LUBBOCK – With two months of summer workouts already completed, Jaylen Petty walked onto campus and the practice court with his teammates for the first time. It wasn’t until August 6 when Jaylen Petty officially became Texas Tech’s seventh offseason signee – a late, but impactful addition for the program that was coming off reaching the Elite Eight. Immediately, coaches and teammates saw firsthand a vision of what the freshman could bring to the team. He was quick, confident, athletic and poised. His ball handling elite, his shot making supreme. As he says now, “I’m always going to be me.”
Before he ever practiced with the team, there was confidence in what the Red Raiders were getting with a quick glimpse of his resume. A Seattle, Washington native, he earned 2024-25 Washington Gatorade Player of the Year after leading Rainier Beach High School to a state championship – averaging 24.5 points per game as a senior and being named the state tournament’s most valuable player after scoring 26 points in the title game. “All I want to do is win,” Petty said. “My competitiveness and energy is something I take pride in. It was a quick transition, but my teammates really made me feel comfortable and became like family real quick. We bonded and they were all pushing me to get better quick since I wasn’t there from the beginning. I wanted to show right away that I was going to do everything I could to help this team this year. I was ready to start grinding from the first day I got here. It was hard, but it’s what I love to do.” Accolades before arrival also included being a McDonald’s All-American nominee, adidas All-America, NBPA Top 100 selection, a two-time Donovan Mitchell camp participant, an Allen Iverson Showcase selection and the Iverson Class 24K Showcase MVP. A four-star recruit, he withdrew commitments from New Mexico and Stanford along with having offers from Oklahoma and Washington before choosing to play at Texas Tech. In other words, Tech knew the player they were getting and that he would be ready for this season despite being a freshman and not participating in summer workouts.
“Knowing how competitive he is, there was zero concern about how late he got here and joined the team,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “We knew that he was going to make an impact right away. Our team was confident in him from the beginning because there hasn’t been a single day where he doesn’t come in with high intensity and ready to get better. That’s a credit to his work ethic and character.”
Throughout preseason practices, it was obvious to anyone watching in the practice gym that Petty was going to make an immediate impact. His first game showed everyone else. Coming in as a reserve, Petty scored nine points, had eight rebound, five assists and two steals in 34 minutes of playing time. In practice, Petty was always relentless and it was obvious he was earning his way into a bigger role. He came off the bench in his first 11 games before making the first start of his career against Winthrop in the non-conference finale where he scored 20 points and had six rebounds. In the Big 12 opener, he went for 12 points and six rebounds against Oklahoma State and then put everyone on notice when he scored 20 points at Houston after making five 3-pointers.
“All of our coaches showed confidence and belief in me from the beginning,” Petty said. “It takes experience, but that doesn’t mean it takes forever. I was ready to work and was ready to get better every day. Our coaching staff is really smart and helped me get to where I’m at now. I’m really grateful for them and believing in me to play at this level.”
Petty started all 18 conference games and is averaging 9.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the season. He has scored in double figures in 16 games and made five or more 3-pointers in two. For the season, Petty is third on the team with 64 made 3-pointers, including going 5-for-7 against TCU in a 17-point performance and scoring 18 points after making 4-for-6 in the home win over Houston. In a college basketball season where a collection of freshmen have commanded headlines and awards, Petty has gone about his work and consistently impacted winning without national praise. That’s simply from the outside though. Everyone on the team and within the program understands and appreciates his value.
“He gives us a really big boost on offense and defense,” Tech sophomore Christian Anderson said. “His leadership is really important. He was a tremendous pickup for us this year with his energy and everything he brings to the team. Super valuable. Petty is one of the most confident guys I’ve ever played with. Everything about him helps our team.”
A day before leaving for the NCAA Tournament, the Red Raiders are on their home court practicing. It’s been 223 days since Petty put pen to paper and put on a Tech jersey for his signing day photos. It’s a tough practice with an intensity fitting for a team about to play in the NCAA Tournament. Petty, as he has been since his first practice, is active in all aspects of the practice. He’s firing up 3s, making most, and is sprinting up and down the court during offensive and defensive drills. He is attacking each part of practice with intensity and intention. A shot goes up from beyond the arc and it’s Petty who rips down the offensive rebound despite being surrounded by teammates who are nearly a foot taller than he is. He puts the ball back up, scoring a second-chance basket and drawing praise from everyone on the court. On another play, he shot-fakes, steps back and drills a 3-pointer. There are plays between these two that aren’t perfect where Petty takes accountability – looking his coaches in the eyes and making them feel confident he understands and fully knowing he’s locked in to improving.
“He’s been an elite competitor for us,” McCasland said. “He believes in our team and has been the first person on our team to accept coaching and wants to change at a rate that I feel has allowed him to become one of our most impactful players every game.”
This time last year, Petty was winning a state championship at Rainer Beach and weighing his future plans. On Friday, he’ll take the court as a starter against Akron in the NCAA Tournament First Round in Tampa. There can sometimes be a worry about a freshman or other players who have never experienced the bright lights or increased pressure of the one-and-done tournament. Not with Petty though. He smiles when thinking of playing for Texas Tech in March Madness, but it’s not a look of awe. You can see it in his eyes and can tell the difference. The opportunity to play basketball and winning is what excites him most.
“I’ve grown up loving this game and always wanting to show what I can do,” Petty said. “It’s exciting to play in this tournament. I’ve watched it my entire life and can’t wait to play with my team in it. All I’m going to do is be me. Trust my work, be happy and push my teammates to be better. Be me.”
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