How Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells went from Division II to All-Rookie Team Candidate
Before becoming one of the best rookies in his class, Memphis Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells bet on himself by attending Division II Sonoma State after two years as a varsity high school player with no Division I offers as doubters told him to consider a career change.
After becoming a Division II All-American, Wells transferred to Washington State, where his 3-and-D game caught the eyes of NBA talent evaluators.
Since being selected in the second round with the 39th overall pick by Memphis, Wells has become a starter on one of the NBA’s top teams and ranks second in plus-minus rating (plus-58) and third in points per game (11.5) among rookies this season.
The rookie swingman discussed his unlikely journey from Division II to the NBA and overcoming doubters, what he’s learned from Marcus Smart, how Ja Morant has been a leader behind the scenes, the challenge of guarding the opponent’s top perimeter scorer, chasing the All-Rookie Team, and more with HoopsHype.