Won’t spend a ton of time on Yates considering he will be suiting up for Army football as a freshman, but cannot overlook his impressive tournament showing leading Saint James to a semifinal appearance behind 23 points, five rebounds, five steals and 3.5 assists per game. The senior guard capped his productive high school career and helped the program to a 20-9 overall record with some momentum in the coming years with some talented underclassmen.

Jayden was the engine that kept churning for Saint James. Never let up on the gas pedal and really helped keep his team in the game after being down a ton early on. Rallied St. James back in the second half with a lot of steals and layup finishes on the other end. Played the passing lanes very well the whole game and that helped ignite his rhythm offensively. Finished a minimum of 5 fast breaks on the other end from playing hard on the defensive end and hustling by the defense. Made some tough shots in the midrange and hit some clutch baskets in crunch time to almost complete the comeback. Fell short this game but had a promising outing.

Jayden has had his name buzzing all summer no matter the team and setting. Set MADE Hoops on fire during circuit play with Adapt Athletics. It was clear Jayden could get pretty much any look he wanted off the dribble. He knocked down shots with any glimpse of space when spotting up along the perimeter. Jayden could get by the closeout with ease using his quick decisive handle. Watching him this summer, Jayden was able to create space off the dribble very effectively against any opponent. Big season coming up for the versatile scoring guard.

Jayden was electric offensively in his matchup against HLVL. He got whatever he wanted offensively and put together a very complete scoring game. Jayden was efficient from the field and seemed like he made most of his open looks from deep. Jayden is really establishing himself as one of the DMV’s top scorers, consistently putting together big games with efficiency. Led Adapt Academy to a big win with his decisiveness on the offensive end, knocking down jumpers and getting to the line with consistency.

Played for Adapt Academy this summer. Jayden brings athleticism and length to the wing, with a smooth shooting stroke and the ability to guard multiple positions. His size and instincts allow him to contribute on both ends, making him a reliable scoring option and an active perimeter defender. Jayden is also an intriguing football prospect as well.

Jayden was once again a very consistent scorer for Saint James. He proved to be one of DMV Live’s top performers by the end of the event. Jayden eclipsed 2000 points for his varsity career with Saint James, and his scoring production only improves with each performance. Gets any shot he chooses, and can rise up over the top of closeouts at a high level. His success in the midrange sets him apart from his fellow guard in the class. He can operate from outside and inside the perimeter for his shots. Rarely took a poor shot and picked his spots to score well over the course of his games.

Jayden is one of my biggest names to keep an eye on this summer. He has a deep scoring bag and gets busy against any opponent he faces. His enate ability to score the ball on all three levels should be on full display for coaches and scouts across the area. Yates plays with the aggression needed to put up the big scoring numbers he’s accustomed to. This final summer session with Team Melo should help Yates’ recruitment in a big way. I’d like to see a bit more combo guard-play from Jayden, since we’ve seen the numbers he can put up scoring the basketball. His next step this summer will be shaping up other parts of his game, which I’m sure will continue to happen.

The best scoring performance of the day was what St. James guard Jayden Yates Jayden Yates 6'3" | SG/PG St James | 2026 State MD did in a blowout win over St. Mary’s-Annapolis. Jayden was on fire in this game, especially in the second half. St. James went into halftime down by 3. Then Jayden took over this game. It felt like he didn’t miss a shot for the whole half. He outscored St. Mary’s in the second half by himself, even while being subbed out with a few minutes left in the game. Jayden put on a jump-shooting masterclass and finished with 36 points.