The recruiting landscape can be extremely frustrating, both for players and evaluators alike. There are countless instances of a player performing at a consistently high level, coaches acknowledging their abilities, and then nothing ends up happening. While it’s understandable that coaches want to play the portal game, it becomes an illegitimate excuse when they are extending offers to other, less-talented high school players. Upon examining North Carolina’s Class of 2024, Jaylen Cross is someone who fits the billing as someone who is drastically under-recruited by Division I coaches. He’s a smart, athletic 6-foot-4 guard prospect with a well-rounded skillset and long list of intangibles. Realistically, Cross checks all the necessary boxes to justify offers from numerous types of programs. Let’s elaborate…

Though it’s been stated countless times across grassroots basketball, it’s worth reiterating: an overwhelming majority of prospects who make it to the collegiate ranks will ultimately be role players. This is not a negative in any way, simply reality. Averaging twenty shots a game is a far-cry at seemingly every level of college basketball, especially since only one player (Peter Kiss) reached that milestone in Division I last season. Meanwhile, we have nearly a dozen players who receive at least that many attempts per game for their high school team. The bigger point being is that Cross is plainly incredible at succeeding and producing within any role. Few guys will truly embrace playing their part within the bigger picture, but he is clearly different than most. His on-court ability is definitely worthy of headlines, but so is his maturity and overall character as an individual. 

During his covid-riddled freshman season at Northwest Guilford, Cross quickly figured things out, asserted himself, and found ways to contribute within the flow of the action. His patience and willingness to produce in whatever role was already quite evident. That being said, Cross still finished second on the team in scoring (12.2 PPG), third in steals (1.0 SPG) and blocks (0.7 BPG), fourth in rebounding (3.6 RPG) and assists (2.1 APG). The talent was already obvious, but his willingness to adapt to any role made him more valuable than folks seemed to realize. 

Fast-forward a few months, and Cross is staring as the focal point for the NC Rim Runners. Different from his role during the high school season, he was clearly tasked with being the primary scorer, playmaker, decision-maker, and overall leader for this group. By the end of March, he’d already begun to showcase pure dominance on both ends of the floor. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for a shoe-circuit program (Team United) to get involved and claim Cross for the remainder of the summer. Even from the very beginning, his seamless fit was quite evident. Plenty of kids will claim a desire to be a star in their role, but Cross actually follows through. 

After a highly successful summer, he returned to the Vikings to prepare for his sophomore season. On a roster with four college-level seniors (and two juniors), Cross still found a way to shine as a primary option while improving his numbers across the board. He posted nightly averages of 16.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.0 SPG while shooting 46% from the floor. Given their structure, those numbers are even more impressive.

Soon thereafter, the travel ball season began and Cross resumed on his tear as a major x-factor for Team United. Despite receiving limited opportunities, he consistently (and gleefully) accepts whatever role is presented to him. Cross is a reliable defender, rebounder, and well-rounded offensive threat who understands how to effortlessly fill in the gaps on both ends of the floor. He doesn’t require the ball to make plays, but can certainly operate as a main creator and playmaker if needed. Cross creates well for himself and others off the dribble, but doesn’t look to overdo it or play outside of the team concept. He’s a natural glue-guy who simply wants to win.

Since coaches want to see him in different settings, this past weekend should’ve been the perfect opportunity for a coach to extend the first offer to Cross. He was nothing short of spectacular from Friday to Sunday. Cross seemed poised and ready to embrace his newfound role as the undisputed leader of this group, easily dictating the action, leading by example, and setting the tone on both ends of the floor. It would be difficult to point out any negatives from his weekend. College coaches witnessed these high-level showings and even verbally acknowledged them, yet Cross is still waiting on his first scholarship. He’s a highly talented, low-maintenance player who doubles as an excellent person with no baggage. Only time will tell, but Division I programs would be wise to get involved with the two-way guard before it becomes a bidding war. 

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