Maryland Signs Top Junior College Player Jaylen Brantley
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Head coach Mark Turgeon and the Maryland men's basketball staff welcome guard Jaylen Brantley to the Terps for the class of 2015.
"Jaylen has high character and his personality will fit what we are building here at Maryland," said Turgeon. "He's a great facilitator with outstanding vision, and he's also a very talented shooter. Jaylen wanted to be at Maryland, and we've very excited to welcome him to our program."
A 247sports.com four-star recruit out of high school, Brantley was ranked the 12th JUCO Player in America by Next Up Recruits.
"I'm going to have the opportunity to work with a great coaching staff and attend one of the best universities in the country," said Brantley. "Coach Turgeon is a great person – very honest and upfront. He wants to put his players in the best position to be successful. Coach Turgeon and the coaching staff made me feel very welcomed. There's great trust between us and I also really connected with all the guys on the team."
The 5-foot-11 Springfield, Mass., native comes to Maryland from Odessa (Tex.) Community College. Brantley will have three years of eligibility at Maryland.
"We recognized early on that Coach Turgeon and the University of Maryland would be a great fit for Jaylen," said Angela Cayode, Brantley's mother. "I could see that Coach Turgeon would really invest in Jaylen's future. He believed in Jaylen as a person, a player and a student-athlete. Coach Turgeon is not only a great coach, but he's a great man. Jaylen felt he could contribute to Maryland immediately and that he would thrive and respond well to playing under Coach Turgeon. Our whole family is very excited that Maryland has welcomed Jaylen with open arms."
Brantley played AAU basketball for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club alongside current Terp forward Jake Layman. Brantley helped BABC to two AAU national championships, and he was also a member of the 2011 Elite Youth Basketball League championship team.
"I've known Jake Layman for a long time and we played together," said Brantley. "He's been like family to me. Maryland felt like the perfect place for me."
JAYLEN BRANTLEY (5-11, 175, PG, Springfield, Mass.)
Leo Papile, Boston Amateur Basketball Club: "Jaylen's a throwback. He gets the ball in the right people's hands and he has a high basketball IQ, which leads to winning. He's a productive point guard and a threat from three-point range. He has a great pace to his game."
Tra Arnold, Odessa Community College: "Jaylen has great character and is a really hard worker. He will be a great addition to the University of Maryland. Jaylen helps teams win. He's been a consistent winner throughout his high school career, and he does all the things a leader needs to do to win on and off the floor."
Jerry Mullen, Mullen's Roundball Review: "Jaylen's a great selection for Maryland. He can score if he needs to, but he doesn't have to score to be effective. He's got the ability to get others involved and has the ability to make his other teammates better. I envision him as a combo guard who can make the right decisions and is also a talented shooter."