Kansas basketball: Despite loss, Jalen Wilson solidifies All-American status

It’s hard to focus on the positives when you lose a close game that your team arguably should have won – especially against an in-state rival.

But if there’s one positive takeaway from last night’s loss against Kansas State, it’s that Jalen Wilson proved once again that he’s worthy of being named an All-American.

The Jayhawks struggled in several areas against the Wildcats, most notably on the offensive end.

As a team they finished just 6 of 29 from 3-point range and 24 of 34 from the free throw line. That, combined with several turnovers and foul trouble, spelled doom for KU’s hopes of a win.

Despite the team’s struggles, Wilson did his best to put the team on his back and carry them to victory in front of a hostile K-State crowd – just as several great Jayhawks such as Ochai Agbaji and Sherron Collins before him have done.

Wilson finished the game with a career-high 38 points – his second 30-plus point performance of the year (the first coming against Southern Utah back in November). Wilson’s 38 points were the most by a Jayhawk since Andrew Wiggins scored 41 at West Virginia in 2014.

He also chipped in nine rebounds, two blocked shots, and one assist.

Something that won’t show up on the stat sheet is how well he played defensively in the second half against K-State’s leading scorer Keyontae Johnson.

Although Johnson tied Desi Sills with a team-high 24 points, Wilson stopped him from scoring on multiple possessions down the stretch.

KU ultimately wasn’t able to capitalize fully from those stops, but it helped give them a chance to win and helped send the game into overtime.

Most importantly, Wilson demonstrated what a leader looks like for a team. He never stopped fighting on both ends of the floor, he made clutch shots when he needed to, and showed he is capable of carrying the team when others are off their game.

It was the kind of stellar performance that deserved a happy ending.

Although that ending wasn’t in the form of a win, it should come in the form of Wilson hearing his name called as an All-American once the season concludes – which would further cement his status as one of KU’s greatest players of all time.