Why I Stayed Home

Playing at UW, in his hometown, is a dream for Jaylen Nowell // By Mason Kelley

By Washington Huskies

January 4^th, 2019

Jaylen Nowell stepped onto the train with teammates, Hameir Wright and Nahziah Carter. The trio of sophomores were on their way from the University of Washington to Capitol Hill for a photoshoot.

They had decided to take advantage of the quick, 5-minute ride on the light rail to reach their destination.

“It’s crazy,” Nowell said as the train traveled underneath the city. “I never used to ride the light rail.”

While Wright and Carter sat together, Nowell was a few rows back and talked about what it means to represent the Home Team in his hometown. From local high school star to local college standout, Nowell has been planning out his journey to Washington for as long as he has played basketball.

As part of the Home Team – local players from Seattle who have carried the bond of their city throughout their high school, college and professional careers – Nowell has been raised in Seattle’s basketball culture.

“I’ve always wanted to be one of the dudes who came out and repped for the city,” Nowell said.

When he was younger, he watched as Will Conroy, Brandon Roy, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, Dejounte Murray and others worked their way toward their dreams. They laid out a blueprint. Nowell is the latest star to follow in their footsteps.

“Growing up watching them, seeing what they’ve done for the city of Seattle, I definitely wanted to be one of those dudes,” he said.

And now he is one of those dudes. But, while becoming a Husky was almost a natural progression for Nowell, the decision wasn’t an easy one. When the 6-foot-4 guard initially committed to Washington, he was part of a recruiting class ranked among the best in the nation.

But, when Lorenzo Romar was fired, most of the class left for other schools. In fact, Nowell found himself as the last man standing. As he weighed his options, Nowell considered leaving Seattle. He thought about choosing another school.

Then he met Mike Hopkins.

It took one meeting for Nowell to reaffirm his commitment to Washington.

“I didn’t know if I really wanted to come here for a minute,” Nowell said. “I just felt like me and my mom had to sit down and talk to him. And, after meeting him for the first time, the energy he brought to the table …”

That was all Nowell needed to see. He wanted a reason to keep him home. He found what he was looking for.

At the end of the day, “I wanted to be a part of the Seattle culture,” he said. “Even though there may have been other opportunities for me, I thought this would be the best one.”

So now, like other Garfield greats – Roy, Conroy and Tony Wroten, among others – Nowell traded the purple and white of his alma mater for the purple and gold of the local university. He has now become one of the guys he grew up emulating.

“It’s a humbling experience when you see guys who made it to where you want to be,” he said. “It gives you motivation. I definitely feel like it’s one of the reasons I stayed here, to just continue to be around the guys who were pushing me before I was even in college.”

In the years since Seattle’s NBA franchise relocated to Oklahoma City, the basketball community has taken it upon itself to fuel the passion for the game among younger generations. It is a responsibility each player takes pride in.

It keeps them coming back to the city, the local high school and the University of Washington long after their careers have taken them to the NBA. For Nowell, being a part of that tradition is something he takes seriously.

“I feel like that’s definitely one of our responsibilities to continue to prove there are good players coming out of Seattle,” he said. “There are a lot of people who overlook us but, at the end of the day, we have some great hoopers, some great talent representing us.”

As the train moved closer to Capitol Hill, Nowell was asked about his teammates on the train, the New York transplants.

Have they been fully indoctrinated into Seattle’s basketball culture one year into their careers with the Huskies?

“Oh, of course,” Nowell said with a smile. “They’ve still got a little New York in ’em, but we’re definitely converting them to Seattle guys and they’ll tell you that themselves.”

As he moves deeper into his second season, Nowell has established himself as a lead Dawg. After starting 32 games as a freshman and averaging a team-high 16 points, he continues to be the team’s leading scorer averaging more than 17.1 points per game this season and earning Pac-12 Player of the Week honors twice so far.

With a talented group around him, he continues to build on Year 1.

“We just have to learn from our mistakes, learn from the great things we’ve done and continue to build off of that,” he said. “We just have to keep working. Honestly, it’s all about maturing.”

There is a natural progression that comes with experience and Nowell is looking forward to turning growth into success.

As the train pulled into the station, there was one more question begging to be answered. When it comes to the list of great players to come out of Garfield High School, where does Nowell rank himself?

“Man, you’re trying to get me in trouble,” he said with a laugh. “I would definitely say I’m up there. I wouldn’t be able to give a number right now, because those other guys who went to Garfield have been where I’m trying to go.”

The question was more of an entertaining way to end an interview than something probing for a poignant response, but like any leader, Nowell handled the query with poise and a dash of levity.

And then, before heading off the train, up the escalator and out into the sunlight, he smiled.

“I’m No. 1 in scoring at Garfield. You can do what you want with that information.”

Nowell stayed home to represent his city and play at Washington. He is now a member of an impressive list. But for the sophomore, this is just the next step in a plan he’s been putting together for as long as he’s been playing, the latest member of the Home Team playing in his hometown.