For the second time in a year, former NC State/Winston-Salem State big Jaylon Gibson is in the transfer portal.
The 6’10 forward/center announced on Sunday that he will be entering the transfer portal. He made his announcement via Instagram on Sunday morning.
“First and foremost. I would like to give honor to God for blessing me with the opportunity to play the game love at Winston Salem State University. I am grateful for the entire WSSU program, coaches, my teammates and the community. I also would like to thank my family and friends for the continuous support. With that being said I will be entering the transfer portal. I am excited to see what God has in store for me!”
Jaylon Gibson was a three-star prospect coming out of Grace Christian School, where he averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds as a senior. Gibson committed to NC State, where he appeared in 17 games during the 2020-2021 season. His playing time increased slightly during his sophomore season as he averaged 2.4 points and 2.7 rebounds on 55 percent shooting.
Gibson entered the transfer portal last spring, and elected to play for head coach Cleo Hill Jr. at WSSU. He went from a complimentary player in the ACC to a focal point at the Division II level. He averaged 13.1 points and 6.2 rebounds during the regular season, scoring in double figures 19-times, including a career-high 30 points against Le Moyne. Gibson was named to the All-CIAA frontcourt team and eventually, the CIAA All-Tournament team as he helped WSSU claim the CIAA championship. He shot 56 percent from the field to lead the CIAA.
The loss of Gibson is a sizeable one in several ways for Winston-Salem State. The defending CIAA Champs finished the season with a 21-9 record and a near-upset of no. 1 seed Indiana-Pennsylvania with all five starters eligible to return. Gibson is the second WSSU player to jump in the portal as redshirt sophomore guard Samage Teel entered the portal and landed at Presbyterian.