Jaylen Petty reportedly has several other Big Ten teams, in addition to the Huskies, courting his services
The Washington Huskies men's basketball team will be looking to the transfer portal to fill out many of the holes currently on the roster.
The Huskies are in a better position when it comes to the amount of players on the roster this offseason compared to last.
At this time last year, in head coach Danny Sprinkle's first offseason at the helm of the program, Washington had just two returners from the season before: guard Zoom Diallo and center Franck Kepnang.
This time around, the Huskies currently have seven players on the roster, including Kepnang (again).
But, with no players currently committed from graduating high school class of 2026, the portal will be the main avenue to fill out the seven-to-eight roster spots available. And there's no shortage of players Sprinkle is familiar with or Pacific Northwest natives for UW to pursue.
One of the players the Huskies are reportedly in play for is sophomore Texas Tech transfer and guard Jaylen Petty. The Seattle native and Rainier Beach High School graduate entered the portal after one season with the Red Raiders with a "no contact" clause. Following his decision to enter the portal, his native Washington was instantly named as a team to watch.
However, it seems like the Huskies will have some staunch competition for the guard's services.
According to an article from Gophers Nation (of the On3 Sports network) reporter Dylan Callaghan-Croley, other teams interested in Petty include Minnesota, Oregon, UCLA, Kansas and Xavier.
Texas Tech guard Jaylen Petty shoots during an NCAA tournament game against Alabama on March 22 at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Fla. | Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images.Petty served as a true floor general for a Red Raiders team that advanced to the Round of 32 of the NCAA tournament before being eliminated by Alabama on March 22.
In his first year of college ball, the 6-foot-1, 168-pound point guard averaged 9.9 points per game on 40.6% shooting from the floor across 33 games played (22 starts). He also dished 2.2 assists, pulled in 3.9 rebounds and shot 37.5% from 3-point range.
One of the biggest needs for Washington is a true point guard to run the offense. Sophomore guard JJ Mandaquit and Diallo, who were the team's two primary ball-handlers, both entered the transfer portal — although Diallo is keeping open the open to return to the Pacific Northwest.
With Diallo (presumably) and Mandaquit both gone, Sprinkle and co. need a point guard to run the offense. Bringing in Petty, who got extended experience for a Top 25 team, would take care of that need.
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