As the old saying goes, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
When watching Shadow Mountain’s Jaelen House seamlessly navigate through traffic and drop in a high-arcing jump shot it’s easy to see the game of basketball at times comes effortlessly to the fast-rising freshman guard.
The 6-1, 160-pounder comes from a House-hold, so-to-speak, of basketball blood lines. Jaelen’s father Eddie House was a standout guard at Arizona State who played 11 seasons in the NBA and won an NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. The younger House’s uncle and SMHS head coach is Mike Bibby who helped lead the Arizona Wildcats to a National Championship and played 14 seasons in the league averaging just under 15 points and 5.5 assists per game. Lastly, his cousin Michael Bibby is the Matadors’ leading scorer.
The youngest of the basketball marksmen said it’s easy to understand what he’s learned most from each of them.
“How to shoot,” House said after his 14-point effort in Shadow’s 88-56 Sectional win over Arcadia last week. “They just help me play the right way. They help me play defense…to be in the right spot.”
Jaelen House is not only adjusting to high school life but being a key member of the Matadors’ loaded roster. His dad is cognizant of helping keep things in perspective on and off the court.
“I let him relax,” Eddie House told Sports360AZ.com. “Sometimes you need to take your mind off the game and sometimes you need to keep your mind on the game.”
The fun-loving, goofy at times Jaelen House, Shadow Mountain’s third-leading scorer (averaging just under 10 points a game), has had to learn on the fly at times this season and got some simple, yet vital advice from his coach early in the season.
“You gotta pay attention,” Mike Bibby said to his nephew. “You’re not playing against young kids anymore. Every night you’re going up against 18-year-olds…you can’t do the stuff you used to do in middle school. He’s learning.”
Yes, learning from some of the best.
