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.”

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