Christian Brothers mourns death of freshman basketball star. ‘A gentle giant’
Jaden DeJesus-Eves was hard to miss.
He was about the tallest student at Christian Brothers High School in Oak Park, a soft-spoken, smiling and friendly sort whose bouncy hair punctuated his look as his 6-foot-8 frame ran the court as a promising freshman basketball player for the Falcons championship program.
DeJesus-Eves died in his sleep late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, rocking the program, the school and the regional basketball community. Details were not immediately clear on what happened to the popular 15-year-old, whom Christian Brothers coach Jermaine Brown praised as a terrific young man with unlimited potential as a person and a player. The Falcons girls and boys basketball teams will dedicate the rest of their seasons to DeJesus-Eves.
Christian Brothers since Wednesday has had counselors, faculty and staff on campus to offer support and to aid in the grieving process on a tight-knit campus.
“He was an amazing human,” Christian Brothers assistant athletic director Melissa Flowers said. “The happy, joking, basketball-loving teen that everyone got to see. He was always authentically himself.”
Flowers said the somber mood struck the Christian Brothers campus on Wednesday, and it carried into Thursday, where the buzz of student activity has suddenly become still and empty. DeJesus-Eves led the Falcons in rebounding and in blocked shots but is remembered more on campus for his personality.
“At the end of our school day (Wednesday), our campus was silent,” Flowers said. “Our basketball program was in the chapel, and our entire campus joined on the main lawn in silent support and prayer. It was tragically beautiful. You don’t want a parent to feel this. You don’t want students to deal with this at such a young age.”
Flowers said that the school will have a prayer service before noon on Thursday, “for Jaden and his family.” She added, “We are all devastated by this loss. It’s so fresh ... Support today, it’s showing up quietly when the rest of their world is full of chaos.”
Close bond between basketball programs
The basketball teams at Christian Brothers are united. They back each other, the girls cheering on the guys and the boys for the girls. This trend will include Friday night at Golden 1 Center, when the CB girls play for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship against Antelope at 6 p.m.
Christian Brothers coaches and administrators will ask the prep sports governing body CIF section office at Golden 1 Center for an 11-second moment of silence before tip-off to match the jersey number worn by DeJesus-Eves.
“When the news reached us, we immediately went into action — counselors and teachers ready to support our students,” girls basketball coach Shandyn Foster said. “I pulled several of my girls players out of class so we could meet with the men’s basketball team in the chapel, to stand in solidarity.”
Instead of the Christian Brothers girls team bounding into the section finals amid good cheer, they are in deep sorrow, Foster said.
“My girls are heartbroken,” the coach said. “Some were close to Jaden, others knew him through basketball, but devastated nonetheless. The CB community cried together (Wednesday), and we will hold an official prayer today. I am heartbroken for our community. I am heartbroken for Jaden’s mother. I cannot begin to fathom her heartache.”
Foster added, “And for my coaching brother, Jermaine Brown, who loves all of his players like his own sons, I cannot imagine his depth of pain. Jaden was the gentle giant you couldn’t miss on campus. He was always respectful, and always showed up to cheer on my girls. He was a well-respected young man in our community, and he was turning into quite a beast on the court.”
Area basketball players and coaches become united during tragedy. Max Vanlaningham of Woodcreek High in Roseville played against DeJesus-Eves twice in Capital Valley Conferene games and said, “It’s a terrible thing to hear. I didn’t know him personally but he was a good player, young and strong and my prayers go out to his family.”
Vanden of Fairfield coach Micheal Holloway said, “(Wednesday) is a great example of keeping everything in perspective. Prayers up for that young man, his family and the Christian Brothers community. This is a sad day for the NorCal basketball community.”
This story was originally published February 26, 2026 at 11:11 AM.