2022 UNC Point Guard Target Jaden Bradley to Transfer

Jaden Bradley is transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL for his junior year.

Author:
Isaac Schade
Jun 14, 2020 7:00 AM EDT

Jaden Bradley, North Carolina’s top point guard target for the class of 2022, is transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for his junior year. The 6’2”, five-star guard made the announcement via his personal Twitter account on Friday, June 12.

Bradley is from Concord, North Carolina (also home to current Tar Heel Leaky Black) and helped lead the Cannon School to a state championship this year as a sophomore. He scored 27 points in the championship game, a 71-69 victory over Charlotte Latin. Bradley went on to win both the Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps Player of the Year – as a sophomore.

If IMG Academy sounds familiar, that’s because the school is also the alma mater of current Tar Heel Armando Bacot, who followed a similar path as Bradley. After playing his first three years at Trinity Episcopal School in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, Bacot transferred to IMG for his senior season where he won the 2019 prep national championship.

In an interview from May 2 with prospectiveinsight.com, Bradley described his style of play by saying,

“I like to get everybody involved, so a pass-first point guard. Downhill, when I get in transition, I like to attack the basket. I can stretch the floor and shoot it. I like to defend. I think defense starts great offense, so I’ve got to get it done on the defensive end.”

In terms of how he can continue to improve, Bradley said,

“Being a better leader. Knowing when to take over games and not coming out being non-aggressive. I can always improve in ball-handling, shooting, finishing through contact, and all those little things.”

Carolina offered Bradley a scholarship on March 24 of this year. As you would expect for a coveted five-star guard, he holds offers from a who’s who of power conferences schools, but as of June 13 has yet to pare down his list.

A look at Bradley’s ranking (as of June 13) on several major recruiting sites:

247 Sports Composite - #9 overall | #2 point guard | #1 in North Carolina
247 Sports - #12 overall | #3 point guard | #1 in North Carolina
Rivals - #8 overall | #2 point guard | #1 in North Carolina
ESPN – #7 overall | #1 point guard | #1 in North Carolina

In each of the last three recruiting cycles, the Tar Heels have been able to land a five-star recruit – Coby White, Cole Anthony, and Caleb Love. They could do so again with Kennedy Chandler in the 2021 class and could carry the streak to five years if Bradley eventually commits as well.

As of yet, the Tar Heels hold zero commitments from the 2022 class. Bradley and strong forward Caleb Houstan from Florida are the only two players currently holding offers from Carolina in the 2022 class.

Bradley attended the Duke game in Chapel Hill back on February 8 (a game which we will discuss no further for the health of every Tar Heel fan reading this update).

Hopefully, Roy Williams and his staff will be able to keep Bradley in state for his college basketball career.

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