Prospect Spotlight: Jalin Abbott (2019)
If this is your first time hearing the name Jalin Abbot, it probably won’t be the last. A native of Washington, DC, Abbott is a 6’5 rising junior at St. John’s College High School. The Cadets graduated five seniors, including their top two scorers in Reese Mona and Emanuel Hylton. Abbott expects to be asked to help pick up the slack in the scoring column.
“I just try to do everything. Whatever my team needs,” Abbott explained. “If I gotta board, I’ll board. If I gotta score, I’ll score.”
In last night’s BSN Summer League win over Bullis, Abbott did just that. We saw him pull down a handful of defensive rebounds, and bring the ball up himself at times. He did a nice job handling it under pressure, and made smart decisions while in possession.
“My defense has most definitely improved. Before coming into St. John’s, you could have the sorriest dudes blow by me,” Abbott joked. “But now, I got a lot better. Checking one of the best dudes in the country. I feel confident.”
Abbott has had some big games on the with 16U DC Premier. One thing we like about him is his playmaking ability.
“People look to me to score a lot, but like my best thing since sixth grade has been my ability to find people,” said Abbott. “Make my teammates better.”
Right now, Abbott is flying under the radar in most recruiting circles. He does have a 3.8 GPA, and plans to keep it that way.
“It doesn’t drop below that. If I do, I wouldn’t be over here on the court.”
Former George Mason star Lamar Butler, an assistant with St. John’s, has helped Abbott develop confidence with his ball handling. They do drills every day to keep him sharp.
Lamar Butler is doing an outstanding job mentoring the young players at St. John’s“Getting my confidence up. Still working on my defense. And my handle most definitely,” Abbott stated.
What is Abbott looking for in a school?
“Just to fit in. And just for them to understand my strong suits. And what I need to work on too.”
What does Abbott believe he can bring to a college program?
“Winning mentality. I love winning. I hate losing. I know how to win. And I’m still learning how to win more efficiently too.”