Kansas basketball: Jalen Wilson can’t catch a break
Jalen Wilson’s return to Kansas basketball this season has become unlikely due to a new health issue holding him out of practice.
Jalen Wilson was a four-star recruit out of high school holding offers from Kansas basketball, Michigan, North Carolina, Baylor, and others. Wilson committed to Bill Self and the Jayhawks, but his freshman year has been less than ideal.
In Kansas’ second regular game of the season against UNC Greensboro, Wilson broke his left ankle and hasn’t seen the court since. He’s played a grand total of two minutes so far in his freshman season.
The good news was the Wilson seemed to be getting better. He progressed from a scooter to a boot and even got to the point where he was practicing with the team again. Wilson just recently hit another snag though.
Yesterday, head coach Bill Self said that Wilson was experiencing back spasms that were unrelated to his broken ankle. On whether or not Wilson will play this season, Self said:
"“It’s getting close to being at the point where it’s probably not worth it, but we’re still going to give him a little more time to see how it responds. He’s not healthy though.” – Bill Self via 247 Sports"
At this point, it seems unlikely that Wilson returns this season. While he could provide value as a shooter, breaking into the rotation would be tough, and it’s not worth reinjuring himself. If Wilson doesn’t return this season, that brings up another issue though.
Wilson could get a medical redshirt for this season, but it probably wouldn’t be worth it. As a borderline one and done player and NBA hopeful (247 Sports predicted he’d be a first-rounder in their recruiting profile), it doesn’t make sense for Wilson to be at Kansas for more than two years if that.
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It’s impossible to predict whether or not Jalen Wilson would help Kansas basketball if he returns this season, so it’s best for him to play it safe and come back at full health next year. It’s really unfortunate that he didn’t get a chance to help this year’s team though. Hopefully, the injury bug leaves him alone for the rest of his career.