Jaylin & Jalen: Kent State’s Backcourt Duo Share More Than a Name

Jaylin & Jalen

KENT STATE’S BACKCOURT DUO SHARE MORE THAN A NAME

The Kent State men’s basketball team will once again lean on senior stars Jaylin Walker and Jalen Avery

WORDS BY Henry Palattella & Cameron Hoover

PHOTO BY Nate Manley / The Kent Stater

Then-sophomore guards Jalen Avery and Jaylin Walker celebrate after tying the game against Central Michigan University with under a second to go in regulation at the M.A.C. Center on Jan. 28, 2017. Kent State lost 105-98 in overtime.

Chances are that if the Kent State men’s basketball team has any success this year, it’ll be because of the senior duo: Jaylin Walker and Jalen Avery. Avery is the Flashes’ point guard who captains the team both on and off the floor. Walker is the team’s shooting guard who has never seen a shot he doesn’t like. Both serve as the Flashes’ heartbeat. They’ve been through numerous peaks and valleys during their college career, but no matter what, they both keep fighting to be the best.

The Burr’s writers Henry Palattella and Cameron Hoover sit down with Jaylin and Jalen to discuss their upcoming season, as well as their past accomplishments with the Flashes.

HENRY PALATTELLA: How do you feel so far through practices?

JALEN AVERY: I feel like we’re a different team from last year. This new team, we’re not as big. Our bigs aren’t as dominant as Adonis [De La Rosa] was. We’re going to be a more scrappy team and push the ball more on offense as opposed to playing out of the post.

JAYLIN WALKER: We’re going to be more athletic as well, more fast-paced. There’s going to be a lot more ball screens for guards. It’s going to open up a lot more.

CAMERON HOOVER: What have you both been doing individually this?

JA: [The coaches] have really been paying attention to our body fat this year, so they’ve been wanting us to work on cutting down our body fat as much as we can. We’re trying to finetune every part of our game, especially shooting and driving. Losing [Kevin] Zabo will hurt. He was the guy on our team who got to the rack to get baskets or got fouled. That’s things we’ll have to pick up on.

HP: Since you’ve come here, this will be the first time you’ve played in a guardfocused offense. That means more shots for the both of you — has that set in yet?

JA: It’s more opportunity for us, but it’s more responsibility too. Before you could throw it into a big man and there’s not as much weight on your shoulders. Now we have more weight on our shoulders, but we also have more opportunities, so we just have to come in ready to play night in and night out.

CH: How have you seen the team respond to seeing [big man] Adonis De La Rosa leave this offseason?

JA: Honestly, the best part about this team is that we have a lot of new guys. A lot of guys didn’t even get to meet Adonis. They’re coming in from junior college or high school, and they’re coming in hungry to play themselves.

HP: Not a lot of guys recently have been at Kent for all four years. What does that say about you to be able to go through this with a revolving door of teammates?

JA: It’s been tough since it’s been a revolving door of coaches as well. Me and Jaylin Walker, we’re just trying to keep the tradition.

HP: When you lost to Bowling Green at home your freshman year in the MAC Tournament, do you think that motivated you through your four years at Kent? Do you still think about that game?

JW: I still think about it from time-totime. When players from that year come back we always reminisce and talk about it like ‘Damn, we should have had that game.’ That made us come back even harder the next year.

JA: That game I think I probably played like two minutes — if I got in at all. Going into the next year both me and J-Walk were mad because we both didn’t play a lot that game. We feel like we could’ve been out there to help, but that’s just how it goes.

CH: How have you seen your individual games grow since you’ve come to Kent?

JA: When I first came to Kent I really couldn’t shoot. High school was easy. I could just get to the basket, so I never really shot. Over time I’ve improved my shot and gotten stronger and quicker. My overall game has gotten better, and I’ve gotten more confident.

JW: Coming in as a freshman I really couldn’t dribble that much. I couldn’t use my left hand at all. That’s another thing I’ve gotten better with as the years have gone on. My basketball IQ has gotten better too.

HP: When you committed to Kent, do you remember what Kent was like compared to the other offers you had?

JA: My decision was between Kent and Ohio University, and it was pretty easy. At that point, Ohio had Jaaron Simmons, and he was coming off a big year. It was really a no-brainer for me; I knew I was coming to Kent. But still to this day, whenever I go to Ohio I want to get a win. I still haven’t gotten one there. We’ve beaten them here, but I’ve never gotten one in Athens.

JW: I only had one offer so it was a nobrainer for me as well. I also committed early in my senior year. I probably would have had more options, but I’m glad I chose here; it all worked out.

HP: Go back to the 2016 NCAA Tournament run. Being able to show out on the biggest stage, Jalen leading the offense and Jaylin shooting the lights out. What did that do for your confidence?

JA: We just realized it was possible as long as we make the team first. We really feel like anything is possible. That team, we didn’t have the greatest year heading into the MAC Tournament. We didn’t win the MAC in the regular season or anything like that, but we came together late. That’s something we’ve been preaching to our new guys: As long as we come together as a team, anything is possible. We had Deon [Edwin], who was 6 feet, 3 inches tall, playing power forward, and we still won. We may be small, but it’s still possible as long as we come together as a team.

CH: You both have a sort of bulldog mentality. I know Jaylin likes to talk shit on the court, and Jalen has that in him too. How do you think that mindset motivates you as the seasons go?

JW: Have a killer mentality always. That helps through everything, through my life, not just basketball.

JA: I think that separates Kent State, not just us individually, but Kent State from other teams. We have a lot of other teams that play what I call “pretty boy ball.” I think Ohio plays pretty boy ball. Western Michigan plays pretty boy ball. Here, we have to be tough.

HP: I know Jalen Avery’s favorite player is Chris Paul. Jaylin, who’s your favorite NBA player?

JW: [Russell] Westbrook. Everything. I only like players I can relate to with my game. Me and him, we have the same mentality. We always talk junk. We’re always hyped. When we score, we’re always hyped, active. We’ve both got the ball in our hands most of the game. He’s also explosive and stuff like that, athletic. I’ve also got that in my game as well. I’m just a better shooter than him.

(Jalen Avery laughed at that comment.)

HP: As you move forward, what’s the one thing you hope you do yourselves this season, your individual goals?

JA: An individual goal for me is really just winning, man. I just want to show our younger point guards the way here. I feel like as long as I lead our team and win, all the accolades will come. When you worry about accolades, that’s where you mess your game up. As long as we win and lead our team, especially back to the MAC Championship, the accolades will come.

JW: Yeah, same. Just win. Once we win the MAC Championship, everything else will come.

JA: Sophomore year, when [Walker] got [MAC] Tournament MVP, he didn’t even get on an [all-MAC] team. He didn’t get anything at all. And that was crazy. Even last year, he got third team, but me, personally? I think he was better than third team. It’s simple as that. It’s always the same. In the rankings, we’re going to be ranked like fourth in the East. They always do that to us. It’s just what happens.

JW: Every year, we’re always the underdogs. But, shit, we’re always in the MAC Tournament, so it is what it is.

CH: Jalen, last year you did — kind of — get an accolade. You led the country in assist-to-turnover ratio, got that plaque from the NCAA. Did that accolade mean anything to you?

JA: It definitely meant a lot to me. That’s not politically based. It’s just stats. It’s just numbers. For me, that’s what it’s about. That wasn’t based on another person’s opinion. They didn’t have to like me. Numbers are numbers. That was a big thing for me.

CH: Jaylin, he mentioned the tournament run a few years ago, and then last year you had a few big games against Akron. What do you think it is that excites you for the big games?

JW: That’s the word right there: big games. You should always do your best in every game, but for the big games, you’ve really got to do something. We are mid-major. We really don’t get that type of crowd or any type of platform when we’re out there. But when we do get it, I have to take it to full advantage and do my best.

HENRY PALATTELLA | hpalatte@kent.edu

CAMERON HOOVER | choove14@kent.edu