‘Rolling Stone’: How Jayden fought back from seizures

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Perth guard Jayden Stone didn’t know if he was going to play basketball again after landing on his head in pre-season practice at West Virginia before the 2024-25 NCAA Division 1 Men’s season.

Stone, 25, said it caused a concussion and spinal injury, and he spent time in the hospital, suffering three seizures.

“I didn’t know whether I was gonna be on another team ’cause I had obviously the injury — the freak injury — and I didn’t know whether I was gonna be able to play again ’cause I’d lost movement in my left side of my body for about three weeks straight, and I was in hospital,” Stone revealed.

“So I just didn’t know what the future was gonna hold.

“But overseas, as I was recovering and I was playing a little bit more in practice, you know, the West Virginia staff was brilliant in getting me back.

“I didn’t really want to leave, but obviously, the new coaching staff influx had to come. And I was just like, I’m probably gonna have to go back home. I’m not good enough to play in the US — especially, you know, having an inhabitant with my body.

“But he was just like, look, you have a role here. You can have a role here. So I just seized it, just took it. But it was mainly (Missouri) Coach (Kyle) Smithpeters, along with Dennis Gates, and I just said, look, I’ll give you all I have, you know, one more year.”

The 1.93m Western Australian joined the Missouri Tigers as a fifth-year senior for the 2025-26 season.

Stone has played 18 of the 17-8 Tigers, who are seventh in the powerhouse SEC, after injuring his wrist in November. But since his return, Stone has been elite, climbing to the top of the basketball.com.au Power Rankings last week.

The Tigers are on the Bubble for the 2026 March Madness tournament bracket, and a tough 85-68 loss to Texas last time out has impacted their chances. But before the season, Stone was optimistic.

“I feel like this team can do something special,” he said.

“And being a part of it — really a part of it on the offensive and defensive end. I didn’t really get the chance to show that at West Virginia. At Detroit, we were losing, and kind of knew we were losing.

“I just wanna show I can be part of a good team and be a really good player. That’s a real goal of mine. And I just want the team to do really well. If that means sacrificing a little bit, it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice when we’re moving the ball around and doing well.”

Regardless of whether the Tigers make the tournament, Stone’s fifth year has been exceptional and extraordinary, given his pre-season injury.

His challenge in moving to the next level, though, is age. His effective field goal percentage — 62.6%— is fifth in the nation for guards with an average of more than 14.5 points per game, who’ve played more than 15 games.

His numbers are good enough to get him into the NBA Draft Combine conversation — but age and upside will determine whether he actually gets an invite.

Projection Tier (Right Now)

Most likely pathway:

• NBA Summer League invite
• Exhibit 10 / Two-Way consideration
• Strong NBL pathway option
• G League starter upside

Combine invite probability: 30–40% range right now. That increases if his efficiency holds and usage rises.

🇦🇺 Jayden Stone – Career Trajectory

• ‍Position: Guard
• ‍Height: 1.93 m
• ‍Weight: 81 kg
• ‍Age: 25 (November 10, 2000)
• ‍Hometown: Perth, Western Australia
• ‍High School: Sunrise Christian (Kansas, USA)
• ‍College Career: Grand Canyon Antelopes → Detroit Mercy Titans → Missouri Tigers

Career (87 Games)

• ‍Points: 12.6 │ Rebounds: 3.9 │ Assists: 1.9 │ FG: 45.0% │ 3PT: 35.8% │ FT: 80.2% │ eFG: 53.4% │ PER: 20.2 │ Win Shares: 7.4

2025–26 Season (Missouri, 18 Games)

• ‍Points: 14.9 │ Rebounds: 5.0 │ Assists: 2.2 │ FG: 52.0% │ 3PT: 39.6% │ FT: 78.3% │ eFG: 62.6% │ PER: 22.2 │ Win Shares: 2.7

Age

Fifth-year seniors or older prospects (23–25 range), the NBA typically:

• Discounts upside
• Prioritises younger developmental prospects

Older guards need to be:

• Elite athletically, or
• High-volume shot creators, or
• Clear specialist projections (e.g., 6-7 wing defender, 45% shooter)

If he’s a traditional senior (22), that’s fine.

If he’s older than that, it becomes harder.

NBA Role Projection

Right now, Stone projects as:

• Efficient combo guard
• Floor spacer
• Secondary scorer
• 3-and-D adjacent profile

The question scouts will ask: “Does he have one NBA-level elite trait?”

Is it:

• Elite burst?
• Elite point-of-attack defence?
• Elite off-movement shooting?
• High-level playmaking?

Efficiency is excellent. But combine invites often go to:

• High-usage creators
• Physical outliers
• Defensive disruptors
• Younger upside bets

Historical Comparison

Australian guards who got combine invites typically had one of the following:

• Clear lottery projection (e.g. size + playmaking)
• Elite defensive profile
• Unique physical tools

Stone’s statistical efficiency is strong — but he would likely need:

• Strong SEC production across the full conference schedule
• 17–18 ppg sustained
• Proven ability vs ranked teams
• Clear defensive impact metrics

So… Is It Enough?

Borderline, not automatic.

If the season ends today:

• He’s more likely to get a Portsmouth Invitational-type invite.
• Possible G League Elite Camp.
• Outside shot at late Combine invite if he surges late.

If he finishes the season:

• ~16–18 ppg
• Maintains 38–40% from three
• Strong defensive tape

Then he enters realistic Combine consideration.

Is He “Too Old”?

As a 23+ prospect, the margin shrinks significantly.

The NBA will prioritise a 19-year-old averaging 11 over a 23-year-old averaging 15 unless the older player projects as plug-and-play.