Jadyn Van Horn is about the most skilled and humble 7th grader in all of the United States. She happens to reside in the talent rich geographic area an hour away from L.A. in the Inland Empire.

Jadyn took a monumental unofficial visit recently with the vaunted #1 ranked in the country UCLA women’s basketball program. The Bruins have been ranked #1 almost all year since they knocked off perennial powerhouse South Carolina at Pauley Pavilion.

And speaking of South Carolina, I had the pleasure of spending some time with legendary head coach Dawn Staley hours before her loss to the Bruins. As we talked and talked I mentioned something and she laughed and said “No way that is possible E-Woods!”

Dawn never dips or dodges from big questions. That’s what I respect so much about her, besides her being such a dope coach and mentor to others.

Me? I don’t dip & dodge to big questions either that others ask me, which is a sign of great character in my humble opinion. I gave her a prayer sign toward her accomplishments and Dawn gave a prayer sign back at me in our long private convo in the San Fernando Valley.

It’s the same way I talked to someone from the Bruins staff as they left the floor just moments after they beat South Carolina. It was in a way historic for both squads, but for different reasons. Maybe a turning point for all of college basketball this year you could say.

You could also say the visit for Jadyn Van Horn in her young 7th grade life after her unofficial visit to UCLA was super cool and a turning point also, because Jadyn values the Bruins so much.

I believe that J-Van Horn could easily grow up to be a deciding factor in a college basketball contest between teams ranked #5 and #1 in the country like the Bruins & Gamecocks were. I project that Jadyn is just that talented a player to be honest.

But it takes way more than talent to get to be at that level. The game requires a cold blooded mentality because the game is 85% mental, as my friend John Lucas III, his dad, and NBA coaches and players always describe the game.

Let’s give context for how absolutely and fantastically rare that a 7th grader is granted an unofficial visit to UCLA nowadays. When it happens it will usually get posted on IG by that 7th grader because it’s such a big honor.

I would undoubtedly eventually hear about it happening somewhere through the grapevine. It’s only happened 2 times for a 7th grader in the last 3 years to my knowledge.

What are the odds of this happening at such a young age? It’s like winning the Lotto 100 times in just one year. Let’s see, there are 8.025 billion people on the blue and brown swirl of a planet we call “Terra Firma."

I keep track of recruiting visits to college programs all across the country. Other college recruiting experts say I’m an expert at such things because it’s such an overriding passion of mine. I know my facts and I know that 100,000 people send inquiries to the Bruins staff about trying to be recruited.

To get a visit at such an early age you have to have a pure heart for the game, be super at team chemistry, be an unselfish teammate, be academically minded, and have superior character besides mind blowing talent.

There are like 25 other attributes I don’t have the space to list here. Period. It’s intense folks.

Those attributes I just listed describe 7th grader Jadyn Van Horn. But incredibly, she is much more than that, silly rabbit. She’s that “it” girl coming up that can’t be stopped, won’t be stopped. She’s on a mission for the ages to show she has major game and classiness for the ages!

Yes, she is more than just that emerging hoops super star; she’s a brand unto herself in a way that everyone around her appreciates.

So many basketball experts, evaluators, heavy movers and shakers in the prep & college basketball industry have easily seen and recognized that Jadyn is ascending to be the top kind of prospect and person you want to align yourself with, bar none. She is like helium which rises all the way to the top.

What I love about Jadyn is she takes on all smoke in games and uses smack talk from others as motivation. Not many others her age try to talk smack to her but when they do she goes into assassin mode employing a merciless lasso to corral the comp into submission.

Jadyn can go straight to the neck in game. She has that gear to use in game and doesn’t play around with people that are messing with her.

Throughout it all, 95% of all the games I’ve seen her play the comp all come up to her and hug her after the game. Both her friends and those that play against her still find time after the game to express their love for her. Everyone loves J to death and admires her so.

Why? It just seems throughout all the battles and smoke that Jadyn finds a way of staying classy and well-adored beyond imagination by all in this space of AAU hoops.

Let’s hear from Jadyn in her own words of her goals, a player she appreciates, her awesome family, and why she loves the game. Jadyn says she appreciates Juju Watkins, the super star forward for USC as a player, but she wants to blaze her own trail and be known as her own kind of person respectively.

Let me remind you the readers that I saw the great Juju Watkins often in junior high, she was the talk of the town in whichever town she was killin at the time. Jadyn in my opinion is just as good of a talent as Juju was back then at the same age.

Let’s vibe Jadyn’s enlightening words, “I just want to make everyone proud around me. My older brother Jason Sr. who is a senior in high school has done a lot for me. I appreciate my big bro, all my family have sacrificed for me.

“My goals are to go down as one of the best to play the game by giving this immense amount of effort really. I train 3 to 4 times a day, 1 to 2 hours each time when I train, equaling about 5 hours a day. I do ice, heat, cryo recovery to go along with the training.

“I lift weights, 30 lbs, dumbbells, curls, singles, lots of exercise stuff. I’m training 7 days a week playing vs. grown women and men when I can, the best comp I can to improve my skills profile really.

“I take it all seriously. I hope to get a D1 offer and don’t take anything for granted. I just grind and put in the work and give the glory to God.”

Jadyn went on to talk about her UCLA visit, “I learned that there are different levels to the game. I saw how well thought out the practice was. I felt recognized by getting a chance to make the visit, I gained confidence, and felt uplifted in my heart truly.”

#wisdom from one who has NEXT

I am familiar and have evaluated just about every single elite baller in her class on the west coast. This is my territory of talent and players age levels that I know so well. All the young ladies appreciate what Jadyn brings to the game because they see she is growing the game with her love of it, her unique style.

Everyone loves Jadyn because they maybe feel they can rock with her in the community of hoops or on IG. And really, how rare is that?

Beyond rare if you ask me, beyond your imagination because it all starts with one word: Love. That four letter word love drenches Jadyn wherever she walks and plays because she gives it all up to whatever she puts her mind up to.

Jadyn showers others with love by getting to authentically know them; she cares for so many others on a real base level that is touching indeed. She plays on teams, trains, and inspires with so many that I know.

How do I know J-Van Horn and her fam bam so well you ask? I’ve spent a year and a half being really lucky to know them and others that have great perspective about them to the tune of 100s of convos and 100s of times of seeing them play and interact with others.

It’s an honor putting in 100-150 hours into Jadyn’s story.

Much of her projected fire comes from more than just her swag and fashion, it comes from how she performs in game. It’s how she rocks the crowd like a Kendrick Lamar song rocks his concert like a Big Stepper.

She hoops like Kdot sings; feel his lyrics that rep her aura a bit:

“You can bring a bullet, bring a sword, bring a morgue

But you can't bring the truth to me.”

#Jadyn brings TRUTH every time

Her family and super close friends affectionately call her Jada-Bug. But for the competitors who have to face her on court, she must seem like a Mt. Everest mountain to climb or navigate around because Jada-Bug has an arsenal of outside pop-pop jumpers, inside drive attacks, turnaround jumpers from the baseline that are so freaking advanced really.

She’s that ultra 3 level scoring machine that goes along with her amazing lock in defense powered by her long arms and fast feet. J-Van Horn can pass and rebound and show poise in a way that conjures up that elusive word that so rarely comes up when describing a player: Transcendent.

If you ask a veteran talent evaluator they’ll say the great ones move different and they train way different. But before you try to label such a term as transcendent on such a youngster I think you have to know or talk to them for a while.

As I’ve said, I’ve known Jada-Bug for going on 1.5 years and she manifests this ability to lead like UCLA’s Kiki Rice from the Bruins. Kiki was rated #2 in the country during her high school prep years behind her now Bruin teammate 6-7 Lauren Betts.

It takes all of you - the body build, the poise, training, and so much more to attain this honor. I believe Jadyn has what it takes to be a leader at this level in a 7th grade class that is for the absolute ages!

J-Van Horn is 5 foot 9 now and I can see her getting to be 6-foot tall and growing into an amazingly built and tall guard body. She already has something that resembles an elite high school junior/senior top 25 ranked body in the 7th grade already.

Jadyn already uses her commanding presence like Kiki Rice did in junior high to go up and down the lane as an elite guard. Jadyn appreciates her neighbor Londynn Jones of UCLA as well, L-Jones is that fiery shooter that is a big sis to Jadyn.

What does it take to take on that elite of a mantle going forward? Just continued guts, vision, a non-stop work ethic, a village around Jadyn for the ages, something that only happens so rarely. One of her buddies affectionately nicknamed her “The TerminateHER!” Lol. She tries to have fun with all this.

But it might seem all fun and games for the girls trying to play around with her as junior high kids, but there is so much sacrifice as well to be sure!

My point is when you’ve looked into the eyes of a dozen transcendent players at an early age, you’ve read all the 75 factors in the book of unfolding elite greats that are headed to Team USA and the NBA or WNBA, then you can tell like I can when a person will put in endless work.

You have to have that titanium mentality that shows no fear. Like if you asked a young man/woman to go hunt a tiger in the jungle at a young age, their answer would be, “When we going bro?”

That’s how I can know that they will stamp their brand on the game like a great one a la Juju Watkins to be “That Takeover.” It’s in their eyes and how they talk to me, or just how they handle themselves in general. What are the other recruitment details going on for Jadyn?

There are currently 10 high major or elite high major programs that I know of she has been getting down with since she was in the 6th grade. These programs send more women to the WNBA then any program across the country.

Me? I happen to talk fairly often with or give free info on ultra talented youngsters to a couple dozen high major/elite high major women’s college basketball programs, so I’m in the know on the women’s college basketball side you could easily say.

Jadyn is such a bubbly and happy young lady, yet she’s also such a mature person. I hear she has a couple more college visits planned to very established basketball programs. This is of course incredibly rare, and she is really humble about it.

Jadyn says of why she plays the game, “I love basketball because I get to spend time with friends. I allow myself to dream of more and more competition to play against that will raise my ability to higher and higher levels.

“Playing the game I love makes me happy, and I want to play well like Paige Bueckers of UConn, and have that swag. Shes a downhill dual-scorer with a killer jump-shot. I want to be like that.”

Just how much of a killa is J? She started her AAU playing career with the Hericane Mambas and now plays with her brother Jason at 5ive Star Academy. She has also played with Team Prodigy. Amazingly, she played last Summer with Why Not Premier Jr EYBL where she averaged 17 points per game on a 15 and under team as a 12 year old people! Yikes!

See her skills on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jadynn_6/

I believe she has the titanium mentality to play 17U on the ultra prestigious EYBL circuit and hold her own, such a rare feat that one’s brain can hardly comprehend such a thing truly. Describing her play is like grabbing smoke, because she isn’t afraid of any match up and uses smoke like an assassin to lasso her opponent into submission.

One has to realize a big component of her success is her big brother Jason Jr who is one of the best shooters in the country and is mulling over a great many super offers himself.

Jason Jr was at AOSS Academy for the last 3 years and is now in his final prep year of high school at a National Prep Program called 5ive Star Academy. He’s such a dope guy and that great big brother.

Let’s vibe Jason Jr’s caring words about his ultra caring relationship with his little sister Jada-Bug, “My little sister and I are so close. Our family relies on each other for much, and me and my sister have been taught to be humble.

“I just try to be a good mentor to her and give her whatever help I can toward her reaching her goals. She plays hard and very skillfully vs. older women and men in our training sessions. She does this crazy stuff that blows me away in those sessions to be honest.

“In the end, I’m just incredibly proud to be her older brother and can’t wait to see all the great things that are to come for us all in the future!”

Beside her crazy dope game, what more is there to know about Jadyn? Let’s ask her adoring dad Jason Sr. who is this well respected trainer and basketball business operator. He helps promote and organize basketball heavyweights. He never takes his eye off of being there for his beautiful family.

Vibe Jason’s powerful words, “Jada-Bug loves watching scary movies. She is always up to making a Tik Tok dance vid with her friends. She just loves to see others’ eyes light up when she plays a prank on her loved ones, be that a friend, teammate, or family member.

“She’s so full of life at all times. She lives life unapologetically to push herself to the limits of what one can do with their body, but takes it all serious because she wants to. She gets to new levels of her game, building up her body, and raising her mentality by sacrificing a lot of time that others her age might not be willing to do.

“I don’t ask her to do that, no one does. But she wants to put in that much time to get those results needed to be the best at what she seeks for herself. She hopes to spark inspiration in others. Jadyn hopes to be true to herself and hopes that helps others to be true to themselves.

“She’s a fan of so many other people, and that’s why so many people seem to come out and root for her we feel. We love that so many other people can be on her journey with her because she has an open heart to the real ones that show real love.”

Jadyn’s mom Teola is such a magnificent mom who cheers on her daughter’s journey and keeps the family glued together in all this. A real bastion of grace and beauty that has fortunately been passed down to Jada-Bug.

This family is all about supporting each other from start to finish. 100.

Jadyn vibes the smooth rifts of R & B singer SZA. You feel when Jada-Bug rolls into the gym readying for battle, she has that same all-eyes-on-her effect as SZA does when SZA is readying to deliver the goods in a concert. Jadyn gets it going on like SZA, so I’m not surprised she appreciates SZA’s music at all.

Let’s vibe some lyrics from Jadyn’s favorite song Good Days angelically sang by SZA:

“Tell me I'm not my fears, my limitations.

I disappear, if you let me

Feeling like (on your own).

Feeling like Jericho

Feeling like Job when he lost his ish.”

Is this story “Savage Inspiration?”

Only you the reader can answer that for yourself. I just suggest you go out and watch this dazzling woman-child Jadyn that many believe has NEXT. Me putting a theoretical key in your hand for you to go unlock your own imagination of joining a journey with her perhaps? Or maybe as UCLA invited her to have an unofficial visit with her perhaps?

I’ve been noticing great talent since 1976 and I was a 5 year old fan of basketball. I fell in love with the game and watching Dr J’s thrilling windmill dunks to the rim. I still have a young heart for the game at age 53 years of age.

Maybe I have that young heart because I have been a teacher for 27 years straight at the Elementary school level. Because I’m surrounded by youth at all times I have a different view then everyone in junior high, prep, and college basketball.

But I know one thing for sure: when I fire up my hypothetical glass crystal ball and peer deep through the smoky shadows to decipher what someone is about in this life, it takes about 5-10 minutes of watching a truly great player to see if they’re a pro.

A well respected basketball figure like agent Rich Paul, the owner of Klutch Sports Agency agrees with my assessment that it takes about 5-10 minutes of watching a really great player to see if they’re a pro or not.

I see that Jadyn is “true of heart” in this case and she’s also a savage inspiration. She believes in herself, I believe in her, and many others do also.

Maybe Jadyn will grow up to be a great one like USC great Cheryl Miller or a Lisa Leslie level great. But like Jadyn said, she wants her own path. I’m glad she’s her own person. As a youngster all things are possible, and that’s the fun of being inspired.

It’s also fun to try to inspire others. It will mos def be fun to see how it all unfolds in the pages of Jadyn Van Horn’s book.

She doesn’t just reside in the class of 2030. No, she also resides in her own imagination and work ethic for the ages, with vast potential like few have in the world!