Inside Jaylen Harrell’s Journey

Elias Benaka | Thursday, February 27th, 2025

If you are a fan of high school basketball in New England, you have heard the name Jaylen Harrell.

I recently got the opportunity to sit down with him and talk about his journey to play at the next level. He has been a standout for Expressions Elite EYBL throughout his high school career, as well as a 2,000-point scorer in the NEPSAC.

In his freshman and sophomore years, he played on a St. Sebastian’s team with the now No. 1 nationally ranked high school basketball player, AJ Dybantsa. After finishing two seasons there, he decided to continue his career at CATS Academy under one of his AAU coaches, Cary Herer.

His strong play on both of those teams has led him to be a star in Kim English’s 2025 recruiting class at Providence College. This article will focus on his journey, development, and aspirations for the future.

For Jaylen, basketball has always been a part of his life. He was first introduced to the sport “when I was like 7, playing Pee Wee leagues and watching my dad play,” he says. This is a typical start for some aspiring college basketball players, but having his dad with him every step of the journey has had a huge impact on him.

When asked who has played the biggest role in his basketball career, he responded, “Number one is my dad because he has been with me the whole time.” This helped to inspire Harrell to really focus on basketball and make his family proud.

In eighth grade, Jaylen joined a stacked Expressions Elite team. “It was me, AJ [Dybantsa], Travis Upchurch, Cooper [Flagg]—we had a really good group.” A good group is an understatement, and he was able to stand out on that team and make a strong name for himself.

The roster itself had extremely high aspirations, with the players having the mindset that “everyone on that team knew [they] had a chance to go D1.” Once you realize that you have the ability to make it to the next level, it becomes an everyday battle of taking care of your body and making sure you work on developing your game.

Jaylen is all about how he takes care of his body: “You really got to value how you take care of your body, the stuff you put in your body, and just keep your money makers well,” he says about preparing for the next level.

He is an avid chef and makes meals that help him get stronger and bigger for college. On the basketball end, the vision changed Harrell’s mindset: “You took it more seriously. You realize that basketball is more like a business,” he said, speaking to how basketball becomes a full-time job for high school players. On top of balancing academics, you need to have the right mindset in order to succeed.

Harrell is an all-around offensive threat. He describes his playing style as being able to “do a little bit of everything,” adding, “I think I’m known for my scoring, but I think I rebound the ball well.”

This is all very true, and his scoring ability is usually unmatched on the floor. He can hit tough jump shots as well as find open teammates for easy buckets. “I pass the ball, I make people better,” he says, which is a staple of his game.

While some of his physical traits may have come naturally, Jaylen credits a great group of people in the basketball world who have helped him get to where he is now: “Team Spartans program, Joe Chapman, and the Expressions program—Todd Quarles and Cary Herer” were some of the specific people and programs he mentioned as playing a key role in his development.

He has seen a ton of success on the court with Expressions, playing a big role on their EYBL team. This past summer, he averaged 13.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists as one of the focal points for the program on a team that included London Jemison (Alabama), Dwayne Aristode (Arizona), and Nigel James (Marquette)—just to name a few.

High school has not been typical for Jaylen.

“When I was at St. Sebs with Trevor Mullin and AJ, just us having like damn near a perfect season” was an exciting start for him.

That team had a ton of hype around it, and for good reason, as they performed at a high level against the best prep teams in the country. Having such a talented teammate like AJ to work with that early in your career is huge. Iron sharpens iron, as they say, and being able to practice together daily was definitely beneficial to both prospects.

At CATS, he has had many big-time performances. “When I dropped like 50 on Andre and Bryce” tops his list of moments at his time in Braintree. His 50-point performance against a Brimmer and May squad featuring Andre Mills and Bryce Dortch at the Scholar Roundball Classic was just another example of his upside at the next level.

Playing prep school basketball in New England is a great way to gain recognition, and when you pair that with an EYBL-level AAU team, it can develop you in an extraordinary way. “It taught me how to use my versatility,” Jaylen says about playing in two very different settings.

“When you go to EYBL, there’s a lot more high-flying athletes. You have to be smart with angles,” he explains.

“When you go back to New England,” he continues, “they are way smarter and more skilled.”

Balancing this versatility and knowing when to use different parts of your skill set to impact the game is very important and will help with his transition to college. In Jaylen’s own words, “Having the versatility of knowing when to use your IQ and then when to use your actual talent and natural gifts” has been key in his development.

All of the hard work and great performances have ultimately led Harrell into Providence College’s 2025 recruiting class.

One of the biggest contributors to this decision was his relationship with head coach Kim English. Having a coach that you can rely on and who wants to see you succeed is important. “He calls me every day. We talk every day,” Jaylen says about their relationship.

Before he arrives on campus this summer, Harrell said, “[We] have already been trying to develop my body so I am college-ready to have opportunities as a freshman.” This preparation will be extremely beneficial for his success early in his college career.

Another reason for his decision was that Providence is “just the right fit, and close to home.”

Having representation from New England prep basketball at one of the top Division I programs in the region is a great opportunity. One more goal for Jaylen before his high school career comes to an end is “to win back-to-back Gatorade Player of the Year awards,” which he explains “puts a target on your back.”

For him, the most important thing in embracing the pressure is to “just love it and like to give back when you can.” If you let pressure affect your performance, it can be hard to get to the next level, so instead, Jaylen uses it as motivation and a driving force in his game.

Before stepping onto the court for the Friars, Jaylen is working to improve “defense and lateral quickness.” He adds, “I feel like if I can play defense, it is gonna be very hard to not have me on the court,” which is especially true for a freshman.

If he can translate his offensive prowess to the defensive end, there’s no reason why Coach English and his staff won’t provide Jaylen with opportunities for success. His two main goals for his first year? “To [be named to the] Big East All-Freshman Team and go to March Madness.”

For Jaylen, “Providence hasn’t gone to March Madness since Ed Cooley left,” and “that is what we are going to try and do.”

Harrell has had quite the journey so far. His advice to younger players? “Just keep working. Everyone’s gonna have an opportunity… You just wanna make sure you are prepared when it happens.”

Jaylen’s opportunity came early—but his message is clear: Stay ready, keep improving, and success will follow.