Jalen Wilson says he'll remember Kansas' perseverance

Kansas forward Jalen Wilson wrapped up his Jayhawks career on a down note this past weekend in a Round of 32 loss to Arkansas. But the Big 12 Player of the Year went out with an individually important performance.

Wilson led Kansas with 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting and a 9-for-11 day from the free throw line.

After the game, Wilson reflected on the team’s season as a whole and what he will remember most about the 2022-23 campaign.

“That we persevered through a lot, no matter what was going on, we stayed true to who we are and true to our family, our culture that we’ve built through many years that I’ve seen,” Wilson said. “This is one of the tightest groups I’ve ever been around. One thing about all year, no one is going to feel bad about anything that Kansas goes through. We have rallied through with each other and understood that it’s really us against everybody else. No matter what the outcome is, you know, I love these guys, I loved this year, and I will remember this forever.”

Wilson finished the year averaging 20.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game for the Jayhawks, who went 28-7 on the season. He led the Big 12 in both stats.

In addition to winning Big 12 Player of the Year, Wilson also earned a spot on the All-Big 12 first team and was named a consensus first-team All-American. Wilson seemingly has a promising pro career ahead of him but has yet to announce a final decision on his future after racking up awards and being named a Naismith finalist.

Jalen Wilson named Naismith Award finalist

Jalen Wilson was named a Naismith Award finalist on Tuesday along with Purdue center Zach Edey, Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and Gonzaga forward Drew Timme.

Edey is the favorite for the award after averaging 22.3 points and 12.9 rebounds per game on the season for the Boilermakers.

If Wilson wins, he would the third Naismith Award winner from Kansas. The others are Frank Mason III in 2017 and Danny Manning in 1988.

“Each of the remaining candidates demonstrates a fantastic basketball playing ability, and their individual accomplishments reflect their talent and dedication to the sport,” Atlanta Tipoff Club executive director Eric Oberman said in a statement. “They have been instrumental to the success of their teams throughout the season, and we would be proud to call any of these finalists a Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy winner.”