Kansas forward Jalen Wilson (10) celebrates a three next to Iowa State forward Robert Jones (12) during the first half on Friday, March 10, 2023 at T Mobile Center in Kansas City. Photo by Nick Krug

The third time through the draft was the charm for Jalen Wilson.

He went somewhat later than expected, but the former Kansas forward from Denton, Texas, heard his name called at No. 51 in Brooklyn, New York, late Thursday night. He walked across the stage in the very arena where he’ll have a chance to play as a member of the Brooklyn Nets.

Wilson had previously entered and withdrawn from the draft in both 2021 and 2022, but his scoring took an enormous leap forward during his final year in Lawrence. The redshirt junior averaged more than 20 points and eight rebounds to lead the Jayhawks in both categories and was rewarded with first team All-American honors and the Julius Erving Award as the nation’s best small forward.

Wilson’s high school recruitment process featured an early commitment to Michigan and an eventual choice between KU and North Carolina. He helped the Jayhawks defeat those same Tar Heels for the 2022 national title on his way to a career as “one of the most decorated players in Kansas men’s basketball history” — as KU’s own website puts it. Wilson graduated from KU in May.

He worked out for a wide variety of teams during the pre-draft process, including Golden State, Indiana, both Los Angeles franchises, Portland and Sacramento. Virtually every major mock draft had Wilson going between the mid-30s and mid-40s, but he didn’t exactly go into free-fall and landed with the Nets just a few picks later.

Brooklyn made the playoffs as a No. 6 seed last season but suffered a sweep at the hands of Philadelphia. The Nets took Noah Clowney of Alabama and Dariq Whitehead of Duke with consecutive picks late in the first round. The team is coached by KU alum Jacque Vaughn.

Wilson will likely be on the floor when the NBA Summer League begins in early July.