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By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Call it flash.
Call it flare.
Call it fun.
Whatever superlatives you want to use, Shadow Mountain senior point guard Jaelen House is one of the most dynamic and exciting players in the nation.
And, he comes by it honestly.
They’re all trademarks of his father, former PAC-10 Player of the Year and NBA Champion Eddie House. The elder House racked up 2,044 points at Arizona State prior to his 11-year NBA career. The same guy that dropped 61 points in a college game.
“I’ve been playing like that since I was six years old, I don’t really pattern my game after anyone…,” said House.
Before his coach – and uncle – fellow former NBA star Mike Bibby cut in – “He’s just like his dad. There’s not a shot he doesn’t like either.”
The younger House agreed, “That’s true… I’ll shoot anything.”
That same passion that has guided Shadow Mountain to a 17-1 start, a top-10 national ranking and one of the biggest games in program history, a date with undefeated, No. 2 nationally-ranked McEachern.
On Thursday, House lit up previously unbeaten and nationally ranked Belleville West for 31 points and five steals, shooting 6-for-11 from 3-point range.
From tip until the final horn, House set the tone for what was an impressive win for Shadow Mountain, briefly pausing for his typical viral celebrations.
“He can go left or right. He can shoot it from 3, he can pull up; he plays with a lot of confidence,” said Belleville West coach Joe Muniz. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a kid with that much confidence on the court. He carries himself with a lot of confidence. We had a hard time guarding him tonight and he’s going to Arizona State for a reason.”
Maybe the most misunderstood part of House’s game is that passion. It’s not necessarily to show up an opponent, it is simply an expression of his love of basketball and a means to inspire his teammates.
It works.
The Matadors dismantled Belleville West despite giving up several inches to a larger frontline led by Ohio State signee E.J. Liddell. House’s partner in crime, Grand Canyon signee Jovan Blacksher, fed off that emotion as well with 19 points of his own.
Blacksher is used to it by now and the duo has developed is pseudo yin-yang approach.
“We’ve been playing together for like six or seven years and we balance each other out,” said Blacksher. “He’s very uptempo, and I’m like that in certain situations, but I’m usually more composed. When it needs to be calm, I can do that.”
Bibby isn’t thrilled with the antics, but he understands.
Similar to the guy that talks a little trash during a pick-up game, his emotion is the catalyst for why House has become one of the nation’s best players.
“Sometimes I wish it wouldn’t be so much but it gets him going. I’m on him a lot to calm him down, but that all gets him going and it gets him going on both ends,” said Bibby.
But, you can’t argue with the results.
Shadow Mountain went 25-2 last year, claiming the Arizona 4A State Championship, the programs third in a row under Bibby with House and Blacksher being at the core of it all as 4-year lettermen.
The dynamic duo has combined for nearly 3,200 career points and nearly 1,000 steals.
“That’s the way they play. The handle the ball for us and take most of the shots,” said Bibby. “They’re aggressive on both ends of the court. That’s what they do, they come out and take care of the game on both ends of the court.”
With all that production – and the fact both guards are shooting better than 40 percent from 3 – the comparison to The Splash Brothers is natural. But, Bibby has his own nickname for the duo.
The Snatch Brothers.
“They get steals… a lot of steals.”
As for Friday’s matchup with McEachern, the usually animated House downplayed it all, including his matchup with top 2020 point guard Sharife Cooper in a nationally-televised game.
“We’re not worried about the big stage, it’s just another game for us.”
