"Swipe the Rock, Spin It off the Glass and Drop the Dime"

Jaylin Reese Vaughns-Roe

@ihooplay1

5'9", Class of 2027

Alamogordo HS, NM

Jaylin is a fierce two-way hooper who loves to get after it on defense and has some nasty finishes in his bag. He’ll go right at a big in the paint and find a spot on the glass for a clean finish. He can go get his own basket or drop a dime when the help comes and leaves a teammate open. Jaylin calls himself a dog on the court, and you hear that competitive fire when he talks about how he approaches a game. He wants to play every one like it could be his last, and he’s ready to go at whoever lines up in front of him.

Jaylin averaged 15.2 points, 2.4 steals, 3.1 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game during his high school season. The summer before that season, he averaged 23.5 points, 3.2 steals, 4.1 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. The scoring will grab your attention, but look at what he’s giving you on defense at his size. He can take the rock from you or get a hand on your shot, and either one gives his team a chance to get out and go. Give him the ball on that break, and he can put it in himself or get it to the teammate who beat everybody down the floor.

Those summer games that came down to the last possession gave Jaylin some of his biggest moments. He hit game-winners and set teammates up to hit them, too. I love that he takes just as much pride in the dime that wins it as he does in the shot that falls. When defenders know he’s willing to take the last shot, they have to make a choice when he comes at them. If another defender steps up, Jaylin is willing to give it up and let his teammate finish the job. He wants the ball when the game is on the line because he trusts himself to make that call.

Jaylin's biggest improvement has been how he handles a mistake. He used to get so frustrated with himself that he could still be thinking about a missed shot by the time he had another play to make. Now he’s better at leaving that miss where it happened and getting right back after it. I like that for a guy who plays with this much fire. He can miss a layup, sprint back and get his team a stop instead of letting that one trip cost him at both ends.

Jaylin has had plenty to deal with away from the court. He was separated from his parents and grew up with his grandma. He’s heard people try to tell him who he is based on where he comes from, and he’s had to decide for himself what he was going to do with the hand he was dealt. He’ll tell you he’s made mistakes, and he owns what those experiences taught him. He’s come a long way by taking things as they come and making the best of what he has in front of him.

This past summer, Jaylin picked up his first college offer and threw down his first dunk off a lob. I love that he got a taste of what that bounce can do for him in a game, because now he wants to make that finish something he can go to more often. He also came out of the summer wanting to build on it in the classroom, on the court and in the weight room. The offer gave him something to celebrate, and he went into the offseason with a good idea of where he wanted to put his time.

Jaylin has been training daily with a trainer who has a contract to play pro ball overseas. He credits him with helping him shoot it better and finish in the paint with a defender who stands 6'5" or taller waiting for him. That’s where his bag comes in. He can get the ball up before the big leaves his feet or use the other side of the rim to keep it away from the block. He’s been on the track, hitting the bleachers and flipping tires with his teammates, too. That conditioning matters when he’s chasing a ball handler at one end and still needs his legs to get his shot up at the other.

Jaylin says his defense and finishing are the most underrated parts of his game, and I can see why he puts those two together. He loves getting a stop, and he’ll take on a tough finish when that stop turns into a chance to score. The crafty part is how many angles he can use on the backboard. He can get his shoulder past the first defender and still adjust the release when the big steps over. Sometimes all he needs is a sliver of glass to put the ball where the shot blocker can’t get it.

Jaylin wants to earn more offers, stay steady when games get tough, and become more consistent with his bounce. He also wants to graduate with a 3.5 GPA or higher. He’s hungry for the opportunity to show what he can really do, and the person he wants to make proud most is his grandma. She’s his biggest inspiration. What he’s been through fuels him, and so does the chance to show the people who counted him out who he’s become. When he talks about having something to lose now, you can hear how much it means to him to make the most of the opportunity in front of him.

I assess that Jaylin’s potential as a ball-screen guard who can make the big step out and deal with him. If the defender goes under the screen, his improved jumper gives him a look he can take on the spot. If the big comes up, Jaylin can keep his dribble alive long enough for the screener to slip into the lane. That gives a coach a way to use his scoring threat to get another guy a clean touch near the basket.

Jaylin has the tools to give a team real value defending away from the ball. His timing can help him leave his man just as a driver gathers, and his quickness gives him a chance to get back out if the ball gets kicked to a shooter. That’s where I see his defensive impact growing. He can help a teammate who gets beat and still get back into the play before the offense gets a clean look.