Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site
1

Jayden Gardner

Forward
Position
6'6''
Height
233 lbs.
Weight
Fifth Year
Class
Wake Forest, N.C.
Hometown
Heritage
High School
East Carolina
Previous School
Instagram
Jayden Gardner - Men's Basketball - Virginia Cavaliers

2022-23
• ACC All-Tournament First Team
• All-ACC honorable mention honors
• Preseason All-ACC Second Team
• Malone Award Preseason Top-20 Watch List
• All-ACC Academic Team
• ACC Honor Roll
• NABC Honors Court
• Started 33 games
• Averaged 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game
• Shot 51 percent from the field and 68.5 percent from the free throw line
• Finished career with 2,395 points, 1,120 rebounds and 206 assists
• Ranked 15th in the ACC in rebounding (5.8) and 10th in double-doubles (5)
• Surpassed 2,000 career points with three points vs. NCCU (11/7/22)
• Scored 10 points and grabbed 1,000th career rebound vs. Syracuse (1/7/23)
• Scored game-high 26 points (12 of 15 FG) vs. UMES (11/22/22)
• Registered 20 points and 10 rebounds at Virginia Tech (2/4/23)
• Recorded team-high 19 points and 12 rebounds at North Carolina (2/25/23)
• Recorded 18 points and six rebounds vs. Boston College (1/28/23)
• Scored 18 points along with five rebounds vs. NC State (2/7/23)
• Team highs in points (17) and rebounds (8) at Syracuse (1/30/23)
• Recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds vs. North Carolina (3/9/23)
• Recorded 16 points and seven rebounds vs. UAlbany (12/28/22)
• Scored 16 points and added four rebounds vs. Louisville (3/4/23)
• Scored 16 points along with two blocks at Boston College (2/22/23)
• Tallied 14 points and eight rebounds vs. JMU (12/6/22)
• Scored 14 points at Georgia Tech (12/31/22)
• Netted 13 points along with six rebounds vs. Houston (12/17/22)
• Registered 12 points and 11 rebounds at Michigan (11/29/22)
• Scored 12 points along with nine rebounds vs. Clemson (2/28/23)
• Recorded 12 points and five rebounds vs. Illinois (11/20/22)
• Tallied 12 points and four rebounds vs. Virginia Tech (1/18/23)
• Tallied eight points and 12 rebounds vs. Notre Dame (2/18/23)
• Lettered

2021-22
• USBWA All-District 3 Team
• All-ACC Third Team
• All-ACC Academic Team
• ACC Honor Roll
• VaSID University Division All-State Second Team
• ACC Player of the Week (Feb. 14)
• Legends Classic Most Valuable Player
• Karl Malone Award Watch list
• Started all 35 games
• Averaged 15.3 points and 6.4 rebounds
• Shot 50.1 percent from the field, 21.4 percent from 3-point range and 79.3 percent from the free throw line
• Ranked seventh in the ACC in field goal percentage (50.1%) and free throw percentage (79.3%), 12th in scoring (15.3 ppg) and 17th in rebounding (6.4 rpg)
• Recored 18 points and 10 rebounds vs. Navy (11/9/21)
• Tallied 18 points vs. Radford (11/12/21)
• Totaled 14 points and 12 rebounds vs. Coppin State (11/19/21)
• Recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds vs. Providence (11/23/21)
• Tallied 18 points and eight rebounds vs. Iowa (11/29/21)
• Converted game-winning shot with 0.9 seconds in 57-56 win over Pitt (12/3/21)
• Registered 12 points and season-high 14 rebounds at JMU (12/7/21)
• Scored 29 points on career-high 14  field goals vs. FDU (12/18/21)
• Netted 15 points at Syracuse (1/1/22)
• Scored game-high 23 points at Clemson (1/4/22)
• Scored 14 points at Pitt (1/19/22)
• Totaled 14 points and five rebounds vs. Louisville (1/24/22)
• Recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds at Notre Dame (1/29/22)
• Scored 17 points vs. Boston College (2/1/22)
• Recorded game-high 22 points and matched a career-high with four steals vs. Miami (2/5/22)
• Tallied 17 points and eight rebounds at Duke (2/7/22)
• Scored game-high 26 points and added career-high three blocks vs. Georgia Tech (2/12/22)
• Tallied 17 points and 14 rebounds at Virginia Tech (2/14/22)
• Scored 23 points and matched a career high with three blocks at Miami (2/19/22)
• Scored 16 points vs. Duke (2/23/22)
• Recorded game-high 21 points vs. Florida State (2/26/22)
• Scored game-high 17 points vs. Louisville (3/9/22)
• Scored team-high 17 points vs. North Carolina (3/10/22)
• Scored team-high 16 points vs. Mississippi State (3/16/22)
• Scored team-high 17 points at North Texas (3/20/22)
• Lettered

2020-21 (at East Carolina)
• American Athletic Conference First Team
• NABC District 24 First Team
• American Athletic Conference First Team (HoopsHD.com)
• American Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Week (Feb. 8)
• Started 18 of 19 games played during the season, averaging 18.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 35.2 minutes per game
• Ranked first in The American in defensive rebounds (6.3 rpg), second in scoring, rebounding and minutes played, sixth in offensive rebounds (2.1 rpg), eighth in field goal percentage (.479) and 14th in free throw percentage (.737)
• Posted a league-high 18.0 points and 37.6 minutes per game during AAC conference games and ranked third in rebounding (8.7 rpg)
• Scored 20 or more points in 10 games and reached double figures in 18 games
• Tied for the league lead in double-doubles with seven
• Posted four games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds
• Scored more than 25 points in game twice, netting 27 against N.C. Wesleyan and 26 versus Tulsa
• Scored 20 points in five consecutive games (Jan. 27-Feb. 8)
• Became the eighth player in school history to score 1,400 career points and 11th to grab 700 career rebounds
• Was the Pirates’ leading scorer in 14 games and top rebounder in 13 games
• Led the Pirates in scoring and rebounding in 10 games
• Scored 21 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and tied his career high with four assists in the Pirates win over No. 5 Houston on Feb. 3
• Posted the second-highest single-game field goal percentage in school history, making 11-of-12 (.17) field goal attempts against N.C. Wesleyan
• Made 11-of-13 foul shots (.846) en route to 23 points at home against SMU
• Played 38 or more minutes in a game eight times, including 39 minutes in four games

2019-20 (at East Carolina)
• American Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Year (HoopsHD.com)
• North Carolina Player-of-the-Year (theathletic.com)
• NABC District 24 First-Team
• American Athletic Conference Second-Team
• Two-time American Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Week
• Started 30 of 31 games
• Led The American in scoring with 19.7 points per game, ranked third in rebounding (9.2 rpg), and fourth in field goal percentage (.521) and minutes (34.5 mpg)
• Became one of three players in conference history to finish among the top-5 in the league in scoring and rebounding in the same season
• Ranked 12th nationally in free throws made (160) and 10th in free throw attempts (218)
• Finished second in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (2.9 orpg) and double-doubles (13)
• Posted 10 games of 20 points and 10 rebounds
• Scored 20 or more points in eight consecutive games (Dec. 3, 2019-Jan. 1, 2020)
• Scored his 1,000th career point and grabbed his 500th career rebound in the same game against Tulsa (2/12/20)
• Reached the 1,000-point scoring milestone in 56 games, becoming the third-fastest player in school history to reach the mark (32nd overall)
• Was the Pirates’ leading scorer in 19 games overall and their top rebounder in 23 games
• Led the Pirates in scoring and rebounding in 16 games
• Scored 20 or more points in 15 games
• Grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 13 games
• His 19.7 points per game average ranks as the third-highest single-season in school history and his 610 total points were fifth-most
• Scored 29 points in a game three times during the season: at Wichita State (1/1/20), vs. Houston (1/29/20) and vs. Temple (2/23/20)
• Made a career-best 13 field goals at home versus Temple (2/23/20)
• Grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds versus Houston (1/29/20)
• Dished out four assists in four games and collected a trio of steals in three games
• Shot 10 or more free throws in eight games, draining 14 of 16 free throw attempts vs. Campbell (12/14/19) and 13 of 14 vs. Tulsa (1/15/20)

2018-19 (at East Carolina)
• American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team (unanimous)
• NABC All-District 25 Second-Team
• USBWA National Freshman-of-the-Week (Jan. 15)
• Five-time American Athletic Conference Freshman-of-the-Week
• American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team
• Named The American Freshman-of-the-Year and all-conference by HoopsHD.com
• Only player on the team to start all 31 games
• Averaged 16.3 points. 8.5 rebounds and 30.5 minutes per game
• Posted a 49.3 field goal shooting percentage and made 75.0 percent of his free throws
• Led the Pirates in 11 statistical categories, including points (505), points per game, rebounds (262), rebounds per game, free throws made (171) and free throws attempted (228)
• Finished second in The American in rebounding, offensive rebounds (3.0), double-doubles (10) and 30-point games (3), third in defensive rebounds (5.5) and 10th in scoring and field goal percentage
• Led all American Athletic Conference freshmen in scoring
• Ranked seventh among all Division I freshmen in scoring and rebounding
• Made the most free throws among all NCAA Division I freshmen, ranking 30th overall
• Finished 25th nationally in free throw attempts
• Set ECU freshman records for rebounds, rebounding average, free throws made, free throw attempts and games started
• Established American conference freshman records for points per game, single-season free throws made and attempted, most points in a game (35 at UCF, 1/13/19), rebounds in a game (20 at UCF, 1/13/19) and 30-point games in a season
• Named The American Freshman of the Week five times, second-most in conference history
• Ninth player in school history to score 500 points in a season
• Became the second player in school history to score 30 points and grab 20 rebounds in the same game with 35 points and 20 rebounds at UCF on Jan. 13
• Scored 30 points against Lamar (11/11/18) and at UNCW (11/27/18)
• Registered five additional games of 20 or more points
• Grabbed 15 rebounds in a game five times with nine total double-digit rebounding performances
• Was the Pirates’ leading scorer in 17 games and top rebounder in 20 contests
• Sank 10 or more free throws in a game five times and attempted double digit free throws nine times
• Made 16 free throws against Appalachian State (11/30/18), second-highest single game total in school history

HIGH SCHOOL
• Attended Heritage High School and was a four-year letterman for coach Tilden Brill, leading the Huskies to an 89-25 overall record
• Three-time CAP-8 conference player of the year
• 2018 McDonald’s All-American Game nominee
• Named first-team all-state and District V Player-of-the-Year as a junior and senior by the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association
• Earned Second-Team All-District V honors as a sophomore
• Led the Huskies to the 2018 North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 4A East Regional title and a runner-up finish in the state tournament
• Scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the championship game against Charlotte Independence after putting up 21 points and eight rebounds in the East Regional Final against South Central High School, played inside ECU’s Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum
• Averaged 24.3 points and 13.9 rebounds per game as a senior leading the Huskies to a 25-5 overall record with the conference regular season and tournament titles
• Concluded his career with 2,282 points which ranks 19th in the NCHSAA record book and second in Wake County history behind 1993 Final Four Most Outstanding Player Donald Williams (Garner), who played collegiately at North Carolina
• Grabbed 1,319 career rebounds, first in Wake County history and fourth in NCHSAA lore
• Scored in double-figures in 92-straight games and posted a double-double in 70 of his 114 high school games – over 60 percent
• Ranks among the top-10 in North Carolina high school basketball history in free throws attempted (2nd/750), free throws made (8th/496), and 20-point games (8th/60)

PERSONAL
• Jayden David Darrel Gardner
• Son of Darrel and Danielle Gardner
• Has a younger sister, Janiya
• Born in Durham, N.C.
• Played AAU for Team Loaded
• Youth & Social Innovation major
• Recipient of the 2022-2023 Mizell Family Endowed Basketball Scholarship and Fralin Family Bicentennial Scholarship