Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
This month, Scottrade Center (scottradecenter.com) hosts early-round games of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. And Jayson Tatum, a sophomore at Chaminade College Preparatory School, turns 16. Look for him in the 2017 Big Dance. At this early stage, ESPN ranks the 6-foot-8 standout as one of the nation’s top five recruits. Tatum’s first scholarship offer, from the Missouri Tigers, came before his ninth-grade season. Now, more than a dozen teams, including Kentucky, Kansas, and Ohio State, are after him. He was a Metro Catholic Conference Player of the Year as a freshman, spent last summer playing on the USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team, and at press time was averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds per game for the Red Devils. Tatum’s father, Justin, is head coach at Christian Brothers College High School, and his godfather is former NBA player Larry Hughes. “My mom, Brandy Cole, is my big inspiration,” Jayson adds, “and I love her.”
