DENTON, Texas — Jalen Wilson, a North Texas native, was selected No. 51 overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Wilson went to high school in Denton (John H. Guyer High School) and was a consensus four-star recruit. Wilson was a two-time 6A All-State selection in his junior and senior seasons.
The 6-foot, 8-inch forward chose to play collegiate basketball for the University of Kansas over offers from North Carolina and others.
Wilson redshirted his first year at Kansas after breaking his ankle against UNC-Greensboro. Wilson assumed a role in the starting lineup the following year (26 starts in 29 games) and ascended into a consensus All-America First Team selection by his redshirt junior year.
Wilson was the unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team selection. He also led the Jayhawks to a national championship in 2022 and won the Julius Erving Award, which goes to the nation's top small forward.
NBA Draft scouting reports note Wilson has good size for the small forward position and projects to be an effective 3-pointer shooter in the NBA.
Some mock drafts slated Wilson as high as a late first rounder, but most slid him back into a projected second round selection.
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