The cameras are pointing at Chambers basketball star Jaylen Curry, but he’s not looking

Jaylen Curry took an outlet pass from teammate Maurio Hanson and raced downcourt.

Fans in the Chambers High gym were prepared for another chapter in the growing Curry highlight reel. But the ball bounced off Curry’s leg and rolled out of bounds.

He turned and headed back up the floor with a bit of a smile on his face.

“I can’t let stuff like that discourage me,” he said after the game. “I can’t dwell on that. It’s a matter of moving on and doing better the next time.”

Curry is a junior, the leading scorer on a Chambers team that is considered a 4A state championship contender. The 6-foot-1, 165-point point guard has at least five Division I college offers, and three of his teammates also are D1 recruits. ESPN ranks Curry No. 33 in the class of 2023 nationally.

On Friday night, Chambers (9-5, 3-0 in Queen City 3A-4A) travels to North Mecklenburg (13-1, 3-0) in the first of what could be four showdowns with the Vikings, also a state title contender. North Mecklenburg has a 19-game winning streak against the Cougars.

The teams will play twice in the regular season, potentially again in the conference tournament championship and in a potential playoff matchup.

Every Chambers basketball game attracts college scouts and other curious fans. At least two people attending the Cougars’ 84-63 home victory Tuesday against Hopewell were taking photos and video, focusing frequently on Curry.

“All those cameras, all that attention … it is a concern for any coach,” Chambers head coach Brian Frasier said.

Not for Curry.

“I know the cameras are out there,” he said. “I know our team gets a lot of attention. But that can’t change the way we play. And it can’t change the way I play. My goal is to win and to do what I can to help my teammates play better.”

Curry has been getting attention since his freshman year, when he averaged 11.4 points and 5.0 assists a game for Chambers (then known as Vance).

He decided to switch to Combine Academy before his sophomore year, to play with the Jeff McInnis-coached program that plays a national schedule. Curry played six games with Combine Academy and then moved back to Chambers last January.

“Combine was a good experience,” said Curry, who once scored 70 points in a travel league game. “I got good coaching. I learned a lot from different players.”

The problem, he says, was the commute. Curry got tired of the drive to and from Lincolnton each day.

“I spent a lot of time in the car,” he said. “Besides, I wanted to come back. (Chambers) is like family.”

He got clearance from the N.C. High School Athletic Association to play for Chambers in the 2020-21 season, which didn’t begin until January, but injuries sidelined him. And he said it took time to build chemistry with his Chambers teammates.

“It took a little time to fit in,” Curry said. “But we started hanging out together, and we bonded. Now we’re close.”

This season he is averaging 17.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 3.2 steals a game.

And that has come against a difficult schedule. Don’t let the Cougars’ 9-5 record fool you. They faced tough competition, including three games in the John Wall Classic late last month.

“I thought we needed a tough schedule,” Frasier said. “Our focus is on our main goal — a state championship.

“ ... Sure, we lost some games, but we played good competition. Offensively, we’re coming along well. Defensively, we need to be more consistent.”

The biggest hurdle is being in the spotlight with how much attention is on his team. Frasier said he tries to keep Chambers focused.

Curry has received offers from Florida State, Pittsburgh, East Carolina, Ole Miss, Appalachian State and Texas A&M. Numerous other schools are watching. He participated last year in the U.S. Junior National Men’s team camp.

Teammates Daniel Sanford, Maurio Hanson and Nick Dorn are also being heavily recruited. Sanford signed with South Carolina in November.

Curry, who says he “still has work to do” on his own game, noted that Chambers’ tough schedule made the team closer.

“We knew that we had each other’s backs,” he said. “I don’t think we ever got discouraged.

“Now it’s a matter of reaching our goal. This team can win a state championship.”