In his third year, Jalen Washington looks to be a key factor in UNC's frontcourt

Over the summer, Jalen Washington woke up every day before 7 a.m. to condition in his home state of Indiana.

And he stayed at it all day.

He ran hills and lifted weights to make every day count. His older brother, Jimmie Washington, would go to work, come back home and still find the junior forward preparing for the 2024-25 season. 

Late in the evening, he was still perfecting his skills in the gym. 

Washington is entering his third year at North Carolina with a clear opportunity: become the starting center after Armando Bacot graduated last season. During the 2023-24 season, Washington averaged 3.9 points and 8.4 minutes per game. But without a solidified five on the roster, the junior knows he is ready for more responsibility this season. Over the summer, Washington worked on getting stronger and has continued to rely on the fiery mentality he's always possessed. 

And it all started with NBA 2K.

In the 2000s, the brothers spent their days on 2K and NBA Street Vol. 2. Playing as icons they wanted to be like, such as Michael Jordan and LeBron James, Jimmie and Jalen quickly fell in love with basketball. The game inspired them to be better and imagine the futures they could have. 

“I was always a little bit crazy about playing against him,” Jalen Washington said. “I always wanted to beat my brother. So every day, just coming into the gym and just wanting to be like, ‘I wanna be better than my brother.’”

Playing 2K at home soon transformed into pickup games in the backyard after school. 

Jimmie Washington, who also played basketball in college at Indiana University Northwest, said his brother's relentless style of play molded him into the person he is today. Their competition always remained fierce, with the oldest, Jimmie, winning the contests more often than not. 

“What I compare it to is hot and cold,” Jimmie Washington said. “I'm kind of the cold, he's kind of the hot, but mixed together they go well together.”

When it came down to making a college decision, coming to North Carolina was a no-brainer. After playing as Jordan in the living room, becoming a Tar Heel was a bucket list item for Jalen Washington. 

And over the past two years at UNC, it's safe to say that there have been some more bucket list items checked off: beating Duke twice, winning the ACC regular season title and making it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament last season.

During the 2023-24 year, Washington recorded four double-digit performances and averaged 2.6 rebounds per game. Even though he was a contributing member on the team, Washington is more sure of the impact that he will have going into this year, potentially as a starter. 

Yet, at the same time, he's not feeling any pressure to produce in the same way Bacot, the all-time double-double and rebound leader at UNC, could. 

“He ain't gonna come back,” Jalen said. “Nobody else is gonna come in and save us, so I just got to come up and be willing to get better and make a whole lot [of a] bigger jump.”

Just ask junior guard Seth Trimble.

Trimble said Washington has put in more work than anyone else in the weight room this summer. The forward's biggest goal during the off-season was to get stronger, and Washington said he put on about five pounds. 

“He's been criticized for how skinny he may be, he's been criticized for how he can't defend,” Trimble said. “I think he's taking that personally. He's been in the weight room more than anybody this summer, he's been conditioning more than anybody this summer. He's really determined.”

Trimble, Jalen's former roommate and best friend, said he has known what Washington is capable of over these past two years of playing and living together. Now, he can't wait for Washington to have the opportunity to show it on a national stage.

Although the junior is known for being reserved — head coach Hubert Davis even called him “adorable” — Washington has relentlessly prepared himself to take a step up on the court.

That started with days spent in the living room, then dedicating himself to eventually beating his older brother and now becoming a key factor in UNC's lineup this season. 

Davis is prepared to see this progression, too.

“I want him to be getting every rebound, running the floor, dunking on everybody,” Davis said. “He's put himself in a position to have a chance to be a major contributor this year, and it's because of his hard work and dedication.”

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