KU’s Jalen Wilson, Rylee Anderson up for Big 12 Athlete of the Year awards

The Big 12 Conference is set to announce its highest individual honors next week, and a pair of Kansas Jayhawks are up for the awards.

Each year, Big 12 programs nominate two of their own student-athletes (one male, one female) for the conference’s Male and Female Athlete of the Year awards, given to the top performers in the Big 12 from the most recent school year.

KU’s nominees for this year are a star-studded duo featuring Kansas basketball’s Jalen Wilson and Kansas Track & Field high jumper Rylee Anderson.

The nominations should come as no surprise, as both Wilson and Anderson are two of the most decorated athletes in their respective sports in KU history

This past year, Wilson led the Big 12 in scoring (20.1 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg). His consistent performance throughout the year made him an easy First Team All-Big 12 selection and the unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year.

Wilson was also a consensus First Team All-American and the recipient of the Julius Erving Award, an award given annually to the best small forward in men’s college basketball.

Wilson was a key contributor to KU’s 2022 national championship team, and he will forever be remembered as one of the greatest players in Kansas basketball history.

Anderson is an equally decorated track and field star for KU.

The senior high jumper has received numerous accolades during her time in Lawrence, including being named a three-time Indoor Big 12 Champion, a two-time Outdoor Big 12 Champion, a two-time Indoor First Team All-American, and a two-time Outdoor Second Team All-American.

Earlier this year, Anderson finished as the national runner-up in women’s high jump at the 2023 NCAA Indoor National Championships and was named Indoor First Team All-American. Anderson finished 12th at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor National Championships and earned Second Team All-American honors.

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Twice this year, Anderson was named Big 12 Athlete of the Week due to her impressive performances.

Anderson also set the Kansas school record in the women’s indoor high jump earlier this year at 6 feet 2 inches – beating her previous school record of 6 feet 1.5 inches.

It’s hard to think of two Big 12 student-athletes who would be more deserving of Athlete of the Year honors after what Wilson and Anderson accomplished this past season.

We’ll see if they take home the Big 12’s top prize once the winners are announced by the conference on Monday, July 31.