Recruiting Report: Daytone Jennings (2016)
Denver East has a player in rarified air. Daytone Jennings, who grew up in Detroit, moved to Colorado last year, and now transferred from Aurora Central, joins De’Ron Davis as the only players to earn spots on our list of the top…
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Continue ReadingDenver East has a player in rarified air.
Daytone Jennings, who grew up in Detroit, moved to Colorado last year, and now transferred from Aurora Central, joins De’Ron Davis as the only players to earn spots on our list of the top 10 rim protectors in Colorado, the top 10 scorers in 5A, and the top 10 rebounders in 5A.
Pretty good company, eh?
Jennings has numerous skills and averaged 15.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1.9 steals, and 1.8 assists for Aurora Central last year. He’s 6-foot-8 and left handed. He’s an explosive player at the rim. He alters shots and snatches rebounds. He plays with a motor and is capable of huge scoring performances.
“I believe I can be a big help to my team any way possible,” Jennings said.
After a summer spent with Billups Elite, an experience that Jennings said allowed him to see what he needed to continue improving, the senior will step into an Angels’ lineup with stud guards like Jack Buckmelter, Deron Harrell, and Joe Abiakam, and a physically imposing 6-foot-6 forward in Samba Dioum. Jennings will play a role as a force at both ends, in the paint and on the perimeter with huge length defensively and solid ball-handling skills.
“I’m working on my shot from the perimeter and from the mid-range,” Jennings said. “I can take it in, I can drive, but I need to work on my shot a little bit.”
The lefty has a good stroke, but did only shoot 50 percent (22 of 44) from the charity stripe in the 12 games he appeared in since becoming eligible for Aurora Central. He also only attempted eight three-pointers, making three of them, but Jennings does have a shot that could become much more consistent with more work. He will also benefit from playing more under control as he can get a little overaggressive, at times.
Academically, the senior reported a 3.0 GPA and a 24 on his ACT and said he’s receiving interest from Purdue, Northwestern, and a few other programs. He’s hoping to turn interest into some offers.
“This is my big year,” he said. “I have to make it worth it.”