By SEAN BOCK
Jalen Wilson, the 6-foot-8 small forward from Guyer (TX), is one of the most sought-after prospects in the 2019 class and gave ZAGSBLOG a rundown of what’s been going on with his recruitment.
At this point, Wilson’s recruitment is wide open, and he holds offers from Kansas, Marquette, Oklahoma, Arizona State, Baylor, LSU, Purdue, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M among others.
Wilson took an unofficial visit to Lawrence on Jan. 20 to watch the Jayhawks play Baylor. In his short time on campus, Wilson was a big fan of what he saw.
“It was great,” Wilson said of the visit. “Allen Fieldhouse is probably the best atmosphere in college basketball, and the home crowd is always great. Bill Self is a great coach, and assistant coach Jerrance Howard is a really cool guy. I felt connected when I went there, it was a really good family environment, and I loved everything about it.”
North Carolina, Michigan and Notre Dame are schools who have expressed interest recently but haven’t offered.
UNC head coach Roy Williams and assistant coach Steve Robinson traveled to Texas earlier this week to watch Wilson compete in an open-gym practice.
“It was great to see such a high standard coach,” Wilson said. “It was an amazing feeling knowing Coach Williams came to my gym and is watching me. I’ve been watching them on TV for the longest time and seeing the great things they’ve done so just to see him there was a great sign to know that my game is improving and other people see it.”
The Wolverines have started to make Wilson a priority, and he’s very familiar and fond of the program.
“I talk to assistant coach [Luke] Yaklich and head coach John Beilein all the time,” Wilson said. “I was named after Jalen Rose, who was a member of the Fab Five, so I know all about Michigan basketball, and my mom loves Michigan. They produce great players in the NBA, and they’re a great program in the Big Ten. I love the coaches there. They really get to me and tell me where I’m at, how I will fit into the program, and how much they really want me. I really enjoy talking to them.”
Only a junior, Wilson has a good idea of what he wants in a school.
“Being able to play my game and make an impact right away,” Wilson said. “I want to play big minutes, be a leader on the team and lead my team to a national championship. Also, I want a real family environment. I don’t want a coach who I just play basketball for, I want a coach who wants the best for me. If I feel the most from a school, that’s where I’ll decide to go to.”
“He brings a lot of versatility and he can play three or four positions and be very effective at each,” YGC36 coach Vonzell Thomas said of Wilson. “Very coachable and cares about winning. Doesn’t just play for himself but plays for the name on the front of his jersey and when you get a player like him it brings victories to your team. Offensively, he can beat a defender from all three levels. Strongslasher, very good mid-range shooter, and can knock down the three.”
As of now, Wilson doesn’t have any visits planned but he knows he’ll trim his list to five schools after the summer. He may start taking official visits in October but still has to talk it over with his family.
According to 247Sports, Wilson is the No. 28 player in the 2019 Class and the No. 4 prospect in the state of Texas.
