Former KU guard Jacque Vaughn and the Nets welcome Jayhawks’ Jalen Wilson to Brooklyn
The Brooklyn Nets’ day-after-the-2023 NBA Draft news conference Friday featured the group of head coach Jacque Vaughn, second-round pick Jalen Wilson of Kansas, first-round choices Dariq Whitehead of Duke and Noah Clowney of Alabama, as well as general manager Sean Marks.
“Somehow we were seated next to each other. I don’t know how that happened,” Vaughn, a former point guard who starred at KU from 1993-97 joked of his choosing a spot next to former Jayhawks forward Wilson at a table inside the HSS Training Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Vaughn — he played in the NBA from 1997 to 2009 before getting into coaching — still follows his alma mater’s basketball team closely.
After Whitehead, a 6-foot-7, 18-year-old forward who played one injury-plagued year at Duke, spoke glowingly of Wilson’s play in KU’s 69-64 win over the Blue Devils on Nov. 15, 2022 in Indianapolis, Vaughn said Friday with a smile: “I was watching that game, Dariq.”
That brought laughter at the crowded news conference meant to introduce first-round draft picks Whitehead (selected No. 22 overall), 18-year-old Clowney (No. 21) and 22-year-old second-round pick Wilson (No. 51) to New York media.
Of Wilson, who scored 25 points with 11 rebounds and five assists while playing 38 minutes for KU in that win over the Blue Devils, Whitehead (who missed that game because of injury) said: “That was my first time seeing him (Wilson) play in person. After that night, we all pretty much left the building knowing what he was capable of.
“We talked about it after the game. We knew the reason we lost the game and it was a big credit to him doing what he needed to do that night. We all pretty much left that game knowing who he was and what he was capable of.”
Of Wilson, the Big 12 player of the year and first-team All-American, GM Marks said: “He’s a champion. He’s won before so he’s seen what it takes. Being coached really hard, being coached well. So to bring him into a program like this, we’re all going to be better.”
Wilson was asked about being four years older than Whitehead and Clowney.
“I just think my time at school gave me a lot of different experiences, taught me lot of different things,” said Wilson, who started on KU’s national-title team as a junior before leading the Jayhawks in scoring and rebounding as a senior.
“I was able to do lot of different roles. I hope to use that to my advantage, to be able to come in and play a specific role. I was able to do it on a championship team and last year with a different role being an older guy on the team. I just look at it as an opportunity to come in and be able to do whatever I’m asked to do ... I have been asked to do different things in my career at Kansas; I will be well prepared to do that here.”
It’s possible Wilson could spend some time with the Nets’ G League team in Long Island like late second-round picks Marcus Zegarowski and RaiQuan Gray, who were signed directly to G League contracts following the 2021 draft. Wilson will get a chance to make a positive impression playing for Brooklyn’s team in the upcoming Las Vegas summer league.
“This is another opportunity to be able to play the game that I love and be in a beautiful place like this,” Wilson, a 6-8 wing from Denton, Texas said of Brooklyn. “Not a lot of guys in the world get to hear their name called (on draft night). Like Coach (Vaughn) said, it’s a great opportunity. I’m just looking forward to get on the court.”
Asked the advice he’d give the two Nets draftees who are able to play this summer (Whitehead is being held out as he heals from foot surgery), Vaughn noted that, “Noah and Jalen can both play multiple positions and so I think (they should) not hone in on one thing as a basketball player to work on, but I think the holistic approach of, ‘How am I going to stay in this league?’
“They’ll learn how to be better decision makers, how to be professional, and that’s what we can help guide. The biggest thing … they are going to fill out taxes now (and) it’s going to say ‘professional athlete (on the form).’ That’s what they’ve got to do, act like a professional athlete, dive into your career now.”
