GR Christian’s Jaylan Ouwinga is having a strong summer
Grand Rapids Christian’s Jaylan Ouwinga grabs a rebound against Warren DeLaSalle on Jan. 21, 2023. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
ALLENDALE, Mich. - Jaylan Ouwinga trailed the play on a breakaway, grabbed an offensive rebound and dunked it with authority.
That’s the kind of athleticism that college coaches saw out of the 6-foot-9 forward from Grand Rapids Christian at the BCAM top prospect team camp last weekend at Grand Valley State.
“Jay has had a good weekend (at BCAM) and a summer so far,” GR Christian coach Eric Taylor said. “There have been a lot of coaches from all different levels that are interested. He has a great upside. He needs to continue to work and get stronger. He’ll get a lot more offers this summer.”
Ouwinga, who will be a senior in the fall, picked up an offer from Central Michigan University this week after a strong showing at the BCAM event. He also has offers from Akron, Eastern Michigan, Oakland, Western Michigan and Toledo.
Does Ouwinga enjoy the recruiting process?
“For sure, I’m excited,” he said. “We have a few more live periods to play in (this summer). I’ll just play my hardest and see what’s out there.”
But for now, he’s focused on helping his GR Christian team gel during team camps.
“I hope to see our team get better,” Ouwinga said. “So down the stretch (in the high school season), we can get better and be strong in the playoffs.”
The Eagles had a dominant 20-6 record last season, winning a district title and making it to the regional championship game before falling to Unity Christian 58-56.
“We have a lot of seniors,” Ouwinga said. “So we should be leaders in our own way and figure out a way to help our team win.”
Grand Rapids Christian has had a lot of players play for Division I colleges. Taylor said he loves seeing Ouwinga get that chance also.
“I’m so happy for him,” he said. “When you have great players in your program, you continue to get notoriety. We have a rich tradition of helping players get to the next level. That’s what I’ve enjoyed the most. Helping players develop to get to the next level.”
Grand Rapids Christian’s Jaylan Ouwinga posts up against against Warren Michigan Collegiate on Feb. 4, 2023. He scored the winning bucket at the buzzer in the game. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
