Low Late-Season Report Card: UNC Basketball Big Man Jalen Washington

The UNC basketball junior stacks up seventh in the first 2024-25 North Carolina Tar Heels On SI player grades.

UNC basketball forward Jalen Washington / Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

UNC basketball forward Jalen Washington has enjoyed a few encouraging moments this season, the 6-foot-10, 235-pound Indiana native's third as a Tar Heel after arriving in Chapel Hill as a four-star prospect.

And some of Washington's most promising efforts have come within the past month. They include his 18 points in an overtime home win over Boston College and clutch plays in the final seconds of UNC's road victory over NC State.

But Washington, in and out of the starting lineup all season for Hubert Davis' struggling UNC Tar Heels (14-11, 7-6 ACC), still lacks in the consistency department.

After tallying only two points and one rebound across 11 minutes off the bench in Saturday's 85-65 loss at now-No. 23 Clemson, Washington is averaging 6.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in his 17.3 minutes per game. He's shooting 56.9 percent from the field and 65.9 percent at the foul line.

Late-Season UNC Basketball Player Grade for Jalen Washington: 82.0 (B-)

Jalen Washington and the Tar Heels, picking up five more losses in their past seven outings alone, now have seven games left in the regular season, beginning with a road clash against the Syracuse Orange (11-14, 5-9 ACC) in the JMA Wireless Dome at 6 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN).

RANKED LATE-SEASON NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS ON SI REPORT CARDS:

1. RJ Davis

2. Ian Jackson

3. Seth Trimble

4. Elliot Cadeau

5. Ven-Allen Lubin

6. Drake Powell

7. Jalen Washington

8. Jae'Lyn Withers

9. Ty Claude

10. Cade Tyson

Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC basketball news.