Wichita State men’s basketball has bolstered its frontcourt with the signing of Jaret Valencia on Sunday afternoon.
Valencia, a native of Quibdó, Colombia, previously spent three seasons at Monmouth and has two years of eligibility left. Standing at 6 feet 9 inches, he is an athletic and versatile forward who completed his high school career under former Shocker P.J. Couisnard at Legacy School of Sport Sciences in Houston, Texas.
“I’m excited to welcome Jaret to Shocker Nation,” said Wichita State head men’s basketball coach Paul Mills. “His elite defensive skills allow him to guard multiple positions effectively and protect the rim at a high level. He adds size to our perimeter and will improve our rebounding on both ends. His strong commitment to improvement aligns perfectly with our program’s focus on player development and competitive excellence. Jaret is poised to make an immediate impact.”
After redshirting his true freshman year, Valencia was honored with a spot on the CAA All-Rookie and All-Defensive Teams as a redshirt freshman in 2023-24. He led his team with 55 blocks, which ranked second in the CAA. Valencia appeared in all 33 games, starting in 32, and averaged 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field. In his redshirt sophomore season, he averaged 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds over 27 games, scoring a career-high 18 points against Youngstown State on Nov. 21, 2024. He narrowly missed his first career double-double against Seton Hall on Nov. 30, finishing with 11 points and a personal-best nine rebounds. Over 60 career games, Valencia has averaged 7.9 points and 4.3 rebounds, shooting 47.5% overall and hitting 37.9% of his three-pointers.
During his junior and senior years at LSS, Valencia helped his team secure consecutive Texas 6A state championships. He recorded career highs for a single game at LSS with 56 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 blocks. Valencia has been recognized as a top-100 power forward by 247Sports and received a 3-star ranking from several recruiting services, with 247Sports Composite ranking him as the No. 58 power forward in his class.
He is the son of Gloria Valencia.
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