Jayden Pierre is an important signing for Providence

The final horn sounded, and, for the first time all day, you see a slight grin come across Jayden Pierre’s face. The 6-foot-1 point guard played for 32-minutes and finished with 14 points, seven assists, and five steals as he spearheaded a big second-half surge and win.

Long Island (NY) Lutheran was in Montverde, Florida, for the 19th annual Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament. The matchup was against Dallas (TX) Kimball High and McDonald’s All-American Arterio Morris.

Pierre has spent his entire life playing in the shadows. Despite a standout summer playing with Team Rio on the UAA circuit, Pierre entered the year unranked by any of the four major services. As his senior season progressed, he slowly entered rankings, currently sitting at No. 140 in the 2022 On3 Consensus.

Pierre had this game circled, he competes in every game, but he also knows when he is going against a highly ranked player at his position. The best competitors can find a storyline in every setting. A week earlier, the McDonald’s All-American committee announced Arterio Morris had earned a spot on its roster.

“I think I am one of the best guards in the country and still underrated,” Jayden Pierre told On3 after his performance against Kimball. “The chip on my shoulder comes from being under the radar my whole life and having to prove myself every time I step on the court.”

The smile on Pierre’s face as he left the floor was satisfaction. He set out to prove a point, and the 18 point win justified his expectations.

Providence

There is hope within the Providence basketball program. The Friars have surged out to a 20-2 record to start the season and sit atop the Big East standings. Their coach, Ed Cooley, is one of the hottest names in college basketball.

In Pierre, Cooley has signed one of the top point guards in the northeast, a player he can trust to run his program for the next few years. While Providence has traditionally done some heavy lifting in the transfer portal, this season’s team has six seniors among its top seven scorers. Three of the seniors are super seniors, which means three will have the option to return.

However, with Jared Bynum being the only sure thing returning, it looks like Pierre will need to be thrown into the fire sooner rather than later.

“I’m just a leader,” Pierre said. “I try to do whatever it takes to win, shoot the ball, score the ball, get my teammates involved. I take pride in my defense. Whatever it takes to win.”

Pierre is one of three players Cooley signed during the early period. He joins 7-foot center Christ Essandoko and Essandoko’s high school teammate, 6-foot-4 shooting guard Quante Berry of Winston-Salem (NC) Christian in the class.

Winning

Providence has a rich basketball history; however, they do not have a lot of banners. Providence was a founding member of the Big East in 1979. Its coach at the time, Dave Gavitt, was the creator and original Commissioner of the league.

In the 43 years since joining the Big East, Providence has made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. They won the Big East Tournament twice (1994, 2014) and made it past the Sweet 16 twice.

Jayden Pierre is determined to sustain the success this year’s Providence team is experiencing.

“I am going to bring a winning culture to Providence,” Pierre said. “I will be fun to watch, and I promise the fans I will leave it all on the floor every time out.”

Long Island Lutheran head coach John Buck sees the same future for Pierre, “When you have an unselfish leader, that means so much to the team,” Buck told On3. “He is an unselfish leader, and at the end of the day, everyone knows he wants to win, which keeps the team in line. Jayden is going to continue seeing a lot of success.”

Pierre the player

Leadership goes a long way, especially when it comes from your point guard. It is something you have, or you don’t and one of the reasons why Pierre can be thrown into the fire immediately; his attitude and leadership.

It does not matter when you see Jayden Pierre; there always seems to be a crowd of teammates around him. In the stands watching a game, coming out of the locker room after a game, or in the huddle during a game, teammates seem to gravitate to Pierre.

“(Jayden) is one of the most coachable and unselfish players I’ve ever had,” Buck said. “He wants to win above all else, whatever it takes. He is very mature, I can talk with him about things the team is going through, and he has a great perspective on it.”

Pierre gets his offense going with his defense. He locks in on the opposing team’s top perimeter threat from the opening tip. With Long Island Lutheran traveling around the country to play a national schedule, many times, the opposing team’s best perimeter threat is a nationally ranked player.

These matchups are when Pierre thrives when the chip on his shoulder shines brightest. In this game, against Morris, Pierre finished with five steals. Long Island Luthern scored off of each of the changes of possession. Whether it be a kick out for three or Pierre finishing on his own, he created opportunities and led his team to capitalize.

“His identity is to lock up; it is what he does and who he is,” Buck said. “He is an outstanding defender; we put him on the other team’s most dangerous perimeter weapon. He is 6-foot-1, but he plays like he is 6-foot-5 with his length and his heart.”

Pierre’s recruitment

After his performance with Team Rio on the UAA circuit, Pierre saw a boost in his recruitment. Providence offered, along with Minnesota, Xavier, and Creighton. However, Providence had found its man, and Ed Cooley took personal control of this recruitment.

“I liked the coaching staff and the culture and family environment they built up there,” Pierre said. “Coach (Ed) Cooley is a great guy and a great coach. We built a great relationship. I felt comfortable.”

Pierre also took note of the history of the program. The 21 NBA Draft picks Providence has had since joining the Big East, and the current trajectory of the program played factors as well.

“I know the talent they have produced over the years, developed them to go to the next level,” Pierre said. “Right now, Coach has the guys rocking.”

With a 10-1 record, Providence is in first place in the Big East, with five games left before the conference tournament. Providence has never won the Big East regular season. While Pierre saw potential in the small catholic college, Ed Cooley saw a key ingredient to sustained success.

Jayden Pierre walked off the Montverde Academy floor with a satisfied grin across his face, knowing that winners win.