Jayden Gardner, a key member of the boys basketball team that won the Heritage High School Conference Championship in 2017-18, is currently playing overseas professionally in Belgium.
Gardner, who played at Eastern Carolina University (ECU) before transferring to the University of Virginia, is currently the starting power forward for the House of Talent Spurs Kortrijk.
High school advantage
Gardner established a strong basketball resume during his time at Heritage.
As head coach with Husky Gardner, Tilden Brill led Heritage to an 89-25 record in Gardner’s four years.
In 2018, Gardner led the Huskies to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 4A East championship and a runner-up finish in the state tournament. In the East Regional final game against South Central High School, Gardner dropped 30 points while grabbing 12 rebounds.
“My time at Heritage High School was really good for me,” Gardner said. “In the third or fourth year, we got a better team and we got better every year and made it to the playoffs in one year. It was good to put us on the map. It was good to be a part of it. is.”
Gardner averaged 24.3 points and 13.9 rebounds per game as a senior, leading the Huskies to a 25-5 overall record, winning the conference regular season and tournament titles.
The Husky finished his career with 2,282 points, 19th in the NCHSAA record book and second in Wake County history behind 1993 Final Four Most Valuable Player Donald Williams. Gardner also grabbed 1,319 career rebounds, which ranks first in Wake County history and fourth in NCHSA. These statistics contributed to him scoring in double digits in 92 consecutive games and recording a double-double in 70 of his 114 games during his high school career.
Gardner was named the CAP-8 Conference Player of the Year three times, was a 2018 McDonald’s All-American candidate, and was named first team all-state and District 5 Player of the Year as a junior and senior. Ta. He is in the Carolina Basketball Coaches Association and earned second-team All-District V honors his sophomore year.
“I will always be tied to Heritage no matter what because Heritage gave me the opportunity,” Gardner said. “If I hadn’t gone to Heritage, things might have been different. I think it helped me grow by being able to hoop at a high level, and it helped me grow in my college career and now as a professional.” I think it was a driving force for my career.”
university career
Gardner attended ECU for three years and then transferred to Virginia where he played two more years.
Gardner earned many honors and set several records between ECU and Virginia.
Despite being one of the state’s best players during his time at ECU, Gardner wanted to win, but the Pirates struggled to make it happen.
“I was very fortunate to play two years in the ACC with Tony Bennett, the best ACC coach at the University of Virginia. It was a completely different culture change than what I was used to at ECU, so winning I was really happy to be back.”
Moving overseas
Gardner currently plays in the BNXT League as a starter for the Kortrijk Spurs. The BNXT League is a professional basketball league between Belgium and the Netherlands.
“It was in my best interest to sign here and improve myself,” Gardner said. “We’re playing really well. We need to keep doing that and keep playing at a high level and keep going up. That’s the thing about basketball. You can keep going up depending on how you play.” We can. So now we have to continue to perform at a high level.”
For some players, the transition to another continent can be daunting, but Gardner handled the transition well despite not knowing the local language.
“I mean, basketball is basketball,” Gardner said. “For me, it was just going out and doing what I’ve always done. Just trying to keep it simple.”
Gardner leads the Spurs in scoring (15.7) and rebounding (6.2). He ranks 10th league-wide in scoring, 20th in efficiency (18.2), 20th in rebounding and 21st in 3-point percentage (39.6).
“I’m never satisfied,” Gardner said. “We still have work to do. We have to maintain the high level we had before, but we can’t afford to settle down.”
In the Spurs’ last three games, Gardner has totaled 66 points. On January 28, he scored a career-high 24 points for the team, and in the next game he surpassed that number again with 25 points.
“It’s been good to go with the flow lately,” Gardner said. “I’m just trying to stay on top of that and keep doing what I’m doing.”
Gardner feels he has learned a lot from his team and is continuing to grow.
It was nice to be able to develop our game outside of the 3-point line,” Gardner said. “It’s not just for this year, it’s going to help me in the future when I get more professional work, so it’s good to be able to market myself to the outside world.”
keep moving forward
Gardner sees his time in Belgium as a small step on a much longer path.
“This is just the first stop on my long journey. It’s just the beginning,” Gardner said.
He continues to strive for greater heights, no matter where he is led.
“My ultimate goal is to reach the highest level possible,” Gardner said. “So, never sell yourself short. So whatever path you can carve out for yourself, take the shot and do everything you can to get to it. If it’s the EuroLeague, to play in the NBA. If I’m going to come back to America, that’s what I’m going to do. Whatever path that leads me to, that’s what I’m going to pursue.”
As Gardner continues to build his legacy, he hopes to become a respected figure.
“I want to pave the way for a lot of other guys who go to Heritage, who go to ECU, who transfer to places like Virginia,” Garder said.
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