Player: Jason Gardner Jr.
Class: 2027
Height: 6’1
AAU: Indiana Elite
School: Fishers HS
Down in Rock Hill (SC) for the USA Club Championships, there was plenty of talent to be found with some of the younger talents on display. One guard that we were impressed with big time was 2027 6’1 Jason Gardner Jr. for Indiana Elite, a team that ultimately won the silver bracket. When talking about his game, Garnder is simply electric with the ball in his hands; he is extremely quick, excels in reading the floor and attacking the defense, found ways to penetrate and get inside consistently, scored well against contact and over defenders, and confidently could hurt you from the perimeter. There was so much to like about his game, as he clearly put his name as one of the top guards for his class at the event. We had this to say about his game below, and we eventually caught up with Gardner Jr. to learn more about his game and early recruitment.
What Was Said:
“I was incredibly impressed with Gardner Jr. and just how electric he can be on the court. Gardner has excellent speed and is simply wired to be a playmaker on the court. He is an explosive, quick guard who is excellent out in transition, creates well off the dribble while getting by defenders facilitates well to others, and can knock down shots from behind the arc. I really liked his overall impact, speed, and ability to fill it up offensively.”
Phenom 1-on-1:
Phenom: How did everything go this summer for you and your program? What were you hoping to show about your game?
Gardner: As far as my team, we struggled a little bit, and we added a new player to the team every session. We were 3-5 heading into Session 3, and we ended up going 4-0 and finally got it together as a team at the best time. Going into the Finale, we finally had our team set, which allowed us to qualify for the USA Club Championships. During that finale, we played well and lost in the Elite 8 but still made a lot of progress, and then in USA Club Championships, we ended up winning the silver bracket as well.
And then for me, I think my name was kind of out there but just every session, I just got a lot bigger, and then especially during the Finale, I had a strong performance in all my games and ended up getting a D1 offer from Cincinnati. I just attracted more college coaches over time, got my name nationally out there to scouts, coaches, and writers; that is what I wanted to do so I think personally it was a really good summer for me.
Phenom: What have you been focusing on developing more with your game?
Gardner: Just being more confident in my shot because once I do I feel like I’m one of the hardest people to guard in the country because people already know I can get downhill and finish at the rim really well. So they back off and when I’m hitting my shot, they don’t know what to do so just being more confident and consistent in my shot.
Phenom: How would you best describe your game?
Gardner: I think I can be whatever guard you want me to be as far as a scoring guard, defensive guard, playing as a real point guard, making all the right reads and not turning the ball over. I can do a lot of things on offense and defense using my athleticism very well.
Phenom: Still early but have you been hearing from schools?
Gardner: I have an offer from Cincinnati and Purdue, but schools like Indiana, Notre Dame, Arizona, DePaul, and others have all expressed interest.
Phenom: Your latest offer came from Purdue. What are your early thoughts on them?
Gardner: They have been following me for the whole summer really so when I got the offer, I was super happy so just looking forward to building relationships with the coaching staff and can’t wait to take a visit.
Phenom: Any schools you would like to hear from? Dream school of any sort?
Gardner: Really, just any school that sees my talent and they like what they see because any school is a blessing and just want to have a good relationship with the coaching staff, the environment and other things. But no particular school, any school right now is a blessing.