Kansas forward Jalen Wilson expects improvement in his outside shot this season

Kansas junior forward Jalen Wilson, who drilled a scrimmage-winning, buzzer-beating, straight-on three-pointer at the recent Late Night in the Phog, hopes to continue to show improvement from beyond the arc during Thursday’s exhibition game against NCAA Division II Pittsburg State.

Tipoff is 7 p.m., at Allen Fieldhouse with livestream available at ESPN+.

Wilson, a starting forward on KU’s 2022 NCAA title team, concentrated on improving his shooting stroke this past offseason after making just 30 of 114 three-point attempts during his redshirt sophomore campaign, for a chilly 26.3%.

“It wasn’t more so the reps, but how I was shooting, my technique. Little fixes and changes I’ve been able to make have improved my jump shot I feel like by at least 10, 15% (over) what it was last year,” Wilson said on Tuesday’s Hawk Talk radio show.

The first weekly Hawk Talk of the 2022-23 season was led by KU assistant coach Norm Roberts. He subbed for KU head coach Bill Self, who was on the road recruiting.

Wilson, the show’s player-guest, spoke for 15 minutes.

“Just having the confidence to make shots … I’ve been practicing shooting game-like shots,” Wilson said. “Ochai (Agbaji, now with Utah Jazz) was a great example going game speed every single rep at practice no matter what was going on.

“That was something I was really able to learn from him. To see the jump he was able to make junior to senior year was remarkable. It all started in his workouts in practice and how he prepared, Having a guy I could learn from (in Agbaji) has been great. If I could have a year like he did I’d be pretty happy.”

The 6-foot-5 Agbaji averaged a team-leading 18.8 points on 47.5% shooting a year ago. He hit 40.7% of his threes and was taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the lottery. The 6-foot-8 Wilson averaged 11.3 points per game on 46.1% shooting. He also grabbed 7.4 rebounds per contest.

“Going through the NBA process, the main concern of a lot of teams was my ability to stretch the floor,” said Wilson, one of two returning starters (with Dajuan Harris) off last year’s NCAA title team.

Wilson tested the NBA Draft waters before electing to return to school for a final season.

“The NBA is hit threes or dunks most likely,” Wilson said. “My style of play, I’m going to have to be a knockdown shooter. That’s something I’ve consistently been working on all summer, just being the best shooter I can be, tapping into my full potential from the three-point line.”

KU assistant coach Roberts said Wilson has been outstanding during preseason camp the past several weeks.

“He’s been terrific,” Roberts said “Obviously he was a big part of what happened last year. Arguably he was the best player in the championship game.”

Wilson had 15 points and four rebounds while playing 34 minutes in KU’s 72-69 NCAA title victory over North Carolina.

“He made so many big plays for us last year. This is his time,” Roberts stated. “He is excited, taking a leadership role. He had a great preseason. Guys are following him. We predict he’ll have a great year.”

Roberts, who is in charge of coaching KU’s big men, said sophomore forward KJ Adams has impressed in workouts.

“They’ve all had good preseasons,” he said of scholarship bigs Adams, Zach Clemence, Zuby Ejiofor and Ernest Udeh. Cam Martin is currently out with a separated shoulder.

“The guy who has been the most consistent has been KJ. He is a beast,” Roberts added of Adams, 6-7, 225 from Austin, Texas. “He can guard all five positions. There’s times now we have him picking up the point guard 40 feet. He’s so quick. He’s so strong, explosive. He knows who he is.

“He is not a great shooter. That’s not what he does (but) he did make a three the other day. We think he will be very effective defensively. He is very effective on the offensive glass, gives us an area of toughness.”

Of Martin, who said last Wednesday at Ladies Night Out he could be out of action until the start of the Big 12 season, Roberts said: “Cam always has a great attitude. It’s very unfortunate what happened to him (falling while guarding Ernest Udeh while playing 1-on-1).

“Hopefully we’ll get him back real soon. He brings experience, toughness, ability to shoot on the perimeter. He’s more of a perimeter big guy for us. He gives us something we definitely want,” Roberts added of Martin, a 6-9, 230-pound super-senior from Yukon, Oklahoma.