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#UNC junior forward Jaydon Young, a Virginia Tech transfer who grew up in Goldsboro
Oct 9, 2025
#UNC junior forward Jaydon Young, a Virginia Tech transfer who grew up in Goldsboro
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0:01
Jaden is a is a guy who grew up in North
0:04
Carolina from here and everything like
0:06
um when you got into Portal was Chapel
0:10
Hill
0:11
where you were mentally aiming or were
0:13
you excited to sort of to have it happen
0:17
the way it did?
0:17
Um definitely excited to have it happen
0:19
how it did. Um they weren't really on my
0:22
radar when I first got in the portal. Um
0:24
I did it kind of fast just because a lot
0:26
of people were calling. I didn't really
0:27
like that. I was ready to get somewhere
0:29
and start working on my game. So, um, it
0:33
really didn't all pan out until after I
0:35
committed to High Point University.
0:37
Um, the coach ended up leaving and a few
0:40
people started calling. So, that's where
0:42
this ended up coming from.
0:43
And how did the way you finished last
0:45
season, I mean, got hot at the end of
0:46
the year sort of influence what did you
0:49
want to do, where you wanted to go for
0:51
maybe your next stop? Um,
0:54
honestly, I just wanted to go where I
0:56
felt like I could be the best me
0:57
possible. Um, make the best opportunity
1:00
for myself. Uh,
1:03
honestly, just conversations with my
1:04
dad. He was really just helping me out
1:05
through the whole process. So, um, I
1:07
didn't really have a certain level in
1:09
mind to that to that extent. I was just
1:11
looking for the best plays possible to
1:12
be honest.
1:13
Jay, you know, Andrew Jones started
1:14
24/7. Going back to what Adam just asked
1:16
about the way you finished last season,
1:18
had a couple huge games.
1:19
Was that something that you saw coming?
1:21
it was just a matter of opportunity
1:23
situation that was going to happen or
1:25
kind of take us where you went from
1:26
earlier in the year where those games
1:27
weren't occurring to when they did.
1:29
Um yeah, I honestly I just told myself
1:32
all year just stay down. It's it's going
1:34
to come. Um making shots and all that.
1:36
I've always been uh type of guy. It just
1:38
took me a little longer to figure things
1:39
out. So um yeah, I expected it 100% and
1:43
I told the whole staff, all my teammates
1:45
that it was going to happen, too. But
1:46
so it kind of validated how you viewed
1:48
yourself and and it finally did. So,
1:50
what's next from there? The guy that
1:52
would win that scored 27 against Miami.
1:55
What What's next for you as a player?
1:57
Um,
1:59
honestly, just getting better. Uh, I
2:02
knew that that I could do that. I didn't
2:04
I hadn't showed it just yet, but um when
2:06
the time came, honestly, I just wanted
2:08
to do a little more. I was trying to get
2:10
30 the next game and 35 the next one.
2:12
So, that was all I was looking for to be
2:14
honest. The last thing real quickly, did
2:16
coach Young draw more shots for you
2:17
after that? Turn look like they drew up
2:20
a couple specifically for you.
2:21
Yeah. Yeah, he definitely did. Um, and
2:23
he also just kind of gave me a little
2:25
green light. He was just telling me to
2:26
go ahead and try to do what I could do.
2:28
So,
2:29
Jaden, Brendon Markson, the athletic.
2:31
Obviously, Seth is back. He's really the
2:33
only guard back, really the only
2:35
rotation player back from last year. How
2:36
do you sort of see yourself fitting in
2:37
with the rest of the perimeter guys that
2:39
UNCC added this off season? Like what
2:41
what can sort of your role be in your
2:42
eyes? Um, honestly,
2:46
outside of like putting the ball in the
2:48
basket and stuff like that, I really
2:49
just want to bring energy to the game,
2:50
play as hard as I possibly can. Um,
2:52
compete on the defensive side of the
2:55
ball. Um, and then obviously make shots
2:57
when I get them, but that's not really
2:58
what I'm pressing for.
3:00
Jeremiah Hall with South Carolina.
3:02
Obviously, you were at BT Tech, you got
3:04
to play with, you know, Shan Padulla,
3:06
Hunter Couture, some experienced guys
3:08
coming into this year and obviously
3:10
it's, you know, a lot of new, you know,
3:11
kind of bases. What types of lessons do
3:13
you kind of take from those guys that
3:15
you have kind of carried with you in
3:16
your first couple years of college?
3:18
Um, yeah. So, Sean and Hunter definitely
3:21
taught me a lot. Um, coming in my
3:23
freshman year. Just sitting behind those
3:24
guys taught me um really like the ins
3:27
and outs of everything. You got to have
3:28
a strict um schedule. You really got to
3:30
do things the right way. Treat this
3:32
treat it like you're a pro, honestly.
3:34
Um, so coming here just seeing like guys
3:38
like Caleb or a guy like uh Isaiah
3:41
Dennis, just being able to give them
3:42
little small tips like in practice. Um,
3:44
when you do get tired, you got to push
3:46
through it. You can't really show it. So
3:47
just little things like that that I can
3:49
just kind of feed him during practice
3:51
and stuff.
3:52
Sponsor appears you're coming in here
3:54
after Caleb. Just what was your first
3:55
impression of him when you got on campus
3:57
and kind of describe that for us?
4:00
um a freak athlete, somebody that's
4:03
really going to help us out a lot. Um
4:05
but my first impression was he's he's
4:07
just a good kid. Um he doesn't really do
4:10
much. He doesn't get outside of his
4:12
himself. Uh his personality is the same
4:15
at all times. So that's what I respect
4:16
about him. He doesn't try to change
4:17
himself for anyone.
4:18
Any moments um maybe like him cracking a
4:20
joke in practice or something off before
4:22
anything that stands out?
4:23
Um that's almost every day. So yeah,
4:26
not really
4:27
not really any standouts, but he's
4:29
definitely a guy that cracks jokes a
4:31
lot.
4:31
Jaden Rod Baxley, Fable Observer. Your
4:33
dad played at Mount Olive.
4:35
Yes, sir, he did.
4:36
How does that help you as a player? What
4:38
was he telling you going into this
4:40
process and how have you kind of taken
4:42
it now that you've been in it?
4:44
Um,
4:45
yeah, my whole life, my dad, he's he's
4:47
just been right there. He was my
4:48
trainer, my coach for a long time. So,
4:51
um, one of the like lessons that he
4:53
really taught me was just never get too
4:54
high, never get too low, no matter
4:55
what's going on. So, um, through high
4:58
school, through college, I never really
5:00
let the outside noise or adversity
5:03
really affect me. Um, just like I said
5:05
earlier, I validated myself really. Um,
5:08
and I just showed everybody what I could
5:09
do. So, uh, I definitely give my dad the
5:11
credit for that.
5:12
What was the conversation like with him
5:13
when you told him you would come here?
5:15
Um, honestly, he presented it to me. He
5:18
got the first call. Um,
5:21
and man, I think we just sat there and
5:24
looked at each other for about two
5:25
minutes and then he just explained
5:27
everything that was going on and I said,
5:29
"I told you I was going to be a Tar Hill
5:30
my whole life." So, that was pretty much
5:32
set in stone when we got the first phone
5:34
call.
5:35
Jaden kind of Jacob Turner 24/7.
5:37
Kind of building off that a little bit,
5:39
like what are your memories growing up?
5:40
Do you like go to basketball games? Do
5:41
you go to football games? Like what did
5:43
you guys do kind of growing up as
5:44
Carolina? Um, starting off I played
5:47
basketball and football at the Boys and
5:49
Girls Club in Ghost Bro. Um, we used to
5:50
take like team trips to come to football
5:52
games. Um, to the locker room and stuff
5:54
like that. Uh, and then basketball-wise
5:57
we used to come to um late night with
5:59
Roy almost every year. Um, unless my
6:01
grades were bad or something, but late
6:04
night with Roy every year just try to
6:06
sneak in a couple games, stuff like
6:07
that. But um man, I was a super fan like
6:11
being at school and almost having
6:12
butterflies when they played Carolina
6:13
and do games, stuff like that. So uh I
6:16
can remember all of it to be honest.
6:17
You watch games like on TV?
6:20
Every single game.
6:21
Yeah. What's the mattest you've been
6:22
watching again?
6:23
The maddest I've been h
6:27
the maddest I've been. It's a good one.
6:32
Ah,
6:34
I don't know. I got to think about that
6:35
one. The happiest I've been
6:41
g say when Kobe White was here.
6:43
Kobe was from Gold, too. So, um I want
6:45
to say it was ACC tournament against
6:47
Duke.
6:48
He had a pretty solid game. So, it was a
6:50
good one.
6:50
Butterfly. Butterflies before
6:53
I used to get anxious like I was
6:54
playing.
6:55
Now, you're in the locker room.
6:56
Locker, run out of the tunnel, do all
6:58
that. Have you even thought about what
6:59
that might be like or you hold off on
7:01
those things?
7:02
Honestly, none of this has really hit me
7:04
just yet. I think first game maybe. Um,
7:07
but I feel like I got a lot more
7:09
confidence in my game now, so I don't
7:10
think I'll be too nervous, you know.
7:13
You mentioned Kobe was just any other
7:14
favorite players that you watching?
7:18
Um, I got a lot of them. Uh,
7:24
let's start old. I used to like watching
7:27
uh I'm going go Harrison Barnes. I like
7:30
Harrison Barnes a lot. Uh, of course I'm
7:32
going to go Marcus Bae. I used to watch
7:34
a lot of point guards. So, I'm going to
7:35
go Marcus Paige. Um Joel Barry.
7:39
Uh
7:41
let's see.
7:43
There's a few more. My dad had me on
7:45
Tylen heavy.
7:46
I used to love Ty Lawson. So, um yeah,
7:51
you mentioned Marcus P. like to get to
7:53
know him as a
7:55
um just getting to pick his brain, see
7:57
exactly what he thinks about the game,
7:59
like what little tips he can give me.
8:00
Um, but a legendary guard. Um, you can
8:04
learn a lot from him and then he's right
8:05
there with us in practice. So, um, any
8:07
little thing I slip up on or I'll go
8:09
right to him and ask him like, "Yo, how
8:11
was I on defense?" Or, "What can I do
8:13
right here to improve?" So, it's
8:14
definitely good to have him.
8:15
Any specific piece of advice that he's
8:17
given
8:24
me, I don't really like really nitpick.
8:26
I'll go to him about little defensive
8:28
assignments and stuff like that, but I
8:30
don't really nitpick just that much.
8:32
Given your fandom, what were your
8:34
emotions when you played Carolina?
8:36
Um, my freshman year, we came here and
8:39
that was probably the most focused I've
8:40
ever been in my life. Um,
8:46
yeah, it was it was pretty crazy, but
8:48
being in the away locker room doesn't
8:49
really feel the same as being in the
8:51
home locker room. So, uh, honestly, I
8:53
just wanted to come out, see if I can
8:55
make a few shots. Obviously, I was
8:56
behind Hun Couture and all them and I
8:58
didn't really expect the game to go like
8:59
it did. I played a lot more than I
9:01
thought, but um really just trying to be
9:03
simple and sound, not mess up while I
9:05
was out there to be honest.
9:07
Jen, no stop at Tardial 24/7. Do you
9:09
think that when everything starts to hit
9:11
you when season comes and you run out of
9:12
the tunnel? Do you think with your
9:13
emotions, do you think it'll be
9:14
challenging at all for you to sort of
9:16
balance that with also being like, okay,
9:17
we got a game to play?
9:18
Um, no, I don't think so. I think um I
9:22
keep my business on my side and then uh
9:25
the fun comes a little later. But when I
9:27
get on the court, everything goes away
9:29
to be honest with you.
9:31
Go ahead. I'm sorry.
9:32
No, no, I'll get you off.
9:33
I was going to say uh who are the the
9:35
main voices on this year's team? Like
9:37
you go to practice or you're in locker
9:38
room, like whose voice are you hearing
9:40
the most?
9:40
Um of course Seth. Um you go with Henry
9:45
a lot. Those guys are really vocal
9:47
leaders. But honestly down the line I
9:49
think all of us are pretty good leaders.
9:50
All of us have a common goal. So I think
9:53
if anyone speaks up in a huddle,
9:55
everyone will respect it. So
9:57
just along those lines, what what is
9:59
your sense having played a couple years
10:01
in college of maybe the hunger of this
10:04
group? You all have come from
10:06
different places obviously, but it
10:08
sounds like from talking to guys that
10:10
you know this is a competitive group
10:11
like the competitiveness stands out.
10:13
Maybe the hunger to win stands out. I
10:15
mean you feel like that's accurate.
10:17
Yeah, that's very accurate. Uh, I think
10:19
we all are
10:21
huge competitors. Um, willing to do
10:23
anything to win. And I don't think
10:25
anyone's out for the credit. I don't
10:27
think anyone's out to get um,
10:32
noticed by by themselves, if that makes
10:34
sense. Uh, I think it's really a team
10:36
effort. Everyone's ready to compete.
10:37
Everyone's willing to win. So, um,
10:39
whatever it takes, honestly.
10:41
Just just a follow up if you don't mind.
10:43
Um maybe how have you sensed that? Like
10:47
have there been a moment in a in a
10:50
practice or an open gym where you're
10:51
like, "Oh, okay." Like uh you know,
10:54
these guys want it.
10:55
Uh I think every day, honestly, it gets
10:58
a little chippy. Um but
11:01
we go at each other all day, every day.
11:04
Um and then off the court, it's like
11:06
we're all brothers. We all can do
11:08
anything together. So when it gets on
11:09
the court and it gets a little chippy,
11:11
it's like you just brush it right off.
11:13
uh continue competing. Uh everybody's
11:16
playing as hard as possible. So, um
11:18
yeah, I don't think it
11:20
Jaden, playing against last season's
11:22
Carolina team and then playing with and
11:24
against these guys in practice this
11:26
year, what what differences have you
11:28
noticed?
11:29
Um
11:31
we have a lot of guys that can shoot the
11:32
three ball um stretch the floor. Uh
11:37
I think we can play with a little more
11:40
pace. Um, and then defensively I think
11:43
we all are uh dialing trying to get
11:45
stops. Um, that's definitely an emphasis
11:48
for us. So, I think defensive end is
11:50
definitely what's going to put us ahead.
11:52
A lot of the guys have talked about just
11:54
um the open gyms in the summer and how
11:56
big that was for you guys coming
11:57
together being a bond so quickly. What
11:59
stands out about those and then in
12:01
particular maybe for you growing up such
12:02
a fan and you former players that came
12:04
back that
12:05
just kind of blew your mind?
12:06
Um, yeah, that's what I was going to
12:07
say. The former players coming back.
12:08
This really shows like the tradition and
12:11
the family thing that's really going on
12:12
here. Um, and I think for the younger
12:16
guys playing with those guys, it's like
12:17
hard for us not to buy in because
12:19
everybody loves it here. Everybody comes
12:21
back, even people that's like not from
12:23
North Carolina. So, um, yeah, it makes a
12:26
world of a difference just being around
12:27
those guys and seeing how they talk
12:28
about it. See, like they're bringing
12:30
their families back and everything. So,
12:32
um, I think that plays a huge part in
12:34
our like chemistry and things like that.
12:35
Any favorite that stood out from that?
12:38
Like maybe a favorite player of yours
12:40
that you absolutely had.
12:41
Uh
12:44
I say when we played the Blue Ice
12:45
Gamers, I think Cam Johnson was here,
12:48
Luke May, Garrison Brooks. Uh it was a
12:51
lot of guys and then we had a pickup
12:53
game one day and RJ and Armando was
12:55
here. So, um it's just it's a good
12:58
feeling being around all those guys. Uh
13:01
great basketball players and even better
13:03
people. So, um, yeah, it's just great
13:05
just being around them and spending
13:06
time.
13:07
KJ Grant saturate of titles on SI. Um,
13:10
you played in the blue and white
13:11
scrimmage. You were able to go out there
13:12
and play in front of UNCC fans. How was
13:14
that feeling? And then also, you had the
13:16
six assist. So, just what was it like
13:18
playing on board just playing with the
13:19
teammates in front of all your fans?
13:21
Um, it felt great honestly. Uh, walking
13:24
out warm-ups and stuff like that, I was
13:25
just looking around trying to get a feel
13:27
for everything. But once the ball went
13:28
in there, it honestly felt like another
13:30
basketball game. Um, everyone was
13:33
cheering for us, everybody was into it.
13:34
So, that aspect of it, it was a little
13:36
different. Um, but,
13:39
uh, at the end of the day, it's all
13:40
basketball for sure. So, uh, really just
13:42
keeping the main thing the main thing,
13:44
but at the end of the day, seeing
13:45
everybody out there running out of that
13:47
tunnel is definitely a great feeling.
13:48
Surreal, for sure.
13:50
Jaden, as a Carolina fan, what was your
13:52
perception of Coach Davis from afar
13:54
versus now you're obviously in the gym
13:56
working with him, talking to him
13:57
basically every day. Is it same? Is it
13:58
different? Um,
14:00
I didn't really know a lot about Coach
14:03
Davis before, so um, I couldn't really
14:05
say much, but um, the guy that he is now
14:08
that I've met him, he's definitely a
14:10
people's person. Um, he likes having a
14:13
relationship with his guys. Um, and he's
14:16
a man of his word, so I can respect that
14:18
about him. Um, but yeah, I love Coach
14:20
Davis. He likes to sit down and have
14:22
conversation with us, likes to be around
14:23
us. So, um, and it's definitely mutual,
14:25
so I appreciate Coach Davis a lot, to be
14:27
honest with you.
14:29
Thanks Jane.
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