Feature Photo by Truett McConnell University

Jadon Yeh is what if oft referred to as a gym rat. There’s rarely a day the White County product is not on the court fine-tuning his craft. That kind of work ethic led him from a historic high school career to a quick transition at the college level to a starter and impact player.

“The main thing for adjusting from high school to college is getting adjusted to the speed of the game,” says Yeh. “It helped me that I was able to play with the guys during offseason during high school which helped me adjust to the speed of college a little faster once I got to college.”

Familiarity with his fellow teammates has paid dividends, but that time put in when no one is looking is what makes good players great.

“I try to get in the gym 5-6 days a week and work on my game,” he adds. “During the offseason I do a little more for those workout sessions, but during the season I stilly try to get in the gym to at least get shots up on top of normal practice.”

That work has led to surges in Yeh’s numbers from year one to two at Truett. In his 2023-24 freshman campaign, he averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and racked up 36 steals and 22 blocks while shooting 44% from the floor. That includes connecting on 39% of 3-pointers and 80% of free throws. That came in 30 games (28 starts).

In his sophomore season, through 16 games (all starts), he’s upped those numbers to 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and already 26 steals and eight blocks, complete with a 48% FG mark, 42% 3PT, and 85% from the charity stripe. All that to say, basketball can be a humbling game. Take, for example, Yeh’s 25 points on seven shots from downtown against Bryan (TN) versus a 5-point effort on 2-for-9 shooting against Toccoa Falls as stark comparisons. Keeping a level head during such times is a must for a leader like Yeh.

“Basketball can be a lot of ups and downs especially shooting,” he admits. “The thing that I always think about when I’m having a rough shooting night or stretch is that I add a lot to a team even without shooting. Whether that be assists, rebounds, or defense I can stay confident as a basketball player knowing that even if my shot isn’t falling, I’m still adding value to the team in other ways and then if my shot is falling, it’s just an extra bonus to my game.”

Yeh has the unique opportunity to be playing under his dad, coach Jon Yeh. While it certainly presents a challenge for him, it also comes with some insight that helps the rest of the Bears team.

“It has been very fun to play for my dad,” adds Yeh. “We think the game very similarly, and so we understand each other on the court. I also think it’s good because I understand my dad in a way other players don’t sometimes, so I am able to kind of bridge the gap if someone doesn’t understand something. It definitely can be weird at times as well trying to balance being a dad and coach, but overall it has been a very good experience.”

Still only midway through the TMU season, the Bears have a long way to go at 7-9 overall and 4-6 in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play. Yeh has some definitive goals for himself and the Bears over the next several years.

“The definite goal of our team is to win the conference, either in the tournament or regular season and go to the national tournament,” he exclaims. “It is very similar to our goals at White County as well. Our goal was to win a region championship because it was something that hadn’t been done before, and hopefully we can do it here at Truett.”

Yeh was the best to ever suit up at White County, scoring 1,836 points with 536 rebounds, 308 assists, and 199 steals. The 3-time All-State guard was a 2-time Region Player of the Year and former BLITZ Player of the Year while starting 101 games for the Warriors. He averaged 24.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks during his 2022-23 senior season. He is a BLITZ Hall of Fame 2023 inductee.