Jalen Wilson shares Kansas' approach to NCAA Tournament as defending champions
Kansas forward Jalen Wilson knows what it takes to win an NCAA title. He and his Jayhawks did, after all, do it last season.
But the Big 12 Player of the Year has elevated his game as a senior this winter, and Kansas will enter as the No. 1 seed in the West Region.
He told ESPN that the team’s focus heading into the tournament is just to stay present in the moment.
“Our main focus is staying present in where we are,” Wilson said. “You know, not looking too far ahead, understanding that this tournament is just full of just, ‘One game at-a-time,’ moments. And you know, just blocking all the outside noise, outside media, understanding there’s a target on our back at all times and just representing our school well. If we play Kansas basketball and play the way they’re supposed to play, everything will handle itself.”
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Kansas is the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, behind just Alabama and Houston. NCAA committee chair Chris Reynolds addressed Sunday why the Cougars got the edge over the Crimson Tide.
“When you look at Houston, a combined 15-1 in Quad 1 and 2, compared to Kansas, 21-7 in Quad 1 and 2? Houston? They were competitive in all their games they lost, except for today. And we understand. today, they were without their best player,” Reynolds said. “So, for that reason, we kept Houston at No. 2.”
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2023 NCAA National Champion Odds for Jalen Wilson’s Kansas squad, other top programs
Here are the opening odds to win the 2023 National Championship, according to VegasInsider.
Houston: +500
Alabama: +800
Kansas: +1000
Purdue: +1200
UCLA: +1400
Gonzaga: +1500
Arizona: +1600
Texas: +1900
Baylor: +2100
Marquette: +2100
Tennessee: +2200
UConn: +2400
Duke: +3100
TCU: +3400
Creighton: +3400
Kentucky: +3400
Saint Mary’s: +3400