Jaden Wells breaking records for UCO hoops

Jaden Wells is not only known as one of the best basketball players in the MIAA conference, but also across the entirety of NCAA Division II programs. The third-year sophomore for the Bronchos, who has already engraved himself into the school’s record books, is considered among the best scorers in the nation.

A Hurst, Texas native, Wells’ driven competitive spirit began at a young age when he attended a local YMCA, where he first picked up a basketball at age four. Little did he know; this sport would end up giving him endless opportunities.

Wells graduated from L.D. Bell High School in 2020, where he averaged 15 points per game over his career. During his senior campaign, he earned MVP honors from the Dallas Morning News for Class 6A’s District 3, First Team All-District selection and was one of just 11 players in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to post at least 500 points and 100 rebounds.

“Honestly, I didn’t receive much recruitment in high school,” Wells said. “I had zero offers after my junior year, and it wasn’t until I played in a Prep Hoops tournament here in Edmond that I started receiving interest.”

With his great performance in the Prep Hoops tournament, Wells picked up multiple offers from Division II schools in Oklahoma. After many visits and long talks with the family, he finally found a place where he was comfortable.

“It’s funny, because I have always been a mama’s boy and wanted to stay close to home,” Wells said. “But after my visit at UCO, I knew instantly that it was my perfect match. From the location, to the teammates, to the coaches, all of it just felt like home.”

Wells made an immediate impact the moment he arrived on campus in Edmond. In his true freshman season, he played in all 24 games for the Bronchos and made 19 starts. Over the year, Wells averaged 11.1 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game and led UCO with 59 made 3-pointers, which was also the best in the MIAA.

In his second year at UCO, Wells started in all 31 games, in which he helped lead the Bronchos to an MIAA championship and an overall record of 24-7. He registered 14.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game to help him earn All-Conference Honorable Mention. Wells also reached No. 10 on Central’s Top 10 list for 86 made three-pointers in one season and gathered NCAA Statistical Champion for best free-throw percentage in the country at 95.2.

After a highly regarded first two seasons with the Bronchos, Wells was determined to have an even bigger year this go around. With all the big expectations surrounding the standout shooting-guard, Wells has lived up to all the hype, at least up to this point of the season.

For 2022-23, Wells leads the UCO team in scoring with 17.7 points per game, which ranks third among the MIAA conference. On Jan.

7, playing against Rogers State, Wells passed two career milestones when he hit 1,000 career points and 200 career three-pointers in the UCO uniform. He is now the 44th player to reach 1,000 points and just the seventh player to reach 200 three-pointers in program history.

Wells has been named MIAA Player of the Week twice this season, to go along with being named to the Small College Basketball’s Bevo Francis Top 50 Watchlist. The Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award is presented annually to the player who achieves the finest overall season within Small College Basketball.

“I just can’t give enough credit to my teammates, because without them, none of this would’ve happened,” Wells said. “I’m just so happy that I chose this school, and to this day, it still feels like home.”

Wells and the UCO Bronchos are currently 23-3 on the season and ranked No. 6 in Division II. They wrap up their final two games of the regular season this week on the road at North-