Bill Self hands down punishment to Jalen Wilson for DUI arrest

Kansas head coach Bill Self suspended sophomore forward Jalen Wilson for four games, three regular-season games, as punishment for his DUI arrest on Sunday.

The Jayhawks open the season next Tuesday against Michigan State at the State Farm Champions Classic in New York City. Kansas is No. 2 in ESPN’s preseason Top 25. The Champions Classic is a neutral-site doubleheader event featuring Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Michigan State.

On the day of his arrest, shortly before 2 a.m., deputies saw that Wilson was not maintaining his lane position. Wilson was days away from his 21st birthday when he was arrested.

“We’re going to suspend him tomorrow’s game, the exhibition game, we’re going to suspend him the first three games in the regular season, and he will also do some community service during his suspension,” Self said.

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound Texas native released an apology on Twitter before also acknowledging his mistake during in-person interviews during media day.

“I accept full responsibility for my actions and am extremely remorseful in my lack of judgment,” Wilson wrote. “I know it wouldn’t be fair for me to ask for forgiveness right now, so instead I plan to show you the true man I am and my true character through my actions and behavior moving forward.

“My main focus now is just to really take responsibility and own up to what I’ve done,” he said during interviews. “And really just to gain the trust back of the community, my coaches, my teammates, my family (and) everybody in Lawrence. I know I let them down.”

The Jayhawks head coach acknowledged that Wilson has taken responsibility for his actions and therefore, he believes the punishment is fair.

“The decision he made was obviously very poor,” Self said. “He’s owned it. He’s acted like a man, and he’s determined to spin it into a positive over time in some way, shape or form. And I know he’ll work hard to do that.”

Jayhawks plan to open season without Wilson

In 2020, Wilson posted 26 starts in 29 games played for the Jayhawks. He scored 11.8 points per game with 7.9 boards per game. He finished third on the team in scoring and first in rebounding. As a redshirt freshman, he shot 41.4% from the field and 63% from the charity stripe. He posted a career-high 23 points twice last season, first versus Kentucky, then versus Creighton.

Without Jalen Wilson, the Jayhawks will start a lineup of Dajuan Harris Jr., Remy Martin, Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun and David McCormack during Wednesday’s exhibition game. They play Emporia State at 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.

Jalen Wilson ranked No. 57 in the nation, No. 7 in the state, coming out of high school in Denton, Texas. He chose Kansas over North Carolina and more than a dozen other high-major programs.