Guyer alumnus Jalen Wilson projected as 2nd round pick in NBA mock drafts

Wilson, a 2019 Guyer graduate, spent the last four years at perennial power Kansas. As a sophomore, he notably helped the Jayhawks win the national championship in 2022 as the team’s second-leading scorer behind current Utah Jazz player Ochai Agbaji.

Wilson was a consensus First Team All-America selection this past season after averaging 20.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, both top marks in the Big 12 Conference. He became just the third Jayhawk to average more than 20 points per game during the Bill Self era.

Wilson was also a Big 12 All-Freshman selection in 2020-21 after redshirting as a true freshman.

During his standout career at Guyer, Wilson helped lead the Wildcats to a combined 70-7 record over his junior and senior seasons as they reached the regional finals each time. He averaged 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a senior and was a two-time TABC all-state selection and four-year starter under coach Grant Long.

Wilson was also the Record-Chronicle’s 2018-19 All-Area Boys Basketball Co-Most Valuable alongside teammate De’Vion Harmon, who has also declared for this year’s NBA Draft

Wilson’s draft prospects

Now, Wilson looks poised to be selected in this year’s NBA Draft coming off a standout junior year with the Jayhawks. Several recent mock drafts have Wilson going anywhere from the early to late second round to a variety of teams.

One mock from June 15th by The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has Wilson going 37th overall to the Denver Nuggets, while Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek also has him being taken by the Nuggets, though at No. 40 instead in a mock published Tuesday.

“Wilson improved from his sophomore year and became a leader and first option on a talented Kansas team this season,” Peek wrote. “His 3-point shot selection got better, and he has great size on the wing.

“Wilson disappeared a little bit during the NBA Draft Combine scrimmages, but what he can bring instantly to a team in terms of productive offensive minutes and length on the outside makes him a plug-and-play guy right away.”

Wilson could certainly fit what the defending champion Nuggets are looking for in a possible impact role player due to his abilities offensively and as a rebounder. He also has solid size on the wing as he measured at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds at the NBA Draft combine.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have Wilson being taken with the 39th pick by the Charlotte Hornets in their latest mock, while CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone projects Wilson to go 38th overall to the Sacramento Kings.

“Sacramento decision-makers seem to value winners who produce big at the college level and Wilson checks both those boxes,” Boone wrote. “He was a key piece of KU’s title winner two years ago and is a tenacious rebounder for his position who has made developmental strides as a shooter each season in college.”

Kevin O’Connor’s mock for The Ringer is a bit lower on Wilson, projecting him to be selected 49th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers as of Tuesday. His analysis describes Wilson as a “big wing who must improve as a shooter to thrive as an NBA role player” and compares him to longtime NBA player DeMarre Carroll.

“The Cavaliers badly need more wings,” O’Connor wrote. “Though Wilson is an unproven shooter, the rest of his game is largely ready to contribute.”

Time will tell where Wilson is selected or whether he is at all, but the current consensus seems to give him a good shot at being drafted in the second round. Either way, the Denton native appears poised for an opportunity to carve out a role in the NBA.