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PROVO — Former Davis High star Jesse Wade is coming home.
After being granted an unrestricted release from Gonzaga following just one full season, Wade announced his intentions Wednesday to transfer to West Coast Conference rival BYU.
"From Kaysville to France to Spokane, I'm extremely grateful for the places that my life has taken me and the people that I have met," Wade tweeted Wednesday afternoon. "With that being said, I'm excited to say that I have decided to come home and further my basketball career and education at BYU."
Wade averaged 1.3 points in 20 games off the bench for Gonzaga in 2017-18 after finishing a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France (where he also served with current BYU guard TJ Haws for a brief time). The 6-foot-1, 175-pound sharpshooter from Kaysville was an All-State standout for the Darts in high school, earning Utah player of the year honors from Gatorade and the Deseret News, as well as 5A MVP honors from KSL Game Night Live.
From Kaysville to France to Spokane, I’m extremely grateful for the places that my life has taken me and the people that I have met. With that being said, I’m excited to say that i have decided to come home and further my basketball career and education at BYU! #GoCougspic.twitter.com/TGvOgRRWJJ
— Jesse L. Wade (@jessewade10) July 11, 2018
His best game in a Gonzaga uniform was the nine points he put in against Howard, but he struggled with injuries down the stretch for the Bulldogs, leading to an unconditional release from coach Mark Few.
"Jesse is a fantastic young man with high character and strong values," Few said at the time of his release. "He is an incredible teammate who is an exceptionally hard worker and a tremendous role model. We have truly appreciated everything he has given us on and off of the court, and enjoyed having Jesse in our program. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward."
Though he won’t be immediately eligible, Wade helps fill the void left by departing collegians Elijah Bryant, who left school early for a shot at pro basketball. BYU fan favorite Payton Dastrup also announced his departure from the Cougars in the offseason, electing to spend his final two seasons of eligibility at Oregon State.
Wade was the No. 1-rated recruited in Utah by ESPN.com and 247 Sports as a senior at Davis, where he averaged 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game en route to a 21-3 record and a spot in the Class 5A state semifinals as a senior.
Wade will be required to sit out the 2018-19 season at BYU, per NCAA transfer rules, but would be eligible as a redshirt sophomore beginning with the 2019-20 season.
Before committing to Gonzaga, he was also recruited by Utah State, San Francisco and UC Riverside, among others.
Wade was spotted in Utah County this past week with his wife, touring the Cougars’ new practice facility in Provo where his younger sister Olivia will be a freshman on the BYU women's soccer team.
