Prospect Spotlight: Jayden Mackie (2022)
Aplington-Parkersburg is always loaded with talent, so it comes as no surprise that the Falcons have a quick and athletic point guard coming through the ranks, Jayden Mackie.
The 5-foot-11 freshman was showcasing a tight handle and some blow-by ability when we saw him earlier this spring with Martin Brothers. Those are two areas of his game he cites as strengths.
“I can get past defenders pretty easily sometimes. I can take care of the ball and I always have my head up,” said Mackie. “I need to work on getting stronger and better at defense.”
Mackie was starting with the Falcons’ JV until halfway through the season last winter, and played some varsity the second half of the season.
“After Christmas Break my confidence got a lot better and I started playing my game instead of just being passive when I got in,” said Mackie.
With A-P’s top four scorers from last season graduated, Mackie will have plenty of opportunity to have a breakout sophomore season.
“I’ll just need to work on getting everybody involved next year, and playing hard defense and just be a leader,” he said.
In the meantime, Mackie is playing with one of the state’s most talented teams, Martin Brothers 15u.
“This is my first year of playing really serious AAU, we play some really good teams on the UA Rise at some big tournaments,” said Mackie. “My role is to get everybody involved and to sometimes be a scorer and a leader.”