Jalen Wilson suspended for start of Kansas Jayhawks’ regular season after DUI arrest
Kansas Jayhawks sophomore forward Jalen Wilson will miss KU’s exhibition game Wednesday night plus the first three regular season games as a suspension following a DUI arrest Sunday morning.
KU men’s basketball coach Bill Self announced the punishment Tuesday at the team’s media day in Allen Fieldhouse, saying Wilson will also serve community service hours.
“That’s what we have decided and certainly think that’s fair and certainly hate to have to do it at all. But the decision he made was obviously very poor,” Self said. “He’s owned it. He’s acting like a man. He’s determined to spin it into a positive over time in some way, shape or form. And I know he’ll work hard to do that.”
Wilson, who turns 21 on Thursday, was arrested at 400 W. 23rd St. in Lawrence by a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy at 2:16 a.m. Sunday.
George Diepenbrock, a public information officer with the sheriff’s office, said a deputy saw a driver at 1:48 a.m. “not maintaining a proper lane.” After deputies stopped the vehicle, they had Wilson perform field sobriety tests and took him into custody after.
Wilson was booked into jail and released about two hours later on $250 bond, according to the jail log. He was given a future court date, Diepenbrock said.
Self was asked why he decided on a suspension that would have Wilson miss games against Michigan State, Tarleton State and Stony Brook and bring Wilson back for the Jayhawks’ Thanksgiving week tournament in Orlando, Florida.
“The reason is I just feel like that’s appropriate,” Self said. “Every situation is unique. It’s hard to have a cookie cutter penalty for everything that’s going on in your program and certainly this situation has its own take just like other things that will happen in the future will have its own unique take.”
Wilson spoke to reporters Tuesday.
“My main focus is to take responsibility and own up to what I’ve done, gain the trust back of the community, my coaches, my teammates, my family, everybody in Lawrence. I know I have let them down,” the Denton, Texas native said. “Now I will work my way back to build trust back and understand I’m fully accountable for what has happened.”
Asked how he plans on gaining trust back, Wilson said: “Continuing to be a leader on and off the court, talk to my coaching staff and my teammates about being the player I am ... continuing to set a good example for the kids who come to the games and supporting my team every single way I can.”
Wilson said he spoke to his teammates following his arrest. “We got to talk. We are all on board as far as my mindset moving forward, being the best player and teammate I can be,” Wilson said.
Wilson also posted an apology on social media Tuesday in which he said he was “truly sorry.”
“I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Wilson wrote, “and am extremely remorseful in my lack of judgment.
“I know it wouldn’t be fair for me to ask for forgiveness right now, so instead I plan to show you the true man I am and my true character through my actions and behavior moving forward.”
Wilson started 26 of 29 games as a freshman last season and returned for his sophomore season after entering the NBA Draft.
KU played a closed scrimmage at Tulsa on Saturday afternoon and returned to Lawrence. The Jayhawks have an exhibition game at home at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Emporia State before starting the regular season Nov. 9 against Michigan State at the Champions Classic in New York.
Wilson will also miss the next two KU games, vs. Tarleton State on Nov. 12 and Nov. 18 vs. Stony Brook at Allen Fieldhouse. He’ll be eligible to return for the start of the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando, Florida, where KU will first play North Texas on Nov. 25.
As far as how KU will play without starting wing Wilson, Self said: “Well, Jalen has played really well. He’s probably our best defensive rebounder as evidenced by last year. He’s our best in transition as evidenced by watching him play every day the last two to three months. He’s a shot maker. He has an air about him. Very confident. He’s a terrific leader.
“I think it’ll be a challenge,” Self added, noting senior wing Jalen Coleman-Lands is listed day-to-day because of an injured toe. “That kind of adds to the challenge a little bit. The way I look at basketball is it’s a long season and it will provide an opportunity for somebody else to maybe demonstrate that they deserve to be out there and maybe put pressure on Christian and David and Ochai to be rebounders which I don’t think that we have been like we have the the capability of being. It’s definitely going to add some things on other people’s plates but I think over time will be something that benefits us too. I’m disappointed we’re starting the season this way, but also see it as an opportunity for somebody else,” Self noted.
The Star’s Jesse Newell and Luke Nozicka contributed to this report
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 3:00 PM.
