This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior men’s basketball Jalen Crayton. On Wednesday, Crayton registered 20 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks as Orange defeated Durham School of the Arts 69-31 at Sykes Gymnasium. This season, Crayton has had ten double-doubles and one triple-double. Against Knightdale on November 29, Crayton may have had the first triple-double in Orange history when he registered ten points, eleven rebounds and eleven blocks against the Knights. Against South Granville on January 9, Crayton had 18 points, 17 rebounds and eight blocks as the Panthers defeated the Vikings 67-48. On Friday night, Crayton led Orange with 16 points as the Panthers defeated Cedar Ridge 45-36 inside Red Wolves Gymnasium. Crayton is averaging a double-double with 11.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game this year. In his sophomore season, Crayton scored 15 points in a win over Southern Alamance in the quarterfinals of the Central Conference Tournament. As a sophomore, Crayton had ten blocks in a 79-57 win over Walter Williams on January 28, 2025 in Hillsborough. Crayton is the younger brother of former Orange soccer defender and basketball forward Lily Crayton. Jalen’s daunting presence in the paint has been invaluable for a young Panther team this season. Orange will continue its pursuit of the Big 7 Conference championship against Carrboro on Friday in Hillsborough.
