Jayden Xu took a recent visit over the weekend to Rutgers basketball. The Big Ten program, Xu said, left a strong and positive impression.
Xu is a 6-foot-5 guard from California who is part of the class of 2025. He is an impressive outside shooter who is beginning to see his recruitment generate some serious interest from a number of top programs such as Rice, UCSD and Rice in addition to several Ivy League programs.
Over the weekend, Xu visited Princeton on Saturday and Rutgers on Monday.
Xu went into depth about his visit to Rutgers and how the Scarlet Knights were able to catch his attention.
“Rutgers really impressed me. Their top-tier practice facilities caught my eye and the way the players are taken care of as well,” Xu told Rutgers Wire.
“It isn’t a secret that being a basketball player at a program like Rutgers is an experience many dream about, and after my visit, I can definitely see why. Their program is run tightly and extremely professionally, which I personally admire.”
He is coming off a strong junior season for Santa Monica High School (Santa Monica, California) where he was named All-Bay League.
Xu boasts a 4.55 G.P.A. and the academics side, as well as on the court, drew his attention to Rutgers.
Thank you so much to Coach Pikiell, Coach Larkin, and the rest of the Rutgers coaching staff for having me on a fantastic unofficial visit! #goscarletknights @CoachPikiell @Mike__Larkin @RutgersMBB @RutgersRivals @VerbalCommits @recruitszone pic.twitter.com/4tPbs4MclE
— Jayden Xu (@jayden_xu5) June 18, 2024
“I take a lot of pride in not just basketball, but my academic career as well and Rutgers seems to have pathways for student-athletes like me,” Xu said.
“Their business program was highly praised by coach Larkin (assistant coach Mike Larkin( during the visit and it drew my attention as well as I could see myself becoming a business major down the line.”
Xu doesn’t have any other visits planned, but he did say that he enjoyed the visit to Princeton as well. The blend of academics and basketball is important to Xu.
🚨BREAKING🚨 Jayden Xu of Santa Monica HS 2025, a 6’5 G, took unofficials to Princeton (Saturday) and Rutgers (Monday).
Other schools that have been in contact with him.
Yale
Penn
UCSD
Colgate
Rice#TheKnighthood pic.twitter.com/jAi2E7XCq2— Dave White (@Dave_White) June 18, 2024
“The Princeton visit last Saturday was amazing. Their campus is great and Jadwin Gym is a spectacle,” Xu said.
“They’ve been in contact with me for a while and I finally got a chance to meet them and get a feel for the school – which I loved. I’m trying to land a spot at a college with a good blend of both academic and basketball prowess. It’s not only about the next four years for me, it’s also about setting up for the next 40.”