SI99 No. 1 SG Jaden Hardy No Longer Playing This Season
Jaden Hardy is officially done with high school basketball.
The top shooting guard and No. 3 overall prospect in the SI99 was scheduled to play in The Battle Basketball Showcase this weekend in Fort Worth, Texas, but has opted out and will shut it down for the year.
“Due to everything going on with the cancellation of my high school basketball season in Nevada, I will no longer be playing high school,” Hardy said. “And continue to prepare myself for whatever God has for me.”
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Hardy’s Coronado (Nev.) squad, which will play under its club name, Air Nado, due to the shutdown, was scheduled to play fellow SI All-American Emoni Bates and his Ypsi Prep (Mich.) squad.
The announcement doesn’t come as a total surprise for high school basketball’s most dynamic scorer, who, no doubt, had to weigh the cost-benefit of playing a handful of games and risking injury for a likely minimal gain in stature.
Hardy's move could start a domino effect for other elite seniors pondering their futures while navigating the instability of a pandemic season.
Jaden Hardy is, arguably, the most lethal scorer in high school basketball.
Jon Lopez
Hardy already has NBA Lottery buzz and has drawn comparisons to Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal.
Hardy is in legitimate range once he takes two steps past the halfcourt line and is an elite athlete with brute strength. He keeps the defense off balance with his ability to break his man down off the dribble and get into the lane for efficient finishes. Hardy was averaging 40 points a game in limited action this season.
As for his recruitment, Hardy’s top 12 consists of Arizona, Arizona State, Georgia, UCLA, Texas Tech, Georgetown, Oregon, Kentucky, Michigan, Memphis, Kansas, and Illinois; he’s also “keeping an eye on” the players participating in the newly formed G League professional pathway program.
It's unclear if Hardy would participate in postseason all-star games like the McDonald's All American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic, of which he's a shoo-in, if the games commence this year.
Both events were cancelled last year due to the pandemic.