I'm puzzled why we are quick so quick to dismiss Wilson. Is it likely he'll be ready to play and make a big contributions this season? No.
But heading into the season I think most everyone thought he was more game ready than Enaruna, with Enaruna having more upside.
I understood that Wilson has decent three point shooting ability. To me, that's 33-35%. Wiggins was in that range as I recall. But that doesn't make the big impact it would take to shoot Wilson up the PT pecking order. 40% would. Don't know about that from any freshman.
If he comes back say Feb. 1., we have a very busy February and early March of games. This could have him in decent position to help come tourney time. It is reasonable to the think that he could surpass Enaruna, but I don't think anyone will expect that. I'd expect Enaruna to make the leap before I'd expect Wilson to. But Enaruna's shooting was always considered an issue (switching dominant shooting hands, etc.)
There's no answer here. But to foreclose it as a reasonable possibility doesn't make much sense. Wilson has a lot to overcome -- freshman, no real PT, guys that have that experience now, coming off a big injury, etc. It's an uphill battle to be sure.
On redshirting (a practical consideration) the only way you redshirt a kid is IF he is a four year player. Here, he could play this season and still have three left. Odds are he'll be gone then anyway to the pros. But if the pow-wow between player and coach says that he will like be a full term guy, then I guess we should redshirt. Another reason NOT to redshirt (from the KU perspective) is that he could graduate and leave the program when he reaches year five. So we'd only get him three full seasons anyway.
Personally, I would play him every minute Self thinks he deserves. All we lose is a possible 4th year. And in four years, heck, we might be bowing to an Ayatollah. Or CBB might have free agency. Play him what Self thinks is deserving.