Michael High, played basketball at Southern Nazarene,” High said. “My mom played volleyball in high school.”
“I will look closely at the player development. I want to coach to get on me if I’m doing something wrong or praise me if I do something right. It is always good to have a coach you trust and know has your back. I’ll be big on the individual workouts and player development. I think the commitment date will probably be around the middle of the season, maybe around Christmas
G-League and Overtime Elite
“They have been in contact with us,” High said. “We’re looking at college; that is not an option right now.”
On3’s take
Zayden High has a great frame, projectable. He has good length and is a good athlete. His jump shot and touch are very intriguing. He is confident in pick and pop situations and is getting better with the one and two dribble pull-ups. While you want to see High operate more from the mid-post and low-block, he is an active area rebounder. He cleans things up well on the defensive glass. High is a late bloomer, however, someone who has toughness and skill to build on.