Older than some NBA Draft hopefuls, KU’s Jalen Wilson ‘ready to step in and play’
First-team consensus All-American, Big 12 Player of the Year and 2022 NCAA champion Jalen Wilson sees value in being one of the most accomplished four-year college players entered in Thursday’s 2023 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The draft will be shown live on ESPN and ABC. It is set for a 7 p.m. Central start.
“Maturity … me being older now there’s an awareness of what I feel I can do at the next level. There’s an understanding a lot of things are about to change. My role I had at Kansas will change when I get to the NBA,” Wilson, a 22-year-old former University of Kansas forward from Denton, Texas — he will turn 23 at the start of his first professional season on Nov. 4 — told reporters after a recent workout with the Indiana Pacers.
“I think a lot of times as you go through years of college you are more aware of what you do best. That’s what I think I bring to the table,” he added, singling out “rebounding, defending multiple guys and being able to knock down shots.”
Not so long ago, the trend was for NBA general managers to overlook those players who stayed in college for three or four years. That’s no longer necessarily the case, one front office NBA executive who wished to remain anonymous (in accordance with NBA rules against commenting on draft prospects) told The Star in a recent interview.
“Teams think Wilson is ready to step in and play, just like Christian Braun did his rookie year in Denver (at age 22 after three years at KU),” the NBA representative told The Star, adding he views Wilson as a late first round or early second round pick.
Braun, the No. 21 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, contributed meaningful minutes as a 22-year-old rookie for the league-champion Denver Nuggets. Another former KU player, Ochai Agbaji, the No. 14 overall pick in the ‘22 Draft, started the last six weeks of the season, contributing 7.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per contest for the Utah Jazz. He played at KU four seasons.
No doubt several KU players in the past have refined their NBA skill set while playing under Hall of Fame coach Bill Self at KU.
“In the NBA, all the stakes are high every single day. Being at a place like Kansas, stakes are high every single day there. People are coming at us every single game,” Wilson said. “It prepared me for a lot of things the NBA brings as far as just the pressure that basketball brings. I’ve been able to weed through that and just play the game.”
Wilson — he and 19-year-old one-and-done KU teammate Gradey Dick will be in Brooklyn for the draft Thursday — said, “I love this game, so I’m able to sacrifice anything it takes to win, anything it takes to reach my dream. I’m understanding there are different roles in the NBA. I just want to be in a role to help a team win, honestly.
“It’s easy to make that transition. I have a good foundation, good support system. My mentality is to have fun, of course show competitiveness, show my personality. Just play the game I love.”
Self, who speaks often with NBA front-office types about his players, indicated Wilson’s advanced age will not be considered as a negative.
“What is he, 22 now?” Self said. “I think if you are going to go fairly high in the draft they like to draft on potential and not know your warts as much. It’s easier for a 19-year-old to go in the top 10 maybe than it is for a 23-year-old to go top 10 without question. But after you get past a certain level teams want players who can come in and contribute (and) help them win.
“If you look at guys we’ve had that have entered the league, Ochai went No. 14. Whether it be C.B. (Braun) at 21, whether Devonté (Graham, fourth pick of second round by Atlanta and traded to Charlotte), a lot of our guys have gone later in the draft that have been more prepared to help that particular team than maybe a 19-year-old that went early. Christian and Ochai’s success definitely helps our guys, Jalen primarily because they’ve been in the same program and those guys did so well.”
Again, as far as the age issue ... “being old … the perception for a long time was the longer it took to get to the league the more it hurt you. I don’t think that is the case at all,” Self said. “The longer it takes you to get to the league potentially could weigh in your favor. Guys taken in the second round aren’t necessarily being drafted to be the franchise type player that will play and be with that franchise for 10 years and be the leading scorer on that team. They are taking them (and) saying, ‘Can we plug ‘em in somehow to help us be better?’ Guys with experience sometimes have a better shot of doing it.”
Wilson — he led the Big 12 in scoring (20.1 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg) in 2022-23 for the Big 12 champion Jayhawks (28-8) — has reportedly worked out for Indiana, Golden State, Charlotte, San Antonio, Portland, Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers (among other teams) in preparation for the draft. Denver also is said to have him on its radar.
ESPN.com’s most recent mock draft has Wilson headed to Charlotte with the ninth pick of the second round.
“Jalen Wilson had as good a senior year as anybody we’ve had here,” Self said. “He and Ochai. The difference was Ochai’s team won it as a senior. Jalen was part of that (NCAA title team as a junior). You look at ‘Och’ compared to Jalen, they had comparable senior years.”
Agbaji averaged 18.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in his final year at KU.
Wilson notes it would be “a dream come true” to hear his name called during draft proceedings on Thursday night.
“It’s a blessing to be in this position,” Wilson said. “I feel playing at Kansas prepared me a lot for what’s to come. Playing for Coach Self, I credit him for almost everything I am today. As far as being the mentor and coach that I needed, a guy who is still in my corner still to today, he’s a huge piece in me being the man and player I am today.”
What kind of player is that? He was asked to give a final pitch to NBA teams.
“A winner. A guy who will come in and compete, mature, a leader, just a voice,” Wilson said. “A guy who will come in and want to embrace the culture, improve where we are at, just come out and win.”
