Wooden Watch: Early Season Poll
It’s early in the 2022-23 College Basketball season and four players rank among the top of the Wooden Watch leaderboard. As the conference play is just around the corner, keep an eye on these players to step up and lead their teams to the Big Dance in March
Jalen Wilson, Kansas
Leading the No. 9 team in the nation, forward Jalen Wilson provides the Kansas Jayhawks with a spark with the ball in his hands. A three-level scorer, Wilson currently leads the Big 12 in points per game with 22.8 and is second in rebounds per game with 8.9.
Wilson is a play-maker and has the elite ability of creating open space to find shots. The junior from Denton, Texas put up 33 points against Southern Utah in the season opener. On Oct. 24, Wilson posted one of the best statistical numbers of his career with 29 points and 14 rebounds against Wisconsin in an overtime win.
As the Jayhawks heat up, Wilson will continue to be at the top of the Wooden Watch list.
Zach Edey, Purdue
Zach Edey, a 7-foot-4 dominant center, has propelled Purdue into the No. 5 spot in the AP Poll early in the season. Edey had a dominant 2021 campaign while averaging 14.4 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game, but he’s been even better this season.
With a 6-0 record and notable wins against No. 14 Gonzaga and No. 18 Duke, Edey averaged 21.7 points per game and 12.0 rebounds per game.
While Purdue strives to make noise in the Big Ten, look for Zach Edey to be the focus point in the offense, and on the defensive side too.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
The Indiana Hoosiers are off to a 6-0 start as the No. 10 team in the nation with forward Trayce Jackson-Davis leading the way. Jackson-Davis, a 6-food-9 senior, leads the Hoosiers in points per game with 18.8 and rebounds per game with 8.0.
Indiana’s offense runs through the big-man from Greenwood, Indiana. As a projected first-round pick in the NBA Draft, Jackson-Davis has been playing excellent for the Hoosiers early in the season.
The Hoosiers first test this season is on Wednesday, Nov. 30 against No. 18 North Carolina. If coach Mike Woodson and Jackson-Davis are able to pick up a win, the Hoosiers will be a scary team to face late in the season.
Honorable Mention
Brandon Miller, Alabama
Alabama is a basketball school?
The Crimson Tide are off to a 6-1 start with freshman phenom Brandon Miller leading the way. Miller is rising on draft boards as he sits at the top of the SEC offensive stat leaders. The Antioch, Tennessee native is second in points per game with 19.6, and third in rebounds per game with 8.9.
Miller can drive the Tide through a very competitive SEC schedule with hopes to bring ‘Bama back to the Big Dance in March.
Jasper Abrahams is a first-year student studying communications. To contact him, please email jpa578@psu.edu.
