The Cougars of Paterson Catholic (NJ) are not as well known as some of the other New Jeresy powerhouses, but that may not be the case for long. Jayon James, a 6’5 sophomore swingman, along with fellow members of the class of 2010, 6’5 Fuquan Edwin, 6’8 Trevor Clemmings, and 6’6 Shaquille Thomas, as well as 5’8 freshman Myles Mack, may very well have the Cougars on the map nationally in just a year of two. This young crop of talent could take the squad from Paterson Catholic quite a long way. After the Cougars destroyed Montrose Christian (MD) at the Prime Time Shootout, I spoke with Jayon James about the game, his skills, and his future.
NB: [The team] had a big game out there. Start to finish, you basically dominated them. How were you able to contain such an explosive team?
JJ: We just played together and played hard, and we just came out with the W. We just gave it our all on the court.
NB: You guys really had [Trsitan] Spurlock’s number and [Isaiah] Armwood’s number the whole game, they really were silent. What [did the team] . . . specifically do to shut them down?
JJ: We played [a] 2-3 [zone defense], everybody just played help defense and stopped them from getting to the basket because we knew [that] they like to slash, and they [are] good, they [are] very good players, so we just hold them down.
NB: You seemed to be a very versatile player out there. What do you consider to be the best part of your game?
JJ: I think I see the floor very well, and I have a very high basketball IQ.
NB: What about [your] weaknesses? What do you think you need improve the most on?
JJ: Athletic ability, speed, and strength. . . . I think I can improve on that.
NB: You’re still a sophomore, but have you begun thinking about college yet, and [if so] are there any schools that you’ve been thinking about?
JJ: I have a [few] offers from Rutgers, Seton Hall, and Xavier, and I hope I get a lot more later on.
NB: Is there any school that you’ve always wanted to go to that is . . . your dream school?
JJ: I’d really like to go to Kansas.
The Cougars will make an impact on a ntional level over the next two seasons, and quite possibly beyond. Jayon James, along with the other Paterson Catholic underclassmen, will have their team making headlines. Jayon James will be a key part of the Cougars' road to prominence, and will have to work on those aspects of his game that he knows need work. The Paterson Catholic Cougars' win over Montrose Christian was not an abberation, this team can really play basketball, and they're only going to get better.
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