Enjoying The Game

Jay Young just wants to play ball. 

Maryland’s 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard is playing at his fifth school and is simply focused on playing basketball. His journey is unlike many others, but his experience on the court and in different locker room settings allows him to lead the Terps on and off the court. 

Terps head coach Kevin Willard regards Young as one of the best additions he brought to College Park through the portal during the offseason. 

“Jay's probably been my best addition by far from me because he's got a really good way about him,” Willard said. “He's got a smile on his face. He's a great teammate. You don't have to run anything for Jay. You don't have to worry about Jay. He comes to the gym every day, and he's really fun to coach.”

Young, a nonprofit management graduate student, is chasing an NCAA Tournament appearance on the hardwood. But in the classroom, he’s pursuing his third degree. 

His journey starts in Dallas, where he attended Garland High School. He scored 1,000 points, was a two-time First-Team All-District member and was named the Offensive Player of the Year for the Owls. 

However, according to 247Sports, Young was unranked as a prospect. He received some interest from current Maryland assistant Kevin Norris. At the time, he was an assistant at UCF, but Young was undersized and never received an offer. 

Young always dreamed of playing basketball at a high major university, but he took his talents to Grambling State — an HBCU in Louisiana. He never saw the court for the Tigers, so he redshirted and pivoted to the junior college route, attending Baton Rouge Community College. 

For many, the dynamic would be mentally challenging. But not for Young. He says he stayed motivated, knowing he would eventually reach his goal. It was only a matter of time, so he enjoyed his journey and wrote his own story. 

“It was actually fun to me,” Young said. “I was getting to play basketball. I played like 40 minutes a game, and I was the guy, so it was fun for me. I had no worries.”

Young played at the JUCO level for two seasons and earned an associate’s degree. He then developed as a player and added weight to his frame, making him more appealing to Division I programs.  

He transferred again, as his prior relationship with Norris led him to UCF. Young appeared in 33 of 34 games for the Knights as a redshirt sophomore in 2022-23, averaging 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. In his second game, he scored a career-high 17 points in a 68-54 win over Florida State.  

Still, things didn’t work out for Young in Orlando. He admits he was irresponsible and still lacked maturity. A falling-out led him to enter the transfer portal. 

He concluded Memphis was a better fit for him, so he became Tiger for the second time. Playing under head coach Penny Hardaway, Young played in 27 of 32 games, averaging 2.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game during the 2023-24 season. 

During the offseason, Norris left UCF and joined Maryland’s staff. That led Young to enter the transfer portal once more. He wanted to be a Terp and reunite with Norris.  

Young believes his journey has allowed him to lead in ways he previously couldn’t. He wasn’t always the one to speak up, but through challenging environments, he’s sought to be the glue that keeps the team together. He sees potential for greatness with the Terps’ 2024-25 team. 

“I definitely became more mature, and honestly, I know what's right from wrong,” Young said. “I just try to teach the other guys to make sure we all stay on the same page because we’ve had some meltdowns at my previous schools, and it can cost you. Our job at the end of the day is to make the tournament. Everybody wants to make the tournament, but we definitely have a team to do that.”

Willard compared Young to a classic basketball player who plays for the love of the game. He also praised his leadership qualities. 

“In today's environment, with all the stress on these guys and NIL and all this other stuff, Jay's a little bit like a throwback,” Willard said. “He just wanted to come here and play at the highest level and give himself a chance to experience it. He's been a great addition from a leadership and an attitude standpoint.”

Young’s college basketball journey started in Texas and led him to stops in Louisiana, Florida and Tennessee before coming to Maryland. He’s brought unparalleled leadership and knowledge that even his veteran teammates speak highly of.  

“He’s brought a lot of wisdom, especially being at the point guard position, being a natural leader at that position and being very vocal in practice,” senior big man Julian Reese said. “I feel like he's a very selfless player, playing a lot of defense and doing a lot of things that don't show up in the stat book. I feel like he's just great for our team.”

At Maryland, Young is doing what he’s always done — enjoy the journey. 

“I just enjoy having fun with the game because you never know when your last game is,” Young said. “I just enjoy playing it. I don't really try to focus on too much else.”