Kansas Jayhawks Q&A: Jalen Wilson in the NBA Draft and NCAA transfer portal targets
Soon-to-be former Kansas forward Jalen Wilson follows a simple philosophy. He tries to stay in the present and not think too much about the future or past.
His primary focus in March was on the NCAA Tournament. Nowadays, he’s all in with his preparation for the NBA Draft.
The Star sat down with Wilson in March to discuss his future aspirations and why he ultimately came back to KU last season.
“I try not to really (look at mock drafts) because I feel like when you do that, you lose track of where you are at,” Wilson said. “I’ve been big this year on staying present on where you are. I’ve talked to a lot of guys who’ve been in the NBA.
“Even Christian (Braun) said Kansas is so much different than what the NBA is, (with) the love and stuff you get here. I really try to embrace what this place really means to me and try to grow that love everyday.”
Wilson averaged 20.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season, winning Big 12 Player of the Year and earning consensus All-America honors.
According to coach Bill Self, Wilson also improved his leadership and maturity quite a bit this last season. It’s something NBA teams wanted to see.
“They wanted to see a better leader,” Wilson said of the draft feedback he previously received. “Coming back to lead guys that are younger. Be able to score the ball on multiple levels and defend. Of course, the NBA is big on defending.
“Show dominance and confidence, man, that’s what they (want) to see — a guy they don’t have to teach.”
Currently, Wilson is projected in the late-first-round to early-second-round range. Speaking with The Star, one NBA Draft insider said he expects Wilson to stick around the league due to his shooting ability and size.
Still, don’t expect Wilson’s role in the NBA to be similar to his role at KU — something Wilson understands.
“I’m just (OK) wherever they want to put me,” Wilson said. “I think every year I’ve shown that I can do whatever it takes to win, and when you’re winning games your game looks even better. So, whatever role they see me doing, I’d be able to plug (into) that.”
With that, it’s time for another Kansas Jayhawks Q&A. As always, thank you for all the questions!
First of all, thank you for the question, Derek. I am going to go with KJ Adams.
He’s 6-foot-7, 225 pounds and extremely athletic. He’s a tad on the taller side, but I could see Adams being an excellent linebacker due to his speed and jumping ability.
Imagine a Big 12 quarterback having to throw over Adams and deal with his athleticism if the QB decides to leave the pocket. It would be utter chaos — which I would like to see.
I cannot wait for that game because not only should it be a great game between the last two NCAA champions, but I am very much looking forward to seeing coach Dan Hurley and his staff.
I would highly recommend going on a guided tour of Allen Fieldhouse — the history and the venue itself is second to none. In addition, it’s an extremely awesome and loud atmosphere on gamedays.
I’d check out the downtown area — lots of excellent shops, bars, and places to eat. It’ll give you a nice feel of how Lawrence is off-campus. I’d also make sure to spend time driving through KU’s campus.
Food-wise, I would highly recommend Thai Diner, Globe Indian Food and Big Mill for the best pizza. It’s a Detroit-style slice that is very, very good. If you have any specific cuisines you want to try, reach out!
I’d also recommend making the 45-minute drive to Kansas City and getting some BBQ. It’s elite, and this is coming from somebody who only eats chicken. Some great BBQ spots are Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que and Slap’s.
KU’s running back and defensive back groups were the two positions with a litany of injuries for the spring. However, I think all players affected should be okay when fall camp starts.
I think the injuries did two things for the program. First, it made it harder to evaluate how good those groups are because there wasn’t a ton of continuity daily.
Second, it allowed the coaching staff to look at some younger players’ abilities that might not have been the case otherwise. Coach Lance Leipold even raved about how his younger running backs performed after the Spring Showcase.
Lastly, it’s too early to project any wins or losses from the portal, but I will say I think the loss of QB Ethan Vasko is a tough one. About a month ago, KU offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said Vasko was a big part of the Jayhawks’ future and now he’s in the portal.
R-e-l-a-x. KU will be fine — Self and co. have done this every season since the transfer portal became college basketball’s version of free agency. Kevin McCullar and Remy Martin were late additions to Kansas and played pivotal roles for the Jayhawks. The coaching staff has clear targets this offseason and are focused on those instead of going after every player in the portal (cough, Arkansas, cough).
Finally, Kansas last season was better than all those teams (besides maybe Michigan State). KU has big holes to fill in, but so do those teams. Those teams are most likely aggressive because they need to do a lot more to have a roster capable of a top seed in the NCAA Tournament — something Kansas did last season.
