Life changed last July when Duke offered Jaden Schutt a scholarship to play for one of college basketball’s blue blood programs.
But those who know Schutt, the 6-foot-6 star guard from tiny Yorkville Christian, say he didn’t.
“It’s really remarkable,” junior teammate Brayden Long said. “With all the hype around him, Jaden’s work ethic both on and off the court is the same.”
The two players sit by each other in a precalculus class.
“We’ll work on problems and Jaden is dialed in the whole time,” Long said. “In the gym and in the weight room, he’s always concentrating and doesn’t screw around at all.
“It’s kind of shocking. I’ve known him before all this, coming in as a freshman when he was a sophomore. He was obviously popular, but to think he’s going to be playing at Duke …”
Exactly.
Schutt, the 2021-22 Beacon-News/Courier-News Boys Basketball Player of the Year, has lived up to the hype.
The Aurora area hasn’t had this level of college recruit since Ryan Boatright was offered a scholarship coming out of eighth grade by Southern Cal and former Bulls coach Tim Floyd.
Boatright earned co-Mr. Basketball of Illinois honors and won a national championship in 2014 playing for Connecticut before moving on to a professional career in Europe that continues to this day.
A high flyer with a sweet outside shot, Schutt averaged 27 points this season and led the Mustangs to the Class 1A state championship. He connected on 40% of his 3-pointers and 86% of his free throws.
“Jaden is a generational talent at this level for sure,” Yorkville Christian coach Aaron Sovern said.
Schutt also averaged six rebounds and three assists for the Mustangs (25-13), a talented team with no conference affiliation that was toughened by a schedule that included many of the top Class 3A and 4A teams in the state.
Attending a small school of 160 students helped him stay grounded, according to Schutt.
“I didn’t feel any different unless we went on the road to play a game,” he said. “Opposing fans really got up for it. It was a fun experience. They have a lot of information about you that’s available to them.”
A raucous Washington student section in the season-opening Thanksgiving tournament apparently gave it to him pretty good.
“First game of the year, it was a great litmus test,” Sovern said. “Especially since we had only one road game in last year’s shortened season.”
Schutt responded with a 32-point effort.
“It’s remarkable how he handles all the criticism from other student sections,” Long said. “I can’t believe some of the stuff they’d say. I could not pull back and be that composed if I were him.”
It has prepared him well for college.
“Our school became like a small-school version of Duke,” Sovern said. “There is no in between with Duke. You either love or hate them. We’re kind of there on that.
“At times these last few days, I’ve struggled with it. There’s so much slander out there (on social media).”
Opposing players even asked to have a picture taken with Schutt after games.
“It was interesting,” he said. “As a competitor, I can’t imagine doing that.”
Some fans even asked for his shoes, a phenomenon Boatright dealt with as well.
“Late in the season, a South Beloit player even wanted to trade jerseys with him,” Sovern said. “Jaden told him, ‘I hope I’m going to need it for about another month.'”
Last week, as he left the court up a ramp at Illinois State’s Redbird Arena following a supersectional win, two young fans leaned down over the railing asking Schutt for his autograph.
He stopped and obliged.
“That’s kind of come on strong this year,” Schutt said. “I have a great support system at Yorkville Christian with a small circle of friends that keeps me humble.
“I was that little kid once, wanting an autograph or to be like one of those players I looked up to.”
In the past week, Schutt had been selected first team all-state by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and Associated Press, the Mustangs won the state title and Gatorade named Schutt the Illinois Player of the Year.
The only honor Schutt didn’t receive was McDonald’s All-American, even though he was nominated.
“We were disappointed, so I posted a Burger King graphic on our Twitter page,” Sovern said. “Jaden has handled everything first class. You can’t rattle his cage.”
It wouldn’t do any good.
That hasn’t changed either.
