Kris Wilkes

Last updated
Kris Wilkes
Kris Wilkes 2018.jpg
Wilkes with the UCLA Bruins in 2018
No. 13–Indiana Mad Ants
Position Shooting guard / small forward
League NBA G League
Personal information
Born (1998-09-18) September 18, 1998 (age 26)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school North Central (Indianapolis, Indiana)
College UCLA (2017–2019)
NBA draft 2019: undrafted
Playing career2024–present
Career history
2024–present Indiana Mad Ants
Career highlights and awards

Kristafer Aaron Wilkes (born September 18, 1998) [1] is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Mad Ants of the NBA G League. As a high school senior, he was a McDonald's All-American and named Indiana Mr. Basketball. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He was a starter as a freshman in 2017–18, when he was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. As a sophomore, he earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2019. He went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft.

Contents

High school career

As a high school senior in 2017, he was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game [2] and was ranked as a consensus five-star prospect in the class of 2017. At the conclusion of his senior year, Wilkes was named Indiana Mr. Basketball and an Indiana All-Star. [3]

College career

Ranked a consensus five-star college recruit, [4] Wilkes chose to play for UCLA over Indiana and Illinois. [5] The Bruins highest ranked recruit for 2017–18 ahead of guard Jaylen Hands, [6] he started in the season opener and scored a team-high 18 points in a 63–60 win over Georgia Tech. [7] On November 16, 2017, he had 20 points and a team-high 12 rebounds for his first career double-double in a 106–101 overtime win over Central Arkansas. [8] [9] After averaging 16.8 points through the first four games, Wilkes began to struggle. [10] He was limited to single-digit scoring in three of four games before scoring 20 points in an 83–75 upset over No. 7 Kentucky. [11] On December 31, he scored 21 points in a 74–53 win over Washington. [12] On January 20, Wilkes scored another 21 in a 94–91 loss to Oregon. [13] In the rematch against Oregon, he scored 19 points and made a career-high five three-pointers in an 86–78 win in the Bruins' final home game. [14] [15] In the regular-season finale, Wilkes scored a season-high 22 points and teammate Aaron Holiday had a career-high 34 in an 87–72 victory over USC, completing a season sweep in their crosstown rivalry and clinching a bye and the No. 4 seed for UCLA in the upcoming Pac-12 tournament. [16] [17] He was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. [18]

UCLA qualified for the 2018 NCAA tournament, but lost 65–58 to St. Bonaventure in the First Four. After starting all previous 32 games entering the tournament, Wilkes did not start the game, sitting out the first five minutes for disciplinary reasons after being late for a team bus earlier in the week. [19] [20] He ended the year as UCLA's second-leading scorer and rebounder with averages of 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. [21] He declared for the 2018 NBA draft and attended the NBA Draft Combine, but later withdrew from the draft to return to the Bruins. [22] [23] [24] There were concerns among NBA executives about his durability given his narrow frame of 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) and 195 pounds (88 kg), and he figured to improve his standing with a more prominent role as a sophomore. [21]

In the 2018–19 season opener, Wilkes scored 27 points and added 10 rebounds in a 96–71 win over Purdue Fort Wayne. [25] On December 8, 2018, he made a game-winning three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining in a 65–62 win over Notre Dame. [26] On January 26, 2019, he scored a career-high 34 points on 12-of-16 shooting from the field to help UCLA end a three-game losing streak in a 90–69 win over Arizona. [27] On the road against California, Wilkes had 27 points and 10 rebounds to help the Bruins win 75–67 in overtime and end a three-game losing streak. "[Wilkes is] our best player, and that’s the way he's supposed to play", said interim coach Murry Bartow. [28] He finished the season as the Bruins leading scoring (17.4), [29] and was named second-team All-Pac-12. [30] While his scoring increased by almost four points per game from his freshman year, his field goal percentage dropped from 44.1 to 43.3. [29] After the season, which UCLA finished 17–16 and failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament, Wilkes declared again for the NBA draft. [31]

Professional career

After not showing dramatic improvement as a UCLA sophomore, Wilkes went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft. [32] He was expected to sign a two-way contract with the New York Knicks after general manager Scott Perry talked about him while introducing their 2019 draft picks. [33] [34] [35] However, Wilkes was unable to play in the 2019 NBA Summer League due to a severe, undisclosed illness, [33] [36] and the Knicks signed Ivan Rabb with their remaining two-way slot. [36] Wilkes later described the illness as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare autoimmune disease. [37] [38]

Indiana Mad Ants (2024–present)

On October 27, 2024, Wilkes joined the Indiana Mad Ants. [39]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2017–18 UCLA 333229.8.441.352.6554.91.7.8.513.7
2018–19 UCLA 333331.7.433.337.6714.81.7.6.417.4
Career666530.8.436.343.6644.81.7.7.515.5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Cronin (basketball)</span> American basketball coach

Michael Walter Cronin is an American men's college basketball coach who is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins of the Big Ten Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Holiday</span> American basketball player (born 1996)

Aaron Shawn Holiday is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The guard played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, where he earned All-American recognition. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2018 NBA draft with the 23rd overall pick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Welsh (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1996)

Thomas Welsh is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. As a senior in 2017–18, Welsh earned second-team all-conference honors in the Pac-12. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft with the 58th overall pick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins were led by fifth-year head coach Steve Alford and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 21–12, 11–7 in Pac-12 play to finish in a three-way tie for third place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shareef O'Neal</span> American basketball player (born 2000)

Shareef Rashaun O'Neal is an American professional basketball player for the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. The son of Hall of Fame player Shaquille O'Neal, he attended Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California. As a senior forward, O'Neal was ranked among the top high school basketball players of his class. He was a redshirt during his first season in college basketball with the UCLA Bruins, when he underwent heart surgery. He played as a reserve for the Bruins in 2019–20 before transferring midseason to the LSU Tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaylen Hands</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Jaylen Joseph Hands is an American professional basketball player for Pallacanestro Varese of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. As a high school senior in 2017, he was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game, and was ranked as a consensus five-star prospect and the No. 3 point guard in the country in the class of 2017 by all major scouting services, including ESPN and 247Sports. Hands earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors in his sophomore year with UCLA in 2019. He was selected in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 56th pick before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He played a season in the NBA G League with Brooklyn's affiliate, the Long Island Nets before beginning his European career in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2018–19 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. They were led by sixth-year head coach Steve Alford until he was fired mid-season and assistant Murry Bartow was named the interim head coach. Their lineup featured three former McDonald's All-Americans: sophomores Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes were both named second-team All-Pac-12, while first-year player Moses Brown was voted to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. UCLA finished the season 17–16, and lost in the second round of the Pac-12 tournament. They missed the postseason for the second time in four years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moses Brown (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Moses Shirief-Lamar Brown is an American professional basketball player for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 UCLA Bruins football team</span> American college football season

The 2019 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bruins play their home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. UCLA competed as a member of the South Division of the Pac-12 Conference. The team was led by second-year head coach Chip Kelly. The Bruins began the season 1–5 before winning three straight games. However, the Bruins then lost their final three games of the season. They finished the season 4–8 overall and 4–5 in Pac-12 play, tying Arizona State for third place in the Pac-12 South Division, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 417 to 320. The Bruins' average attendance at home was 43,848, their lowest since 1982 when they moved to the Rose Bowl, surpassing the previous low of 49,107 in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2019–20 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles, during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I season. The Bruins were led by first-year head coach Mick Cronin and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. UCLA finished the season with a 19–12 record. After starting slowly at 8–9, they went 11–3 and finished second in the Pac-12 at 12–6. Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, while junior Chris Smith earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was voted the Pac-12 Most Improved Player. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Pac-12 tournament was canceled before the Bruins' first scheduled game in the quarterfinals, and the NCAA tournament was called off as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Juzang</span> American basketball player (born 2001)

Jonathan Anh Juzang is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He began his college basketball career playing one season with the Kentucky Wildcats before transferring and spending two seasons with the UCLA Bruins. A two-time all-conference selection in the Pac-12, Juzang earned third-team All-American honors as a junior in 2022. As a sophomore, he was named to the All-Tournament Team of the 2021 NCAA tournament, as the Bruins advanced to the Final Four.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Kelley</span> American football player (born 1997)

Joshua Tyler Kelley is an American professional football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He began his college football career with the UC Davis Aggies before transferring to the UCLA Bruins program. Kelley rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons with the Bruins, earning second-team all-conference honors in the Pac-12 in 2019. He was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaime Jaquez Jr.</span> Mexican American basketball player (born 2001)

Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a Mexican-American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference. Jaquez was named a consensus second-team All-American and voted the Pac-12 Player of the Year as a senior in 2023. He earned three All-Pac-12 selections, including first-team honors twice. Jaquez was also a two-time member of the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. He was selected by the Heat in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick. He is nicknamed ”Juan Wick” for his Mexican heritage and perceived resemblance to John Wick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyger Campbell</span> American basketball player

Tyger Campbell is an American professional basketball player for Rasta Vechta of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference. Three times he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cody Riley</span> American basketball player

Cody Jorden Riley is an American professional basketball player for KK Rogaška of the Premier A Slovenian Basketball League. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Smith (basketball, born 1999)</span> American basketball player

Sean Christian Smith is an American professional basketball player for Ironi Kiryat Ata of the Ligat Winner Sal. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors as a junior in 2020, when he was also named the conference's most improved player. Undrafted out of college, Smith signed a two-way contract to play with the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their development team, Motor City.

Adem Bona is a Nigerian-Turkish basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. Named a McDonald's All-American in high school, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team and voted the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2023. Bona was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection and voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.

Amari Bailey is an American professional basketball player for the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. In high school, he was selected as a McDonald's All-American and California Mr. Basketball. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, earning all-freshman honors in the Pac-12 Conference in his only season. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft.

Gregory Paul Dulcich is an American professional football tight end for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was twice an all-conference selection in the Pac-12, including first-team honors in 2021. He was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Philips</span> American football player (born 1999)

Kyle Michael Philips is an American professional football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was a first-team all-conference selection in the Pac-12 in 2021. Philips was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

References

  1. ↑ "Kris Wilkes". NBA Draft.net.
  2. ↑ Halley, Jim (February 22, 2017). "Kris Wilkes, with an eye toward the playoffs, gets his McDonald's jersey". USA Today . Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  3. ↑ Neddenriep, Kyle (June 10, 2017). "Kris Wilkes lost his No. 1 jersey, then helped Indiana All-Stars to a big win". Indianapolis Star . Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Kris Wilkes". Verbal Commits. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  5. ↑ Borzello, Jeff (November 13, 2016). "Five-star recruit Kris Wilkes chooses UCLA over Indiana, Illinois". ABC News . Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  6. ↑ Greene, Dan (August 24, 2017). "Kris Wilkes Should Be an Impact Player Right Away For UCLA". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017.
  7. ↑ "No. 21 UCLA survives to beat Georgia Tech 63-60". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 11, 2017. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017.
  8. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (November 16, 2017). "Sloppy UCLA survives Central Arkansas in overtime". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017.
  9. ↑ "No. 23 UCLA survives Central Arkansas in overtime". Reuters. November 16, 2017. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017.
  10. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Thi (November 15, 2017). "UCLA's short-handed freshmen steadily gain experience". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on December 18, 2017.
  11. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Thi (December 23, 2017). "UCLA knocks off No. 7 Kentucky". Inside UCLA. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017.
  12. ↑ Fattal, Tarek (December 31, 2017). "Second-half runs anchor UCLA's comeback victory over Washington". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  13. ↑ "UCLA Comeback Falls Short at Oregon, 94-91".
  14. ↑ Bolch, Ben (February 17, 2018). "UCLA beats Oregon 86-78 in OT shootout". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Holiday scores 29 as UCLA beats Oregon 86-78 in OT". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 17, 2018. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018.
  16. ↑ Bolch, Ben (March 3, 2018). "UCLA goes on a late run to sweep season series against USC". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018.
  17. ↑ "UCLA rallies to beat USC 87-72, ends 2-game skid". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 3, 2018. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018.
  18. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (March 5, 2018). "UCLA's Aaron Holiday named first-team All-Pac-12, Thomas Welsh on second team". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018.
  19. ↑ Fenno, Nathan (March 13, 2018). "UCLA loses to St. Bonaventure in play-in game to the NCAA tournament". Los Angeles Times.
  20. ↑ Rittenberg, Adam (March 14, 2018). "Bruins sit Kris Wilkes for opening minutes of loss to Bonnies". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2018.
  21. 1 2 Davis, Seth (June 26, 2018). "Summer School: With Hands and Wilkes back in the fold, UCLA is hoping for a happier ending" . The Athletic. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  22. ↑ Bolch, Ben (April 3, 2018). "UCLA's Kris Wilkes will test NBA waters without hiring an agent". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018.
  23. ↑ O'Connor, Kevin (May 21, 2018). "What We Saw and Heard at the 2018 NBA Draft Combine". The Ringer. Archived from the original on May 27, 2018.
  24. ↑ Dauster, Rob (May 29, 2018). "Kris Wilkes to return to UCLA for sophomore season". NBC Sports . Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  25. ↑ Bolch, Ben (November 6, 2018). "UCLA's Kris Wilkes has career night in season-opening blowout". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  26. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (December 8, 2018). "UCLA stuns Notre Dame on injured Kris Wilkes' last-second 3-pointer". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  27. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (January 26, 2019). "Kris Wilkes scores career high as UCLA men's basketball ends losing streak". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  28. ↑ Bolch, Ben (February 13, 2019). "UCLA struggles to keep ahead of last-place Cal in 75-67 overtime win". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  29. 1 2 Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (March 27, 2019). "UCLA guard Kris Wilkes declares for NBA draft with agent". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  30. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (March 11, 2019). "UCLA's Jaylen Hands, Kris Wilkes named All-Pac-12 second team". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  31. ↑ Bolch, Ben (March 27, 2019). "UCLA's Kris Wilkes announces he's headed to the NBA". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  32. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (June 20, 2019). "UCLA's Jaylen Hands headed to Brooklyn Nets after going 56th in NBA draft". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  33. 1 2 Popper, Steve (July 2, 2019). "RJ Barrett keeps his focus on learning, trying to help Knicks". Newsday. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  34. ↑ Berman, Marc (September 8, 2019). "Knicks summoning Kris Wilkes for new physical in last hope". New York Post. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  35. ↑ Iseman, Chris (June 24, 2019). "New York Knicks: What to know about 2-way player Kris Wilkes". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  36. 1 2 Bondy, Stefan (October 23, 2019). "Knicks sign forward Ivan Rabb to fill final roster spot". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  37. ↑ David Gardner (October 23, 2021). "His N.B.A. Dream Was Right There. Then He Couldn't Move His Legs". The New York Times.
  38. ↑ Neddenriep, Kyle (October 23, 2021). "'Where is Kris Wilkes?' 2017 Mr. Basketball working way back after auto-immune disease". Indianapolis Star.
  39. ↑ Mad Ants Basketball [@TheMadAnts] (October 27, 2024). "our 2024-25 training camp roster 🐜🔥" (Tweet). Retrieved October 28, 2024– via Twitter.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.