Brooklyn Nets select Jalen Wilson in 2023 NBA Draft

After a standout career at Kansas, Jalen Wilson has officially heard his name called in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Brooklyn Nets selected him with the No. 51 overall pick Thursday night.

Wilson could’ve gone to the NBA last season, but opted to run it back with Kansas after winning the national championship. He turned in his best season of his career as he averaged 20.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game to win the Julius Erving Award as the nation’s top small forward.

Although he had one more year left if he wanted it thanks to the COVID-19 waiver, Wilson ultimately declared for the draft and ended his time in Lawrence. But before he even announced his plans, Kansas said it planned to retire Wilson’s jersey.

During the NCAA Tournament, Wilson opened up about how much the program meant to him, especially as he fought through adversity.

“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 played high school basketball at Guyer (TX), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 54 overall recruit in the 2019 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NBA Draft experts are saying about Jalen Wilson

Wilson’s scoring ability helped him stand out during the pre-draft process, and he still has room to grow. That’s why he could have a high upside in the association, especially given his ability to defend. Remember, he averaged more than 2.0 assists per game the last two seasons.

“Wilson spent 48.5% of his possessions as a pick-and-roll ballhandler and spot-up shooter,” Rotowire’s evaluation of Wilson said. “He shouldered some tough-bucket getting for Kansas, but his 0.95 AST/TO ratio indicates his shaky PnR playmaking, and his 33.7% shooting from beyond the arc dents his shooting upside.

“Wilson is a fine defender but will likely be pigeonholed to guarding bigger guards and smaller wings versus NBA competition. His career-high 8.3 rebounds per game was great, and Wilson is still demonstrating annual growth heading into his age-23 campaign.”