Jaylen Wells Jumps to the Pac-12

Coming out of Folsom High two years ago, nobody expected what has transpired recently in the basketball life of Jaylen Wells to actually occur. Correct that. Two individuals did, minus the actual specifics. The 6-foot-8 Wells himself and Rose City Basketball Director Brandon White.

"I always knew I could play at a higher level," Wells recalled.

"See in my Twitter feed," offered White. "When he was 6-foot-5 in high school, I predicted he would be 6-foot-8 in a year."

Even though Wells earned 2021 Sacramento Bee All-Metro Player of the Year honors as a senior, he wasn't inundated with recruiting offers, certainly not at the D1 level.

What stood between Wells' jump from very successfully performing at the D2 level (as a sophomore All-American honoree as well as California Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year to Washington State of the PAC-12, is hundreds, if not thousands of hours of concentrated and focused practice coinciding with his burst in height.

As White interjected, "what impresses me the most about Jaylen is his work ethic. Jaylen is a gym rat and he sacrificed a lot to get himself where he's at today. He has made sure to train with the appropriate trainers whose training translates to the college game."

Year One

In his freshman season at Sonoma State, Wells played in 25 games with 21 starts, averaging a team best 30.6 minutes a contest. He scored 12.6 points a game, shooting 41%, 26% and 72% respectively while leading the squad with 5.8 rebounds an outing. His 26 steals paced the Seawolves. His reward: All-CCAA Honorable Mention status.

Year Two

This past season, Wells' production jumped to 22.4  points and 8.7 boards each time out in 30 games/starts and in 36.8 minutes per contest. He shot 52% overall, 44% on 105 trey attempts and 86% at the free throw line. His 77 assists led Sonoma as did his 47 steals.

Asked what spurred his leap in production from freshman to sophomore season, Wells explained, "a lot of it has to do with confidence. I practiced a lot and also played with pros in Sacramento over the summer and got used to the speed of games. Known as a driver, my three-point shot became consistent and now I'm a shooter who can score anywhere on the floor." Another factor? "I started stretching a lot more, taking 3, 4 stretch periods a day."

"What I do best is tied into my versatility. I score at all three spots and coming off ball screens and my playmaking is underrated. I'm not a ballhog

He is also adamant with "I don't think I settled at all coming out of high school. Sonoma State provided one of the best opportunities for me."

Searching for a New Home

"I wanted a situation offering good academics with the opportunity to play and develop under a good staff." Wells sports a 3.5 grade point average and is a business major.

""Sonoma State was the best thing that happened to Jaylen," White offered. "Coach Shayewitz and his staff at Sonoma State played a major role in Jaylen's development. When he entered the portal, my phone didn't stop ringing for two straight days."

Wells, his Mom and Dad and young cousin visited Washington State in Pullman on an official visit April 14-15. "I worked out with my future teammates, participated in an academic meeting, toured the campus, viewed game film and met with Kyle Smith, the WSU head coach and a former member of Randy Bennett's St.Mary's coaching staff.

Choosing the Cougars

When did he decide to go with the Cougars? "Two days after we returned, I called Kyle Smith and let him know. I didn't feel pressure, it felt right being there. I conferred with my family, Coach White, Guss Armstead and Raymond Townsend. It was a relief. I didn't know how stressful it could become.

A major selling point for Wells was Smith's utilization of positionless basketball, not tying players down to certain spots on the floor.

Plus, as White explained, "Pullman is a basketball community. The students attend the games."

Wells returns to Pullman on May 28. Meanwhile, he continues working out with trainer Dante Miller in the Sacramento area as well as attending open runs and open gyms with pro talents, preparing to adjust to the greater speed and physicality he'll face.

"We provided a platform, support and guidance," White said. "Jaylen took the advice and ran with it—he has put the work in. A tip of the hat goes to his parents for who he is.

Wells was described by Kyle Smith as a "six tool guy" in a recent newspaper article. Smith added, "He can play multiple positions. He can dribble, pass, drive, shoot, defend and rebound."

Make that seven tools with his unrivaled work ethic.