Jaden Byers finds perfect fit with Damon Stoudamire, Pacific
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (BVM) – Before Damon Stoudamire was the Toronto Raptors’ first-ever draft pick and earned the 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year, “Mighty Mouse” was a short, left-handed point guard who signed late to Arizona due to a bit of under-recruitment. Nowadays, Stoudamire is the head coach at the University of Pacific which just landed a point guard with a similar chip on his shoulder.
Rancho Christian senior Jaden Byers committed to the Tigers last week, and Stoudamire is a major reason why.
“Coach Stoudamire called me when I got the offer and that stood out to me a little bit, a head coach calling me,” Byers said. “Ever since then, we’ve been in a lot of contact; he had a vision for me. He knew that I was under-recruited and he understood that. Especially with him being a lefty point guard and me being a lefty point guard, I’ll have a lot to learn from him.
“It’s almost like a perfect fit.”
Rancho Christian and Compton Magic guard Jaden Byers has committed to to The University of The Pacific ‼️ @jadenbyers3 @Compton_Magic @rchshoops pic.twitter.com/hctntpAAIq
— BallerTV (@BallerTV) September 23, 2020
Byers was a key cog of a Rancho Christian squad that finished the 2019-20 season as the No. 16 team in California. The 6-foot-2 point guard was overshadowed a bit by USC commit Evan Mobley and Gonzaga pledge Dominick Harris, but Byers is special in his own right.
The quick, athletic point guard averaged 10.5 points and 2.5 assists for the Eagles as a junior and said his court vision, on-ball defense and ability to score from all three levels makes him a unique prospect. Pacific plays an up-and-down style, which should bode well for Byers’ skillset.
Highlights of Rancho Christian point guard Jaden Byers who committed to Pacific earlier today. The WCC is landing some great players including Byers who's a quick, shifty point guard who can create for others. pic.twitter.com/cGqaa0xokd
— Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) September 23, 2020
Byers will likely have the opportunity to be the lead dog for Rancho Christian during his senior campaign with the departure of Mobley and Harris, if he gets the chance.
Former San Ysidro star Mikey Williams has already opted to continue his prep career in North Carolina with the California high school basketball season still very much up in the air due to COVID-19, but Byers isn’t considering a similar route.
“Me personally, I’m really tight with my coach (Ray Barefield) and if that’s the case (a canceled high school basketball season) then I’ll just stay in the gym,” Byers said. “I’ll just work on the things I need to work on and be prepared for going out to Stockton in the summer or early spring.”
From being under-recruited to overlooked on his own high school team, it’s safe to say that Byers has been slept on. Nonetheless, the shifty point guard will have the opportunity to prove his worth as a Division I prospect for the 2020 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year.
“I’ve never been one of those top guys you see on SLAM or these social media things,” Byers said. “I’ve always been the guy that’s been in the back gym working, waking up early to try to grind for my spot because I didn’t have the height or what everyone else has. It’s stuck with me and that’s become my motto, being the underdog.”
