Could Jalen Wilson edge out Edey in National Player of the Year voting?

Ochai Agbaji had a terrific season for Kansas in 2021-22, and his tremendous play earned him a spot as a finalist for the Naismith men’s Player of the Year award. He fell short of winning the honor, which was eventually awarded to Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe. A year later, Jalen Wilson is arguably playing at a higher level than his ex-teammate was.

Wilson has been stellar for the Jayhawks all year, getting to the line at will and sinking clutch baskets in every game. He has emerged as KU’s leader on the hardwood.

His points per game number has doubled, jumping from 11.1 in the previous season to 21.4. Sinking just 29.8% of his three-pointers in his first three seasons in Lawrence, he now has developed a consistent jumper. His three-point percentage is 36.5% on the year. He has career highs in almost every statistic imaginable.

Wilson’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, as he is the consensus No. 2 player in the country right now. There is an abnormally large obstacle in front of him, though, and that would be Purdue’s extraordinary center, Zach Edey.

https://twitter.com/BoilerBall/status/1623729690317045760

Edey is a freak of nature on the floor. Purdue is the No. 1 ranked team in the country, and a large part is due to the contributions of their 7’4″ senior. He is averaging 22.1 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. Edey even shoots 74.2% from the charity stripe, which is an unheard-of feat for a player of his size.

Even with how well Wilson has been playing, Edey might already have the National Player of the Year award waiting for him. It will be extremely difficult to edge him out of the race with how effective he has been.

Wilson’s odds of taking the award home currently stand at +650, whereas Edey’s odds of -450 signify he is the clear favorite. Then again, a late-season collapse from the Boilermakers and Wilson stringing together some impressive performances could give him a decent shot at receiving a few first-place votes. Purdue did just fall to Northwestern on the road.

The last time a Jayhawk was presented with the Naismith Award was in the 2016-2017 season when Frank Mason III had one of the greatest seasons by a guard in KU history. We might need to wait another year or two to see this happen, but Wilson should not be counted out yet.