🏀 Jalen Wilson Named Wooden Award Finalist
LOS ANGELES – Kansas redshirt-junior Jalen Wilson has been named one of five finalists for the 2023 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year. The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced the All-American Team and the five finalists Thursday evening on ESPN2.
Wilson becomes the 26th Jayhawk to be named a Wooden Award All-American all-time. Kansas has had back-to-back honorees with Ochai Agbaji earning the accolade in 2022. Wilson now seeks to become the third Kansas player to win the Wooden Award, joining Frank Mason III (2017) and Danny Manning (1988).
Joining Wilson as finalists for the Wooden Award are Zach Edey (Purdue), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Marcus Sasser (Houston) and Drew Timme (Gonzaga). All five players have been invited to Los Angeles for the 47th annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Gala.
One of four Naismith Trophy finalists, Wilson will be Kansas’ 32nd all-time Consensus All-America First Team honoree. The unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team selection, Wilson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, rebounds at 8.3 and double-doubles with 12. The Denton, Texas, forward 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, including the fourth Jayhawk to earn the distinction.
On nearly every national player of the year watch list, Wilson is just the 10th player in Kansas 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.
The 47th annual John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Men’s Player of the Year will be announced on Tuesday, April 4th on ESPN’s SportsCenter. The John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, and will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, this year given to Dawn Staley. The Gala will take place at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 7th.
Kansas Wooden Award All-Americans
2023 – Jalen Wilson
2022 – Ochai Agbaji
2020 – Udoka Azubuike, Devon Dotson
2018 – Devonte’ Graham
2017 – Frank Mason III (Wooden Award recipient), Josh Jackson
2016 – Perry Ellis
2014 – Andrew Wiggins
2013 – Ben McLemore
2012 – Thomas Robinson
2011 – Marcus Morris
2010 – Sherron Collins
2008 – Brandon Rush
2007 – Brandon Rush
2005 – Wayne Simien
2003 – Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich
2002 – Drew Gooden
1998 – Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce
1997 – Raef LaFrentz, Jacque Vaughn
1996 – Jacque Vaughn
1988 – Danny Manning (Wooden Award recipient)
1986 – Danny Manning
