When Brooks Savage took over as East Tennessee State’s basketball coach, a lot of the starters headed for the NCAA transfer portal.
Jaden Seymour was not one of them.
kAm$6J>@FC[ 2=@?8 H:E9 E62>>2E6D yFDE:46 $>:E9[ p==6? $EC@E96CD 2?5 qC256? x=:4[ DE2J65 E96 4@FCD6]k^Am
kAm$6J>@FC 92D 366? 7=@FC:D9:?8 :? AC24E:46 F?56C $2G286 2?5 E96 ?6H DE277 2?5 E96 2E9=6E:4 e\7@@E\g 7@CH2C5[ H9@ A=2JD 23@G6 E96 C:>[ :D 6IA64E65 E@ 36 @?6 @7 qF4D’ >2:? 8FJD H96? E96 D62D@? DE2CED ?6IE >@?E9]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 366? @FC 36DE A=2J6C FA E@ E9:D A@:?E[ H9:49 :D 6IA64E65[” D2:5 $2G286] “w6’D 366? 96C6] w6 H2D H:E9 FD :? E96 DAC:?8] (6 8@E 2 =:EE=6 3:E @7 2 9625 DE2CE[ 3FE 96’D 2? @=56C 8FJ]”k^Am
kAm(96? y2=6? w2J?6D[ y@C52? z:?8[ y@D9 %2J=@C 2?5 s6p?E9@?J %:A=6C =67E E96 AC@8C2> 27E6C s6D>@?5 ~=:G6C H2D =6E 8@ 2D 4@249[ E96 qF4D D66>65 E@ E2<6 2 9:E :? E96 E2=6?E 56A2CE>6?E] $2G286 92D 7:==65 E96 9@=6D H:E9 AC@>:D:?8 C64CF:ED 2?5 EC2?D76CD 2?5 $6J>@FC 92D 96=A65 >2<6 E96 EC2?D:E:@? E@ 2 C@DE6C 7F== @7 ?6H A=2J6CD 2 D>@@E9 @?6]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 8@E 2 =@E @7 D<:? :? E96 82>6[ :? E9:D AC@8C2>[ 2 =@E @7 3=@@5[ DH62E 2?5 E62CD[” $2G286 D2:5] “w6 =@G6D E9:D A=246] p?5 J@F <?@H[ 96 H2?ED E@ H:? 96C6]”k^Am
kAm$6J>@FC[ H9@ EC2?D76CC65 E@ t%$& 7C@> (:49:E2 $E2E6 :? a_a`[ 2G6C2865 g]f A@:?ED 2?5 f]d C63@F?5D H9:=6 DE2CE:?8 ac 82>6D =2DE J62C] (9:=6 9:D ?F>36CD 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ 8@ FA E9:D D62D@?[ A6C92AD 2 3:886C 4@?EC:3FE:@? H:== 4@>6 :? E96 =6256CD9:A 56A2CE>6?E]k^Am
kAm“x H@?’E D2J :E’D E@@ >F49 @7 2 5:776C6?46 ;FDE 3642FD6 x 766= ?2EFC2==J x’> 8@:?8 E@ 5@ H92E x’> DFAA@D65 E@ 5@ 2?5 H92E ?665D E@ 36 5@?6 7@C E96 E62> @? E96 4@FCE[” $6J>@FC D2:5] “$@ x 766= =:<6 x’> DE:== ;FDE 36:?8 >JD6=7[ A=2J:?8 >J C@=6[ 2?5 E9:D ;FDE 42>6 H:E9 :E E9:D J62C]”k^Am
kAm$6J>@FC D9@E ceT 7C@> E96 7:6=5 2?5 =65 E96 E62> :? C63@F?5:?8 =2DE D62D@?] ~? 2 E62> E92E DECF88=65 E@ D9@@E 7C@> =@?8 C2?86[ 96 H2D 6?4@FC2865 E@ AFE FA b\A@:?E D9@ED 2?5 24EF2==J 8@E 9@E 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C E@ C2:D6 9:D A6C46?E286 E@ acT[ 2 ?F>36C E92E H:== 92G6 E@ :?4C62D6 :7 96 4@?E:?F6D E@ D9@@E E96>]k^Am
kAm“s67:?:E6=J :>AC@G:?8[” $6J>@FC D2:5] “v6EE:?8 36EE6C =:EE=6 3J =:EE=6 6G6CJ J62C[ ;FDE >2<:?8 DFC6 x DE2J :? E96 8J> 2?5 ;FDE 4@?D:DE6?E=J H@C<:?8 E@ <66A 86EE:?8 36EE6C]”k^Am
kAmvF2C5 t33J pD2>@29[ H9@ EC2?D76CC65 7C@> s6=2H2C6[ 92D 4@>6 2H2J :>AC6DD65 27E6C H@C<:?8 H:E9 $6J>@FC D:?46 E96 DF>>6C]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 4C2KJ 2E9=6E:4[” pD2>@29 D2:5] “*@F D9@F=5 D66 E9:D 5F56] w6 ;F>AD @FE E96 8J>] xE’D C62==J 8@:?8 E@ 36 8C62E A=2J:?8 H:E9 2 3F?49 @7 2E9=6E:4 5F56D @? E96 D2>6 4@FCE] x 766= =:<6 H6 42? C62==J @G6CA@H6C E62>D]”k^Am
kAm%96 qF4D DE2CE65 @77:4:2= AC6D62D@? AC24E:46 E9:D H66<] %96:C 7:CDE 82>6 :D }@G] e H96? z:?8 &?:G6CD:EJ 4@>6D E@ uC665@> w2==]k^Am
kAm“#62==J 6I4:E65[ C625J 7@C E96 D62D@? 2?5 DE2CE[” $6J>@FC D2:5] “#62==J :E’D 4@>:?8 FA 72DE 3FE H6 ;FDE 42?’E H2:E 7@C E96 D62D@? DE2CE] x 766= =:<6 H6’G6 8@E 6G6CJE9:?8 H6 ?665]”k^Am