KU Athletics
ATLANTA – Kansas redshirt junior Jalen Wilson has been named one of four finalists for the 2023 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Tuesday. Wilson is looking to become the third Jayhawk to win the Naismith Trophy, joining Danny Manning (1988) and Frank Mason III (2017).
Joining Wilson as finalists are Zach Edey (Purdue), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) and Drew Timme (Gonzaga). 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. Also honored at the awards brunch will be the Outstanding Contributor to Women’s Basketball, which will be Chris Plonsky of Texas, and Outstanding Contributor to Men’s Basketball, which will be former Kansas men’s basketball coach Roy Williams.
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.
Under head coach Bill Self, Wilson marks the ninth time a Kansas player to be named a Naismith Trophy finalist joining Wayne Simien (2004 and 2005), Sherron Collins (2010), Thomas Robinson (2012), Mason (2017), Devonte’ Graham (2018), Udoka Azubuike (2020) and Ochai Agbaji (2022).
Once again, this year fans will have a say in the determining the Naismith Trophy winner. Starting March 21 fans can visit www.naismithfanvote.com or on Twitter (@MarchMadness) and @naismithtrophy) to cast their ballot for one of the four Naismith Trophy finalists. Voting ends at 12 p.m. EDT on March 28 and fans are limited to one vote per day. The fan vote will account for 5% of the total vote.
Kansas concluded its season with a 28-8 (13-5 Big 12) record. KU won its 21st Big 12 and its NCAA record 64th all-time league regular-season title. Under Self, the Jayhawks have won 17 Big 12 titles in his 20 seasons on the KU sidelines. Additionally, Kansas was ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 in every poll in 2022-23 and ended No. 4 in the AP final poll of the season. Over the last two seasons, Kansas has been ranked in the AP Top 10 in each of the last 38 polls.
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)