The Ballad of Jaylin Fleming

By Marcus Gilmer in Miscellaneous on Mar 31, 2010 2:40PM

We thought it was a bit crazy to read of possible recruiting efforts by DePaul of a 13-year-old kid but a half dozen emails to our tip inbox pointed us to the story of 10-year-old superstar Jaylin Fleming which tops even that. The Tribune spends nearly 1,500 words (and a three minute supplemental video) for a feature on "the most talented 10-year-old basketball player in the country." Says Fleming to the Trib, "I'm a humble kid who's trying to achieve a goal." We assume he means puberty?

The story also touches - but only ever-so-lightly - on the controversial new trend of scouting basketball players while they're still in their Underoos. Illinois coach Bruce Weber indicates the recruitment of preteens is something he has to do: "If you want to recruit the right way and do it the way it's supposed to be done, this is our only choice. And if you take it away, all you're doing is benefiting the guys who probably don't do it the right way." Former Bull Lindsay Hunter is the voice of reason when, discussing his own nine-year old son, he says, "I have coaches calling me for my kid to play, and I'm like, no! He's a kid. … I'm not going to put that type of pressure on him. I want him to experience childhood."

Look, we wish Jaylin nothing but the best in his playing career and, from the story, he seems like a good kid. But, yes, this trend of analyzing kids before they even get to junior high is ridonkulous and, humble or not, isn't healthy for the kids themselves. And while we likely won't see an end to it anytime soon - I fully expect to read a fantasy analysis of a toddler within the next ten years - one way we can help reverse the trend is simple: not publishing 1,500 word features on 10-year-old basketball players.