Kansas Jayhawks forward Jalen Wilson named 2023 Naismith Trophy finalist

Gary Bedore
·2 min read

Kansas junior forward Jalen Wilson is one of four finalists for the 2023 Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Tuesday.

Other finalists: Zach Edey (Purdue), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) and Drew Timme (Gonzaga).

The Naismith Trophy winner will be announced Sunday, April 2, in Houston along with the Naismith Coach of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Former KU and North Carolina coach Roy Williams will be recognized by the Tipoff Club in Houston as Outstanding Contributor to Men’s Basketball. The Outstanding Contributor to Women’s Basketball is Chris Plonsky of Texas.

Wilson is looking to become the third Jayhawk to win the Naismith Trophy, joining Danny Manning (1988) and Frank Mason (2017).

Wilson will soon be named by the NCAA as a consensus first-team All-American. He meets all criteria after earning first-team honors of the USBWA, NABC, Associated Press and Sporting News.

Wilson, a 6-8 native of Denton, Texas, led the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, rebounds at 8.3 and double-doubles with 12. Wilson posted three 30-point performances and had 22 games of 20 or more points, including each of his last seven contests.

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.

Other Jayhawks to be a Naismith Trophy finalist: Wayne Simien (2004, 2005), Sherron Collins (2010), Thomas Robinson (2012), Mason (2017), Devonte’ Graham (2018), Udoka Azubuike (2020) and Ochai Agbaji (2022).

Starting March 21 fans can vote for the winner at www.naismithfanvote.com or on Twitter (@MarchMadness) and @naismithtrophy). Voting ends at 11 a.m., March 28. The fan vote will account for 5% of the total vote.

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