2014 SF Jalen Lindsey after winning the state championship with Christ Presbyterian Academy. Photo courtesy of Jalen Lindsey.
All-State selection, state champion, school record holder for points scored and now Class AA Mr. Basketball. The awards racked up for 2014 forward Jalen Lindsey throughout his successful junior season with Christ Presbyterian Academy (Tenn.) and the 6-foot-7, 180-pound junior believes the 2012-13 season was his best yet.
“It feels great,” Lindsey said about winning Class AA Mr. Basketball for the state of Tennessee and capturing a state championship. “I set a goal for that at the beginning of the year and we accomplished it, so it feels great. I felt like I had a shot at the Mr. Basketball award because I had a very blessed junior season, but I still wasn’t sure.”
Lindsey averaged 20.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 3.1 blocks per game as a junior.
As far as recruiting goes, Lindsey continues to hear from numerous schools and recently received an offer from LSU. The Florida Gators have been recruiting Lindsey for almost a year now, offering him a scholarship last Spring. Throughout the year, Florida has continued to be one of the schools recruiting him the hardest and Lindsey has a lot of respect for the Gators coaching staff.
“[Florida] is recruiting me pretty hard and I have a lot of respect for them and what they have done,” Lindsey said. “I have a good amount of interest in them.”
Lindsey’s main recruiter has been assistant coach John Pelphrey, who has been in contact with Lindsey on and off during the season.
“He’s been texting me mostly every now and then,” he said. ” I’m for sure am trying to get down there [to visit Florida]. My dad and I have already talked about it, but we just don’t know when yet.”
A lot of times in basketball recruiting, prospects praise Florida for their guard play because the guards make Florida’s offense go. With Lindsey as a forward, he still sees Florida as a place where he can fit in easily, mainly due to the up-tempo pace of the Gators offense.
“I definitely think I could fit well at Florida. They play fast pace and that’s the same way my high school has always played. Coach Pelphrey has talked with me a little about it,” Lindsey said.
He’s already formed an opinion on who he believes will win the NCAA Tournament that will begin this Tuesday night.
“I think it’s between Louisville and Duke because they both have great teams and great coaches.”
