Kansas basketball coach Bill Self calls NBA-bound Jalen Wilson ‘the biggest winner’
Longtime Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self has seen it all.
He’s coached a fair share of great players that have donned the crimson and blue, including 19 Consensus All-Americans.
Self’s latest All-American, Jalen Wilson, was the player Self couldn’t stop praising at KU’s postseason hoops banquet Thursday night at Burge Union.
“Jalen had a little incident (DUI) last year before the season and that’s when we found out who Jalen Wilson really was: (a) stud,” Self said of how Wilson handled the incident. “The sacrifices he made on a national championship team on a national championship team for the betterment of everybody else didn’t go unnoticed.”
Wilson declared for the NBA Draft on Wednesday. He averaged 20.1 points and 8.3 rebounds a game during the 2022-23 season.
He was also recently named the Julius Erving Award winner, honoring the men’s basketball top small forward in NCAA Division I, and a finalist for the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy.
“I don’t know if I told J-Will this or told mom or dad this, but for us to be really good their son had to play at an All-American level,” Self said. “He didn’t only play at an All-American level, but that I think the consensus is he finished in National Player of the Year. We’ve had two guys average 20 a game since I’ve been here — Wayne Simien and Frank Mason III did win a National Player of the Year here, and those years were tremendous.
“I don’t know if anybody got more out of of what he does. He is the biggest winner, I think that I’ve ever coached and we’re gonna miss you and we hope you go kill it.”
Wilson won the Danny Manning Award for the 2022-23 season on Thursday night. The award goes to the team MVP on and off the court.
“This year’s winner is no decision — It’s a slam dunk,” Self said, referring to Wilson. The way he’s represented KU in the four years he’s (been) here, the accomplishments on the court, the role he’s played in a leader in a leadership role (and) also the role is played in our community and on campus.”
After receiving the award, Wilson gave a heartfelt speech to KU fans and donors.
“I want to thank you all for supporting us all year through all our ups and downs,” he said. “I always say you all support us through everything. … To have you guys for four years is a true blessing and honor. I miss you guys so much; I miss playing here and miss seeing your guys’ faces, but like I said, this will always be home. I’m just looking forward to the future and this place to keep getting better.”
Wilson told reporters he next plans to begin his draft preparations in California.
“I am going to get my body right, my mind right and just working out,” he said.
While Wilson works toward his NBA dreams, he’ll never forget his time at Kansas.
“It was the best time of my life; being here changed my life for the best,” he said. “I was able to be a part of a special group of people and I’ll love this place forever.”
