Kansas forward Jalen Wilson has added another big time honor to a season full of them, becoming one of four finalists for the Naismith Trophy, given annually to college basketball’s player of the year.
Wilson is joined by Purdue big man Zach Edey, Gonzaga big man Drew Timme and Indiana big man Trayce Jackson-Davis. Of the four, only Timme remains alive in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
A member of nearly every national player of the year watch list, Wilson became just the 10th player in KU men’s basketball history to record 1,400-plus career points and 800-plus career rebounds and the first since Perry Ellis (2013-16). Wilson’s 1,475 points rank 27th on the KU career list and his 802 rebounds are 14th in school history. Wilson’s 28 career double-doubles are ninth on the KU all-time list.
He also cracked the top eight in single-season scoring, racking up 723 points this season.
Wilson, who was a unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year and all-Big 12 first team selection, will be KU’s 32nd all-time consensus All-America first team honoree. He’s looking to join Danny Manning (1988) and Frank Mason III (2016) as past Kansas winners of the Naismith Trophy.
Wilson led the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, rebounds at 8.3 and double-doubles with 12. The Denton, Texas, native posted three 30-point performances and had 22 games of 20 or more points scored this season, including each of his last seven contests. Wilson is the seventh player in Big 12 history to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in the same season and the fourth Jayhawk to achieve the feat.
The Naismith Trophy will be announced Sunday, April 2, at a brunch in Houston along with the Naismith Coach of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Jalen Wilson 2022-23 Honors
Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year finalist (1 of 4)
Consensus All-America First Team (to be named, meets all criteria)
USBWA All-America First Team
NABC All-America First Team
Associated Press All-America First Team
USBWA All-District VI Player of the Year
USBWA All-District VI Team
NABC All-District 8 First Team
Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team
Julius Erving Award Finalist (1 of 5)
The Sporting News All-America First Team
Big 12 Player of the Year (unanimous selection)
All-Big 12 First Team (unanimous selection)
Wooden Award Final Ballot (1 of 15)
Oscar Robertson Trophy Late Season Watch List (1 of 15)
Big 12 Player of the Week (12.5.22)
Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team
Preseason All-Big 12 Team
NABC Division I Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 20)
