Rocky River High freshman’s talent dazzles coach, teammates, college recruiters

Rocky River High’s Jaden Springer is averaging 24 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Ravens’ varsity boys’ basketball team.

And he’s only 14, having celebrated a birthday in September.

Springer, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound freshman, is the leading scorer on a 14-6 team that moved this week into the Observer’s Sweet 16 poll at No. 14.

“He’s 14, but he acts as if he’s 18 or 19,” Ravens coach Jermaine Walker said of Springer, who started school a year early and should be an eighth-grader. “One of the things that makes him so different is his approach. He really thinks the game, and his physical stature is there. He’s stronger than many of our kids.”

Rocky River has size and talent, so teams can’t just double-team Springer, particuarly when sophomore running mate Raquan Brown, a college prospect and consistent double-digit scorer. So teams basically have a defender trying to deny Springer the ball.

Not that the strategy is working.

“Honestly,” Springer said, “I was expecting (to have success), but I feel I can do better and improve. I mean, I can always work on my game more.”

Springer has always been around basketball. His brother, Gary Jr., played at Iona as a 6-9 power forward from 2004-09. Another brother, 6-7 forward Jordan Springer, played at Butler High before playing at Army from 2009-13.

The boys’ father, Gary Sr., was part of what’s considered one of the greatest New York high school teams, the 1980 Benjamin Franklin High squad that included future St. John’s star Walter Berry. Gary Sr. played in the 1980 McDonald’s All-America game with Doc Rivers, now the Los Angeles Clippers’ coach, and Sam Perkins and Matt Doherty, who helped lead North Carolina to the 1982 NCAA championship.

Gary Sr. was a three-time honorable mention All-American at Iona and was drafted by the 76ers but never played professionally, as injuries ended his career.

“So (Jaden’s) got it in him, that basketball gene,” Walker said. “The pedigree is there. And Jaden is going to grow.”

In amateur basketball circles, Springer is a household name. He was invited last summer to a USA Basketball mini-camp with some of the nation’s top high school players. He’s ranked as the state’s top recruit in the freshman class and is ranked No. 4 nationally by Future150, a website that follows college basketball recruiting.

Springer already has a college scholarship offer from New Mexico State, Walker said. During fall workouts, coaches from Florida, Kansas and Virginia came to watch him work out, which is rare for a freshman.

But teammates -- and his coach -- believe Springer’s future is bright.

“He’s just totally different,” said teammate Elijah Sidbury, a junior. “He’s so young, doing this against players my age or older and he’s just killing it, man. In two or three years, he should be the No. 1 player in the United States.”

Asked about Sidbury’s comments, Walker looked down and grinned.

“It’s hard to say what exactly we’re looking at,” said Walker, who has known of Springer since he was an infant, having worked at a local bank with his mother, Barbarita. “If he keeps developing and growing, he could be the best kid to come out of this area.”

This story was originally published January 26, 2017 at 8:48 PM with the headline "Rocky River High freshman’s talent dazzles coach, teammates, college recruiters."