Texas Tech added a big piece to its 2025-26 basketball roster earlier this month with the commitment of Seattle (WA) Rainier Beach guard Jaylen Petty. The top ranked player in the state of Washington, Petty was initially committed to New Mexico where he planned to go play for Richard Pitino. However, Pitino would go on […]
Texas Tech added a big piece to its 2025-26 basketball roster earlier this month with the commitment of Seattle (WA) Rainier Beach guard Jaylen Petty. The top ranked player in the state of Washington, Petty was initially committed to New Mexico where he planned to go play for Richard Pitino. However, Pitino would go on to take the Xavier job which left Petty looking for his future home.
After a brief commitment to Stanford, Petty couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go play at Texas Tech and learn from Grant McCasland and his staff. Now the Washington Gatorade Player of the Year will have a lot expected of him as one of the primary guards behind last seasons All-Big 12 freshman guard Christian Anderson Jr.
To learn more about Petty we caught up with his dad, Jerry Petty Sr, who was an All-State basketball player himself in HS and played two seasons at Nevada where he earned WAC All-Defense honors. Petty Sr is now the head basketball coach at Foster HS in Tukwila, Washington, where his team actually got to compete against Jaylen this past season.
Take us through Jaylen’s last few years. Everyone thinks their son is going D1 but when did you know, okay, Jaylen is different, he actually has a chance to play high major basketball?
“When did I know? Since he was four years old. Jaylen’s always been good. I mean, he’s always had a different kind of spirit about him. And of course, me playing and his mom being a Division 1 athlete, he’s always had a different kind of gear and a skill set. Anybody that was around Jaylen knew that he was never gonna stop, it was just a matter of is he gonna grow or not? But his heart was, like, tremendously big, so he would practice with Jamal Crawford, and they’d go one on one in the fourth, fifth, sixth grade. And we were all seeing it then, it was just kind of under wraps, I guess. You know, when you’re a short guy, it’s not like a lot of people are going to be saying that you’re this or that. And then I kept him away from a lot of different programs, so I guess they wouldn’t talk about him much.”
Jaylen was committed to New Mexico, then Stanford and finally Texas Tech. In your talks with Jaylen, why was Texas Tech so attractive for him?
“For one, we love (Richard) Pitino. We thought that was the right spot for him. He had a really great relationship with him and his staff. Once he got the job at Xavier, things kind of just wasn’t the best fit for Jaylen. So that’s why we made the move. But as far as Texas Tech and as far as Jaylen, I think Jaylen is very underestimated. Like people just don’t know until they’ve actually been around him or they coached him, and they’ll see what they get. But I think he’s going to make an immediate impact. And I don’t know if Texas Tech knows what they’re actually really getting out of a kid like him. So I think it’s going to be good for everybody. I think you guys got a really good point guard (Christian Anderson) there that he can learn under but I think Jaylen will come in and make an immediate impact, you know, given the opportunity.”
At Foster you actually coached against your son this year, and he had 28 points and 10 assists. What was that whole experience like getting to compete against your son?
“Why are you reminding me of that? (laughing)
It was the best time, my favorite time coaching was against my son. I did not want it to be the way it was because I thought my nephew, I call him my nephew, Nyale Robinson, I thought he was going to be playing but he didn’t. And he was at the house I’m like, you know, I’m gonna double team Jaylen. And Jaylen usually played the off guard, so I wasn’t expecting Jaylen to play the point in that game. So once he played the point I was like yeah, we’re pretty much done. Like, he’s about to cook us, I don’t have a game plan for him playing the point guard. We had a lot of fun that game, we had some conversations that game. It was very competitive. It was good for my boys because they’d never played with competition like that. They knew Jaylen, and they obviously trained with Jaylen a few times, but they’d never been around competition like that. So they grew as the year went by.
I think the worst part of that game was when he got a dunk, and he dunked the ball, and he’s hanging on the rim, and he looks at me and he’s yelling at me. I’ll never forget that moment. And when we got home, I said I know you were looking at me. And he said you liked that, didn’t you? And I was like no, I didn’t.
It’s really good to be around a kid like him that loves the game, he loves competition. We compete all the time. I got an older son, we’re always competing and saying who’s better here, who’s better there? We just have a good time. But that was my favorite time coaching. I’ve been in some really big games, but coaching against him was, like, I taught you so much, I can’t even coach against you. You know, I can’t stop you. So it was good.”
Jaylen won the Washington Gatorade Player of the Year. How exciting was that for you and your family and for Jaylen to receive that honor?
“For me, it was a proud moment. I mean, he’s worked so hard, and he’s been overlooked. It’s funny how people talk about Jaylen, but they kind of just don’t understand what kind of kid he is. And most people, when they meet him, they root for him really. Like this kid is a really good kid, and it was very deserving of him.
I knew he’s been the best player in the state for like the last two years. But that’s me, I’m dad, and there’s only a few other people but it was for him to go out there and prove. I’m glad he went out there and proved himself and did what he needed to do. You know, he’s really good. You know, Jamal (Crawford) is like his uncle. So Jamal got him in the Allen Iverson Classic, which was great and he went out there and proved himself in that. I just love that the kid is like being put into certain situations and able to go out and show who he is. I think Texas Tech is a perfect place for him to go out there and show who he is. He has a plan in mind. And I think this conversation that you’re having with me is going to be different in a couple years, because he’s that kind of kid.
Gatorade Player of the Year, three time MVP, state champion, I mean his resume is kind of like second to none if you’re thinking about kids coming out of Washington. He’s a great player and he’s an even better young man.”
You mentioned Texas Tech being a good opportunity for him to show what he can do. What are some of those things that Texas Tech fans should expect to see from Jaylen, on and off the court?
“For one, he’s a man of God. So he’s going to carry himself in a different manner, like his spirit is through the roof. You’re going to have a high character kid, he’s like the life of the party. Very encouraging, very competitive, on and off the court, but very supportive of everybody. And wants to make sure everybody’s good. So you’re going to get that kind of guy where he’s going to be available, right? You know, some people get into those spaces and it’s like you can’t touch them or they’re above everything. That’s not Jaylen, so you gonna get somebody that is for the people, that loves the people that do great things.
As far as basketball, I’m amazed, because he’s getting better by the day. I mean, he’s jumping through the roof. He’s right hand, left hand. He stretches the defense, he gets people involved. He runs the break. He can shoot it from anywhere. He’s a team player. He can play off the ball, he can play on the ball. I would play him at point guard if I was a coach, because everybody’s gonna get involved. Everybody’s gonna be happy. And then, to even add on to that, he plays 94 feet. He’s going to play his ass off, like you got to protect him from himself, because he will not stop. He’s an energizer bunny rabbit. Call uncle Nate, Nate Robinson, that’s his uncle too. And Nate’s just like a battery. So they’re kind of similar, where they never stop. Like Jaylen will never stop, and he wants to win, like he wants to win. And you’re getting a winner. So I think that’s what you’re going to get when you get my son, and I can’t wait to see it.”
You were a first team All-State guy. If you and Jaylen, in your prime, played a game to 11. What’s the score?
“That’s tough, man. Because he’s so skilled. He has an older brother, and his brother is really good too. I tell them both I’d beat them both because I was meaner. I come from something different, and they know that. I’ll say that all day. Jamal (Crawford) would say Jaylen would beat me, there’s other people say that I’d beat Jaylen.
It’d be a really good matchup. But at the end of the day, Pops wins 11-7. You know let him know that Pops said I’m gonna give him 7 points.”
Category: General Sports
