KU basketball forward Jalen Wilson selected in 2nd round of 2023 NBA Draft
Former University of Kansas forward Jalen Wilson was selected in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Wilson, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound Denton, Texas native, went No. 51 overall in the two-round, 58-player draft.
Wilson is KU’s 42nd draft pick since the NBA adopted a two-round draft in 1989. Earlier in the night, the Nets selected Noah Clowney at No. 21 overall and Dariq Whitehead at No. 22 overall.
KU coach Bill Self likes Wilson’s fit with the Nets.
“Jalen didn’t get drafted where he hoped he would, but the bottom line is it’s all about fits at that point, once you get into the second round,” Self said. “ I know his representation feels like it’s a really good fit and Brooklyn was very excited to get him. I’m happy with that and feel like he will have a heck of a chance to be a part of their roster.”
Wilson averaged 20.1 points and 8.3 rebounds a game for the Jayhawks in 2022-23.
Wilson won several honors in his senior season after leading the Big 12 in scoring and rebounding. He was named Big 12 Player of the Year and a first-team All-American.
He entered the NBA Draft process after winning a national title in his junior season, but Wilson decided to come back for his senior year.
He recently measured 6-5 1/2 without shoes at the NBA Combine. He weighed 230 pounds with a 6-8 wingspan and 8-3 1/2 standing reach. He also had a standing vertical of 31.5 inches and a max vertical of 35 inches.
Wilson had reported individual workouts with the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Portland Trailblazers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Last season, Wilson was KU’s first option on offense and helped lead KU to a Big 12 title and No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. KU coach Bill Self had high praise for Wilson’s senior season.
“Jalen Wilson had as good a senior year as anybody we’ve had here,” Self said.
After carrying the offensive load in college, Wilson projects to be a role player in the NBA.
A path to a long NBA career starts with improving his long-range marksmanship after shooting 33.7% from beyond the arc last season.
Here’s what Jeremy Woo, a contributor covering basketball prospects and the NBA Draft for ESPN, told The Star about Wilson’s role in the NBA.
“He certainly won’t have the type of usage he got this year,” Woo said. “Everybody knows Bill Self is a good coach and puts these guys in a position to win games. I think that’s kind of the question for him. If you scale back the offensive volume, what is he going to do to stay on the floor and set himself apart?
“I think that starts with making a lot of shots. Physically, I think he has a good size. It’s really going to be about honing in to be a more impactful defender if he can. It’s really about reliability.”
This story was originally published June 22, 2023 at 11:39 PM.
