Known for hitting the OT winner against Ventura College in the Southern California Regional Playoffs, Cerritos College point guard Jalen Washington has signed with Bethany (KS) College. An All-South Coast Conference Honorable Mention selection, Washington was the Falcons starting point guard and helped lead them to a 20-10 record in 2019-20. He improved on all of his offensive categories from his freshman season and looks to continue that rise with the Swedes.

"Bethany gave me the best offer, hands down, and I (will) get taught by people who own businesses and that's good for my major," said Washington, who will be majoring in accounting. "I have improved mostly in the offensive end, but I did get better at becoming a leader", added Washington referring to his sophomore season.

Washington finished his sophomore year averaging 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He went five straight games with double-digit scoring and turned in a season-high 16 points against Los Angeles Trade-Tech College. He pulled down five or more rebounds in 10 games and dished out a season-high nine assists against Palomar College.

"On the court, Jalen has always been a solid defensive player on and off the ball," stated head coach Russ May. "He knows where to be and makes solid defensive plays. Jalen is competitive, tough and not afraid to get physical. Jalen is also a leader on the court and was excellent at controlling the team and the tempo, as well as recognizing defenses. He has a great basketball IQ."

Someone who was relied on all season, Washington played 30 or more minutes in 14 games, with most of them coming at the beginning of the season when the team was incorporating their freshmen into the play more. His minutes decreased a little in the second half of the season, but his production continued to rise. Half of his double-digit scoring games came in games where he played less than 30 minutes, while he spent more time running the offense as the season began.

"In his sophomore year, Jalen displayed the confidence I expect from an experienced veteran," added May. "His confidence on the offensive end and his shot selection was greatly improved. The most impressive improvement was in his leadership on and off the court where he guided an experienced team to 20 wins, a conference championship and a playoff victory."

"I think I can pull people together in order to get a win and I passed the ball a lot so everyone got shots," said Washington of his sophomore campaign. "I'm gonna remember the bonds I created the most at Cerritos with coaches and players. They helped me a lot with my body because we were in the weight room every day and it helped with my stamina. But I have always been on myself when it came to academics."

The offensive abilities, along with the strength under the boards is what Bethany College was looking for, as they try to improve on a 9-19 season and an 11th place finish in the Kansas College Athletic Conference. Just when they started to turn things around several times during the year, they fell upon hard times and will look to Washington's consistency to help them when times get tough.

"I think Bethany will be getting a point guard capable of leadership on and off the court and is a great teammate and person," continued May. "He is great to play alongside and will make his teammates better. They get a bulldog that takes pride on the defensive end of the court. They also get a great student who will represent the program on and off the court in a positive light."