BROOKLYN – With the No. 39 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies selected WSU men’s basketball guard and Pac-12 Honorable Mention Jaylen Wells. Wells became the 18th player from Washington State to be selected as a top-60 pick and the second-consecutive NBA Draft with a Cougar selected, marking the first time since the 1986 and 1987 NBA Drafts with WSU players taken in back-to-back years.
Wells, a Sacramento native, guided the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. An All-American transfer from Division-II’s Sonoma State, Wells earned Pac-12 Conference recognition, picking up Honorable Mention on the All-Pac-12 Team. The Sacramento native averaged 12.2 points per game, improving in Conference play to 14.6 points per game. Wells scored in double figures 21 times, including 14-straight through Pac-12 play.
“It definitely wasn’t the most traditional, but I just stayed positive,” Wells said to ESPN after his selection. “I put my head down and kept working. I really can show my versatility. I showed I can really shoot it this year, and I feel like I can be a little bit more than that and have a full range of scoring ability [for Memphis.]”
Wells led the Cougs to their win at Arizona, Feb. 22, securing the best road win in WSU program history, with a career-high 27 points, including an iconic game-tying 3-pointer and ensuing free throw for the win. He followed with 27 points in a win over UCLA, matching his Division-I career-high, including shooting a perfect 10 of 10 from the freethrow line, finishing the season with an 83.3% clip at the charity stripe.
Wells became the third Coug drafted in the last four years, joining CJ Elleby who was drafted No. 46 overall by the Portland Trailblazers in the 2020 NBA Draft and Gueye at No. 39 in last year’s Draft. Wells is the 10th Coug to be drafted inside the top 40.
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