Prospect Spotlight: Jaylin Hartman – Blair Academy ’23

New Jersey’s 2023 class for girls basketball is one that is deep, filled with some of the best talent across the state. Those incoming juniors, now upperclassmen in their respective schools, are going to be relied on more as team leaders and go-to scorers and playmakers. Nowhere is that more true than forward [player_tooltip player_id="134756" first="Jaylin" last="Hartman"], a 6-2 talent out of Blair Academy, who has been tearing up the high school and AAU scene. Hartman, after an excellent freshman season, didn’t get a chance to show out as a sophomore as the Covid-19 pandemic raged on and Blair didn’t play during the 2021 season. One exhibition game against The Hun School was all the Bucs got. She ended up scoring 12 points in a 76-58 win, but for that entire team, they ended up losing a full season of basketball. However, Hartman has been hard at work preparing for the 2021 AAU season, where she plays for Team Sharp. We’re going to take a closer look at Hartman’s highlights from the Philly Face Off this weekend to tell you why she’s a major name to watch in the Garden State moving forward. The first thing that stands out about Hartman is her height, and you can’t teach height. Standing at 6’2”, she might be listed as a forward, but she’s a versatile player and possesses many traits of a guard. Hartman is a shooter and wow can she shoot the lights out of the gym. There’s a lot to like about her expansive range on the court and the most important thing about a shooter is touch and confidence. It might sound corny, but confidence can produce results. She’s got an effortless motion and release and her height is a massive advantage for anyone trying to guard her. She’s a matchup nightmare for smaller guards. She has fantastic court vision and her size not only helps with picking out teammates as a passer, but hauling in rebounds to start fast breaks. It’s really interesting to watch Hartman on offense as she’s a great off-ball player, but she does tend to migrate to the perimeter a lot. A versatile player like her can do that and be really effective, but in a way, it’s a decoy as she’s a physical player going toward the lane. That goes for both sides of the ball as she looks to be more of a perimeter defender due to her agility. If needed, she can switch off down low, but in a lineup with a true center, she becomes a massive asset. Hartman hasn’t let the missed season slow her down, and this AAU season, she’s come to play in a big way. You’re going to be hearing her name a lot coming up, so watch out, especially this coming season at Blair.