Pullman senior Jaedyn Brown savoring every moment on Greyhounds journey to top seed at State

The Pullman boys basketball team is one of the best in the state, but somehow its star remains a hidden gem.

Jaedyn Brown has quietly emerged as one of the best pure scorers in the state.

The 6-foot-4 senior guard recently broke his school record for the most 3-pointers in a season, often pulling up from well beyond the 3-point line.

Head coach Craig Brantner said Brown has a green light whenever he thinks he can make it.

“I let him shoot,” Brantner said. “His 3-point chart is complete. If he can get his follow-through, he’s going to make it.”

Brown and the undefeated Greyhounds are aiming for a State 2A title.

Pullman is 24-0 and has beaten teams by an average of 27 points, earning the top seed to the tournament.

In their state opening-round win, the Greyhounds beat R.A. Long, rallying after they trailed in the second quarter by 18 points. They went on a 13-0 run to end the half, and then pulled away for a 67-55 victory. Brown led the team with 32 points.

Pullman opens play in Yakima in a quarterfinal on Thursday against the winner of 10th-seeded Enumclaw and No. 2 Anacortes, which was upset in the opening round and faces elimination on Wednesday.

Brown has made 114 3-pointers this year, surpassing his previous record of 109 as a junior. The next-closest Greyhounds mark sits at 68. He hit eight 3-pointers against Rogers and six against East Valley earlier this season, and has scored 37 or more points in four games, with two 40-plus efforts.

Brown is shooting 54% from beyond the arc.

Even after games he continues shooting, refining his shot for hours .

“Some people probably think I’m weird and psychotic for going out there,” Brown said. “ ‘Hey, we just played a game three hours ago, why are you going to shoot again?’ Because, why not? That’s how you get better. That’s the biggest thing as my basketball journey has progressed, meeting other people that work as hard as me and pushing myself.”

Brown moved to Pullman two years ago after his father, Travis Brown, joined the faculty at Washington State University. Brown is an associate professor at WSU’s Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience.

Both of Brown’s parents were athletes. His father played basketball in high school and his mother was all-state in volleyball, softball and basketball. She also walked onto the WSU women’s basketball team.

His father jokes Jaedyn’s first time playing basketball was in his mother’s womb as she played in Hoopfest.

Jaedyn Brown said he started playing basketball once he could walk, saying he remembers shooting on a mini-hoop at a day care he attended in Pullman. The family moved to Providence, Rhode Island, and he played in some leagues there until a move to Wyoming when he was 7.

The family lived there for nine years, and Jaedyn began playing travel ball before the family moved to Pullman.

Brown gave credit to his dad for pushing him to be better. He also said he appreciates his family’s support, especially from 6-year-old sister Piper. She jokes around while he shoots and keeps things light for him. Brown said that her playfulness lifts him up and that he is trying to enjoy that while he has it.

“I’m definitely the hardest on him, but also the most proud of him because I know how hard he works and how much of a dream this is for him, to not only compete at the high school level but the next level as well,” Travis Brown said.

After beating West Valley in the district title game, Brown thanked his teammates for their success throughout the season.

“We can buckle down and get it done on different facets,” Brown said. “The other night it was getting it down on defense and really finding opportunities in transition.”