From Wake to NC State — Grace Christian’s Jaylon Gibson commits to Wolfpack
After asking for his release from Wake Forest following the firing of coach Danny Manning, GRACE Christian forward Jaylon Gibson didn’t take long to find a new home.
Gibson (6-foot-11, 200 pounds) committed to N.C. State on Thursday, posting the announcement on his Twitter page.
“I wanted to stay in the ACC,” Gibson told the N&O in a phone interview. “It being so close to home, my family can see me play and a majority of them are N.C. State fans. I wanted to represent N.C. State and make them proud.”
Gibson, ranked as the No. 15 player in the state according to 247Sports, played center for GRACE Christian but expects to play power forward in college. As a senior he averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Eagles, who played in some high-profile games in 2019-20 as Gibson’s stock rose. He helped GRACE finish with a 21-12 record to go along with a perfect 7-0 mark in league play. The Eagles won 43 games the past two seasons with Gibson on the roster.
“He elevated our community to heights like never before,” GRACE coach DeShannon Morris told the N&O. “I told him to leave it better than you found it (and) he definitely did.”
The Wolfpack had ascholarship become available when Josh Hall remained in the NBA Draft. Coach Kevin Keatts is now waiting for forward D.J. Funderburk to make an NBA Draft decision to complete the N.C. State roster.
Last week, former East Tennessee State head coach Steve Forbes took over for Manning. That didn’t change Gibson’s mind about Wake Forest. He still wanted to be released.
“I’m happy for the coach that he gets to prove his leadership,” Gibson said Thursday. “I congratulate him, but I can’t see myself playing at Wake Forest with all the uncertainty. I’ve heard that several players have entered the transfer portal.”
According to Morris, Gibson committing to State felt like the “perfect fit.”
N.C. State was in the mix before Gibson committed to Wake Forest, but the Wolfpack obviously backed off once he signed with the Demon Deacons. Once Gibson was released, Keatts and his staff put the full court press on the big man and convinced him to stay home.
“It was all love,” Gibson said when asked about his conversations with Keatts recently. “This time around it was the same energy, they still had love for me, still said they needed me and wanted me. I just felt like they still had that mindset, it was genuine and I belong there.”
The Wolfpack will get an athletic big, a legit 6-11 forward who can “run like the wind.”
“He’s skilled,” Morris said. “He can dribble, he can shoot and most of all he’s just a hard worker. I know Coach Keatts loves those types of kids who will play hard for him and Jaylon will play hard for him.”
Gibson transferred to Grace Christian ahead of his junior year and immediately made an impact on the program. He shot up to a top 20 ranking in North Carolina and remains a top 100 player at his position. However, he hasn’t been a household name nationally, but Morris thinks the N.C. State staff found a diamond in the rough.
“He’s been overlooked,” Morris said. “For Coach Keatts and his staff to see something special in Jaylon, it means the world to him and his family.”
Gibson was frustrated about how the situation with Manning went down at Wake Forest, but believes everything happened for a reason.
“It’s surreal how it happened, how things came full circle,” Gibson said. “I’m just thankful to God, he works in mysterious ways.”
This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 4:28 PM.
