NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Jason Wade has experienced plenty of ups and downs during his time in the silver and blue. All of those experiences will serve him well as he takes the next step in his basketball journey.
Wade has joined Mike Jones's new staff as a graduate assistant, the program announced Tuesday afternoon, continuing his career with the Monarchs in a different capacity.
“Having Jason able to join our staff is amazing," Jones said in the release. "He is a true ODU Monarch through and through. He represents what a Monarch Student-Athlete should be and will be a great asset as the program transitions. We all are excited about the future with Jason on our side and just as excited to watch him get his post playing career started. We are thankful that he is doing it with us.”
The Richmond native spent six years in the program, getting off to a hot start as a freshman in 2018-2019. He played in all 35 games and helped Old Dominion to a Conference USA title and NCAA Tournament berth, swiping 33 steals on the season, which was good enough for second on the team.
His sophomore season got out to a promising start, as Wade averaged 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game through 20 contests before seeing his campaign cut short due to an injury. Despite his limited time on the court, his 52 steals still ranked third in the league and 94th nationally. Wade would miss the next two seasons with two separate injuries.
The fan-favorite made his return to the court on November 7, 2022, in ODU's season opener against Maryland-Eastern Shore. He played in 20 games as he worked his way back into playing shape and returned to competitive basketball.
This past season, Wade appeared in all 32 of the Monarchs' contests, starting 10 of them. He averaged 2.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per outing and was third in the team with 32 steals.
Wade is continuing his education as well and will graduate with his master's degree in education in May of 2025.
