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Former JHS basketball standout named NAIA Player of the Week

Former JHS basketball standout named NAIA Player of the Week

Photo: Contributed/Williams Baptist University


Walnut Ridge, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – A former Jonesboro High School basketball standout is having quite the start to the 2025-26 college basketball season.

Williams Baptist University men’s basketball forward Jesse Washington was named the Gared Performance Sports Systems NAIA National Offensive Player of the Week, the NAIA announced Tuesday morning.

Washington led WBU to a 2-0 week last week with two double doubles.  The Jonesboro native started his week with 31 points and 10 rebounds in a victory over Principia on Wednesday, then dropped 43 points and 10 rebounds in a 119-84 win over Moody Bible on Saturday.

The senior ranks second in the NAIA in scoring average at 30.8 points per game.  He has posted three consecutive double-doubles with 30+ points scored.

Washington helped Jonesboro High School win back-to-back state championships as a junior 2021 and again as a senior in 2022.

Williams is off to a 5-0 start to the season, tied for the best start in program history.

Washington and the Eagles will return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 25 on the road against Hendrix.  Tipoff against the Warriors is set for 5:30 p.m. in Conway.

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