Former Washington prep star, Saint Mary’s guard Jabe Mullins to transfer to Washington State
PULLMAN – Jabe Mullins, a decorated prep recruit from Washington who spent his first two collegiate seasons as a role player at Saint Mary’s in California, is transferring to Washington State – one of the programs Mullins had considered during his days as a Mount Si High School star.
The 6-foot-6 guard out of Snoqualmie announced his decision to return to the state over Instagram on Monday night. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Mullins led Mount Si to a State 4A title in 2020 and captured Washington’s all-classifications player of the year award. A four-star recruit and the No. 1 prep prospect in Washington as a senior (247Sports.com), Mullins averaged 19.2 points, 6.8 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game for the Wildcats in his final prep campaign. He capped his Mount Si career with four All-KingCo 4A selections, two league MVP nods and a state tournament MVP honor.
He pledged to the Gaels’ program before his senior season, in September 2019. Mullins’ “final five” included Saint Mary’s, WSU, Stanford, Oregon State and Utah State.
Cougars coach Kyle Smith extended an offer in June 2019, but eventually lost the recruiting battle to his mentor, longtime Gaels coach Randy Bennett. Smith served as an assistant under Bennett at SMC from 2001-10.
Mullins appeared in 19 games and made 11 starts for the West Coast Conference’s Gaels as a true freshman, averaging 16.1 minutes and 3.1 points per game.
His efficiency improved as a sophomore, but his playing time dropped to 9.6 minutes per game for veteran-laden, NCAA Tournament-qualifying SMC. He averaged 2.9 ppg across 34 appearances, shooting 50% from the field and 37% from 3-point range. In the most productive game of his season, on Jan. 29 versus Pepperdine, Mullins hit 3 of 4 on 3-pointers and scored 11 points, adding four rebounds.
He entered the NCAA transfer portal on April 28.
While it’s uncertain whether Mullins can crack a Pac-12 starting lineup, he will at least provide a much-needed depth piece for the Cougars, who have lost a chunk of their roster to the transfer portal. Mullins brings sharpshooting potential and adds length on the perimeter for WSU.
He is the third player to join WSU’s 2022 recruiting class, along with four-star 7-footer Adrame Diongue and high-scoring Central Valley High guard Dylan Darling. The Cougars’ roster next year will feature two former Washington Class 4A players of the year in Mullins and Darling.
Mullins’ Mount Si Wildcats defeated Darling’s CV Bears 58-47 in the 2020 state championship.