POY Feature

Athlete Feature: Kansas Men’s Basketball Star Jalen Wilson Unanimously Voted Big 12 Player of the Year

By 2aDays Staff|Updated on July 6, 2023 (originally published on March 24, 2023)

Earlier this month, the Phillips 66 All-Big 12 men's basketball awards were announced and Jalen Wilson, Kansas' star player, was unanimously voted player of the year by the Big 12 head coaches. He was also a unanimous All-Big 12 selection. The redshirt junior led the conference in scoring, averaging 20.3 points per game, and rebounding, averaging 8.3 rebounds per game. Wilson was also first in the conference in double-doubles, with 10, and second in the conference in minutes played, averaging 35.2 minutes per game.

To add to his impressive resume, Wilson is one of the four finalists for the Naismith National Player of the Year Award, which is given to the most outstanding men's basketball player each season. He is also a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, given each year by the United States Basketball Writers Association to the most outstanding men's basketball player.

Kansas went into the 2023 March Madness tournament looking to be the first team to win in back-to-back years since Florida in 2006 and 2007. They entered the tournament as a number one seed, headlining the West region. Kansas matched up with 16 seed Howard in the first round, and went on to win that matchup with relative ease, 96-68. Wilson finished that game with 20 points and 7 rebounds.

However, in their second round matchup, Kansas had a meeting with 8 seed Arkansas, a game in which the Razorbacks came to play. The game was back and forth much of the way, but it would be Wilson's last collegiate game ever, as the Jayhawks lost, 72-71. With that loss, Kansas's hopes of repeating as National Champions came to an abrupt end.

Even so, the Denton, Texas, native put up a respectable 20 points in his final game and Wilson finished his collegiate career averaging 14.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Wilson's focus will now be on the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft, where he is projected to go in the first round.

Wilson can be found on Instagram and Twitter @thejalenwilson.

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Image Credit: KU Sports