Jaylen Curry, a top 2023 unsigned recruit, anticipating Wichita State official visit

One of the top uncommitted high school seniors in the class of 2023 will be in attendance at Koch Arena on Sunday.

Jaylen Curry, a 6-foot point guard who is rated as the No. 68 prospect in the country by ESPN, will take an official visit to Wichita State this weekend, culminating with a Roundhouse experience to watch the Shockers take on SMU at 3 p.m. Sunday with a nationally televised game on ESPN.

In an interview with The Eagle ahead of the visit, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native said he was excited to visit Wichita for the first time.

“I can’t wait to see about the atmosphere there,” Curry said. “They’ve sent me clips about how crazy it gets there, so I’m just ready to go there and get my own point of view on everything.”

Curry is a high-octane, left-handed scoring guard who plays for Calvary Christian Academy, a prep school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He holds offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Memphis, Florida State, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech, although he told The Eagle that he has been recruited the most recently by WSU, Gonzaga, Ole Miss, Florida State and North Carolina State.

“I’m planning on making my decision after my season, but I was just telling my mentor today that if everything goes right and Wichita feels right then I might sign there,” Curry said. “It just depends on how it goes.”

Ole Miss has long been considered the front-runner for Curry since it was the first program to offer him a scholarship and host him on an official visit, but WSU has made a late push in Curry’s recruitment behind the efforts of assistant Tyson Waterman, who extended Curry an offer in January.

He’s an explosive lead guard who would fit the bill of what WSU will need in its 2023 recruiting class to help replace the production of star point guard Craig Porter. WSU coach Isaac Brown currently has one player in his upcoming class in three-star forward Makhi Myles, a high school senior from Starkville, Miss.

“I put in work day in and day out on my game and I would describe myself as someone who can get to the cup and score the ball at all three levels,” Curry said. “But at any given point, I can get my teammates involved and put them in positions to score and have them feeling good too. I feel like I can get my buckets whenever. It’s a God-given talent.”

Curry began his high school career playing for a public school in Charlotte but made the move to Calvary Christian for his final high school season. He said the elevated competition level has helped him improve his game.

WSU can offer an open competition for playing time right away and has a history of producing professional basketball players at the point guard position, which Curry said appealed to him.

He will watch as the Shockers (12-12, 5-7 AAC) try to bounce back from a disappointing home loss to UCF on Wednesday with a win against a bottom-tier American Athletic Conference team in SMU (9-16, 4-8 AAC).

“I’m just looking for somewhere that’s going to help me better myself as a person on and off the court,” Curry said. “I’m also looking for a place that’s going to be the best spot for me to get to the next level and prepare me because I don’t just want to continue my dream in college. I want to get to the NBA.”

SMU at Wichita State basketball preview

Records: SMU 9-16, 4-8 AAC; WSU 12-12, 5-7 AAC

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Koch Arena (10,506), Wichita

TV broadcast: ESPN

Radio: KEYN, 103.7-FM

KenPom says: WSU 71, SMU 64

Series: WSU leads 9-6 (5-2 in Wichita)

Projected starting lineups

SMU Mustangs

Coach: Rob Lanier, first season, 9-16

Wichita State Shockers

Coach: Isaac Brown, third season, 43-31

This story was originally published February 10, 2023 at 5:00 AM.

Taylor Eldridge

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6270

Wichita State athletics beat reporter. Bringing you closer to the Shockers you love and inside the sports you love to watch.