One might have called Jayce Wylke a gunner before this year, but not many would have called him efficient.
But the smart players evolve.
In his first two varsity seasons for Grand Island, 62.8% of Wylke’s made field goals were 3-pointers. Splashy and fun, but not always conducive to winning games and the Vikings only won 12 of them.
Certainly lack of success can’t be pinned on one player, but Wylke’s ascent as an all-around scorer is a reason why 16-4 Grand Island surpassed two years worth of wins before the postseason. This season, 81% of Wylke’s made field goals have come inside the arc and his scoring total ballooned from 10 to 20.2 points per game.
“I wanted to work on my consistency and to be harder to guard,” Wylke said. “Once I get to the (mid-range shot), it opens up more (scoring) for me and my team.”
After only posting four 20-point games in his first two seasons combined, Wylke has become a reliable top scorer asset for the Vikings.
Wylke has finished in double-figures in 19 of Grand Island’s 20 games this season, including 13 games with over 20 points a game. Wylke tied his season-high of 29 points in three separate contests in wins against Tonawanda, Wilson and Burgard.
Wylke also performed in Grand Island losses too, such as scoring 17 points in a 58-36 loss to Niagara Wheatfield on Jan. 12, ending the Vikings’ winning streak. And, Wylke scored 15 points against Lockport in the Niagara Frontier League championship game Wednesday, scoring 10 of his points inside the paint.
Part of becoming an elite scorer also meant learning to deal with handling a team’s best defender or dealing with a gimmick defense. So Wylke learned how to score against tight defenses competing with 716 United and Cory Graham Elite, an AAU team in Buffalo, over the summer for his growth in all stages.
“Definitely with being box-and-one, I’d have to be ready for all that,” Wylke said. “And, definitely, just getting to the basket more and getting more fouls.”
With Wylke in the lineup, Grand Island is 11-0 when scoring over 65 points per game. And while on the floor, the Vikings have been able to keep the ball moving, with the extra pass to the corner 3, where Wylke is comfortable shooting.
Wylke’s scoring prowess comes with the occasional bad shot, because top scorers are asked to do more and get more freedom in return. But Wylke has also become a better facilitator this season as he continues to add to his game.
“He’s offensive minded,” Simpson said. “He’s thinking about scoring all the time and trying to lead our team and help us to win and doing his job, even if he has to force a couple of shots once in a while. He’s seen it all so he’s done a pretty good job getting open and his teammates also try to help them get open.”