Two-time North Puget Sound League (NPSL) 3A MVP Jaylen Petty has departed Auburn High School and will finish his high school career where it began, back in 2021, at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle.
The 1,000 point club member at Auburn is going to be a Viking for his final season.
Petty played in 63 games with the Trojans in his career, reaching the 1,000 point club in 45 games.
He was named MVP both years in the NPSL and took Auburn to state twice. Petty was able to play with his brother Jerry Petty Jr. for one season, but Jerry suffered a knee injury and wasn’t able to finish his final season.
Petty’s transfer didn’t come as a total surprise to Auburn Head Coach Ryan Hansen. He had heard that Petty was being pulled to leave the Trojan program, but Petty had told Hansen he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Jaylen told me he wasn’t going anywhere, that he was coming back. But he was getting pulled in that direction really hard,” Hansen said.
But Hansen then received a call from Petty’s stepdad and was told he would be attending Rainier Beach next year, a couple weeks before Summer League began. Hansen hopes he succeeds on his old stomping grounds.
“I told Jaylen it’s no ill will from us. We were a program before you were here and will be here after you’re gone. We’ll keep rooting for you, and supporting you the best we can. I hope it works out,” Hansen said.
For Hansen, he thinks this is just the way of the game at this point, and how can you blame him? This is the best player Hansen has ever had leave his program: “I’ve been fortunate over my tenure to not have many kids leave. Certainly none of his caliber.”
But for schools like Garfield, Rainier Beach, and others in the King County area getting talented players to transfer in, this is part of the league culture essentially.
“It is the culture of high school basketball in Washington, specifically the Seattle area. They are notorious for getting multiple transfers every year and high-profile guys. They are able to do it without any penalty year in and year out,” Hansen said.
There is definitely some influence from the college transfer portal, in Hansen’s eyes, that has made its way to the high school level: “With the transfer portal in college, it has kind of trickled down into high school. I think it is kind of a culture thing.”
It is almost a big secret that everybody in the basketball world knows, but won’t do anything about. Kids from all over King County mysteriously move to a schools in downtown Seattle for one year and no one bats an eye because the rivals and people who would be upset do it themselves.
There are also rumors and whispers of financial support or housing provided to these athletes, which damages the students who actually are forced to transfer.
The Reporter reached out to Petty for comment:
“I am cool with my guys at Auburn, they family,” Petty said. “But I do not want my business out there though so I’m probably not (commenting further).”
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Jaylen Petty backs down a defender.
