Bill Self on the Doug Gottlieb Show (pre-draft)


Robinson, the first unanimous first-team All-American since Blake Griffin, led the Jayhawks to the national championship game against Kentucky, where Kansas lost 67-59. He averaged 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game in 31.8 minutes in his junior season and led the nation with 27 double-doubles.

"He was one of the top couple of talents in the draft overall, particularly at his position," Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said. "I thought even as of this morning we were fairly sure he would not be at five. That's why the draft is the draft. We certainly have a need there as far as our depth up front. He's going to bring a lot of competitive spirit, he's a ferocious rebounder. He has a lot of speed. He'll be a great addition to the team."

He was considered perhaps the most NBA-ready player in the draft and the Kings need plenty of immediate help after missing the playoffs for a sixth straight season.

The Kings had Robinson rated as the second best player in the draft and were surprised he was still available when they picked. But when Charlotte chose Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second and Dion Waiters went fourth to Minnesota, the Kings got their man.

"It kind of went based on team needs," Robinson said. "The teams that skipped me didn't need me at that position. The Kings took a chance on me and took me at five. I'm going to make the best of it."

The Kings are coming off another disappointing season, finishing the shortened campaign 22-44 to miss the postseason once again. Coach Paul Westphal was fired after just seven games and replaced by Keith Smart, who will be back for his first full season next year.

Smart said the one thing that stood out most about Robinson was his work ethic and humility.

"It's easier to turn a live body down than to raise a dead man," Smart said. "This guy has a live body that can create things offensively and defensively that you don't have to say, 'Go do this.' He has a motor already. He has unique skills where he can play out on the floor. He can move real well defensively with schemes like the pick and roll. He has that motor and you know he has that toughness."
AP


One of the toughest players in the 2012 NBA draft couldn't contain the tears when he heard his name called.

No, Thomas Robinson wasn't hit with grief after being selected by the Kings. It was the realization that he finally had reached the NBA.

The Kings made Robinson's dream come true with the fifth overall selection in the NBA Draft Thursday night.

"I don't know where it came from," Robinson said. "I worked hard to get here."

On and off the court, Robinson has worked to become a pro. That he is a King is a matter of fate, if you ask coach Keith Smart.

"I think it happened because is where this guy was supposed to be," Smart said. "I think how it happens …how they reach that point, everyone comes close to being where they're supposed to be when it's time."

The Kings selection of Robinson was an easy one, considering the team didn't expect him to last beyond the second pick in the draft.

"The draft's the draft," said Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie. "You think you have it pretty well line out and decisions get made and there's always a few changes…
Sac Bee


Groans and a sustained "No!" rippled through the Mix Downtown after it was announced that the Charlotte Bobcats had taken forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second in the NBA draft.

Three picks later, the reaction turned to an eruption of cheering and applause.

A crowd of about 100 fans gathered at the Sacramento club lauded the Kings' selection of Kansas forward Thomas Robinson with the fifth pick in the draft Thursday. Robinson had been projected to go as high as second in some mock drafts.

"I think it's a good pick," said Stephen Clemons, 47, of Sacramento. "He's a big, strong forward. And a defensive rebounder will be awesome. That's what we needed last year."

…Cemal Richards, 26, of Oakland, raised his arms triumphantly when the pick was announced. "He's going to play well next to DeMarcus (Cousins)," Richards said. "He could be a double-double guy."

Kings guard Marcus Thornton, who arrived just before the Kings' selection, called it a "great pick." Forward Jason Thompson said he expects that Robinson "can definitely help out with the frontcourt."

"We'll have to wait and see how he does," said Thornton, who added he and Robinson have the same agent. "But from what I saw him play in college, he's a tough guy. He gets under the goal, does all the dirty work, and he's a winner. He plays hard, and that's what we need."

Fans quieted as Robinson, a player known for toughness and who led Kansas to this year's NCAA title game, became emotional during an interview on the draft telecast, then cheered when he vowed hard work in the NBA.

"I like his demeanor, his heart," said Ame Mathies, Clemons' mother and a season-ticket holder. "He's not looking like, 'Aw man, the Sacramento Kings, they haven't gone to the playoffs in years.' You could tell he was happy and that's important to us fans. If you're not in it, you're not going to give your best."

…Victor Calderon, 30, of Carmichael, said he believes the Kings landing a touted player like Robinson "will go a long way toward getting back some of the goodwill after the arena deal."

"Robinson is an exciting player," Calderon said. "Wins will ultimately get fans more excited."
Sac Bee


The Kings are receiving overwhelmingly great reviews for taking Thomas Robinson, the Kansas Jayhwawks power forward at No.5. While it's always interesting to look back on can't miss high Lottery choices, and noting how many are complete busts, it's easy to understand the enthusiasm. The 6-foot-9, 244-pound Robinson is a prototypical, modern day power forward. He rebounds, is a physical defender, runs the floor, hits the 15-foot jumper, and doesn't dominate the ball. He pencils out as a very, very good NBA player. This is Xmas in June.

* I can't remember the last time I've seen Geoff Petrie this happy. When he approached the gathering of media types in the practice facility late Thursday night, he was almost giddy. As coach Keith Smart noted, Robinson was the "clear cut" choice within the organization if he was available. And, of course, no one thought he would be available.
Sac Bee


“It’s weird, because I thought to myself at the beginning of the draft that I probably would get drafted by a team that I didn’t work out for. And that’s exactly the case with Brooklyn,” Taylor said. “I met with them at Chicago. I sat down and spoke to their GM (Billy King), but of course, I don’t think they figured I would be there when they picked. So, the fact that they picked me is great.”

The selection means that Taylor will be playing about 10 miles from his hometown of Hoboken.

“It’s not that far,” Taylor said. “It’s over one of those bridges over there.”

KU coach Bill Self was asked what advice he’d give to Taylor, who started all four years as a Jayhawk.

“Be who he is, and don’t forget who he is. And don’t get caught up in thinking he’s done anything, because he hasn’t yet,” Self said. “And just to work. ... His athletic ability and his talent will win out over time, because all he has to do is just be who he is and just do what he knows he can do.

“Don’t try to be great or do anything exceptional. Just go be who you are. Because who he is is plenty good enough to make that team.”

Taylor called the opportunity to go to the Nets “a blessing.”

“I feel like I have the opportunity anyway because of what I can bring for a team. I can defend,” Taylor said. “Being a four-year player at a university like Kansas, I think, gives me a step up in competition of coming into the league ready — ready to play right now.”

Brooklyn general manager King said the Nets had targeted Taylor for a while before buying the pick from Portland.

“We had him on our board pretty high,” King told the Associated Press. “We were trying to get a young point guard that we could groom. We liked his pedigree and his ability to play in big games. Once we started to slide, we made the move to get him. We liked his overall play as a point guard and we think his best basketball is ahead of him. We like his decision making and his size. He knows what it takes to be successful.

“He’s played with a lot of talented players in the past and that makes you a better player.”

Self admitted to being proud when both Taylor and Thomas Robinson were drafted Thursday because of both players’ circumstances.

Both, he said, had persevered through rough times.

“I know what drives them both: It drives them nuts to think that somebody thinks that somebody’s better than them,” Self said. “So I don’t think the draft could have gone much better for either one of them from a script standpoint.”
LJW


“Historically, I like to look at four-year guys because they’ve been through it, and they understand what it takes,” King said. “They’ve been yelled at as a freshman, and as they’ve matured they understand what it takes to be part of a team.”

King said that he’d tried to get even higher up in the draft, as the Nets sent their first-round pick to Portland — who took Weber State point guard Damian Lillard with the sixth overall pick — in the Gerald Wallace trade at the trade deadline in March, but was unable to do so.

“In the late first round, a lot of guys don’t want cash, they’d rather have a pick,” King said, “and I didn’t want to give up any future picks.”
NY Post


Moments after hearing the Sacramento Kings make him their choice in the first round of this year’s draft, the former KU All-American turned to his 9-year-old sister Jayla and paused. Words were not needed for the exchange between them. And words were not used.

“She just hugged me,” Robinson said. “And it was the best hug in the world.”

From that moment on, Robinson fought off the tears that he knew would come. At times, he stopped and let his emotions flow. Not even that made Robinson’s first NBA moment the least bit sour.

“I made it,” said Robinson, exhaling between sentences. “I mean, I made it through what everybody threw at me. I was just drafted into the NBA.”

…“She likes purple,” said Robinson, his signature smile outshining the tracks of his tears. “And now I love it.”

As for Jayla, she now has a new team to root for and was not afraid to show it. With a brand new Kings hat on top of her freshly done hair, the only little girl in the green room made her allegiances known.

“I love the Sacramento Kings,” she said.

Asked for her feelings about the huge hug she shared with her brother, Jayla approved of that, too.

“It was goooooood,” she said with an endless smile.

…Later in the draft, former KU guard Tyshawn Taylor was picked 41st by the Brooklyn Nets, by way of the Portland Trail Blazers, giving the Jayhawks 14 total selections under Self and seven total draft picks in the past three years. Two of those seven, twins Markieff (13th in 2011) and Marcus Morris (14th in 2011), were in the Prudential Center stands supporting their former teammate on Thursday night.

“I’m basically just real happy for him,” Markieff said of Robinson. “He was texting me the whole time telling me he was nervous and I just kept telling him to stay calm and trust that he would be picked where he was supposed to be picked.”

If that didn’t work, the Morris twins had a little extra help from a woman very familiar with the arena’s green room. Angel Morris, who vowed to look after Robinson and Jayla after the passing of Robinson’s mother, Lisa, in early 2011, sat proudly at Robinson’s table, just as she did a year ago with her own sons.

“It’s special, man,” Marcus said. “She’s a strong lady, and she’s been that way my whole life. She’s always taken people in and tried to make their lives better. She’s a mother — a great mother.”
LJW


Taylor didn’t hesitate when asked which NBA player he looks forward to defending more than any other.

“Rondo,” he said of the Boston Celtics’ point guard, first name Rajon. “I want to play against Rondo because I love his game and think he’s the best point guard in the league. I’m competitive and I look forward to playing against the best.”

If watching Meyers Leonard, a 7-foot-1 project from Illinois, go to Portland with the 11th pick might have given KU center Jeff Withey reason to pause and contemplate his decision to come back for his senior year, watching Taylor tumble into the second round should have confirmed to Elijah Johnson that he made the right call.

Johnson brings more savvy to the court than Taylor, has a thicker build, potentially a better jump shot and is a more natural point guard, but he needed another season to prove he has the game to break KU’s first-round guard drought.

Withey, too, could improve his stock by adding muscle and range on his jumper. It’s possible KU could have multiple first-round picks for what would be the fourth time in six years in 2013.
LJW Keegan


On Thursday at the draft, held inside the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Robinson was visibly moved as he fulfilled his family mission.

“I ain’t stopping for nobody,” Robinson said. “I got work to do, and I’m gonna do it.”

The night completed a meteoric and emotional ascension for Robinson.

Four years ago, Robinson was still just a little recruited power forward from Washington D.C., a player who would transfer to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H before the 2008-09 season. He would reach the national scene that summer, narrowing his college choices to Kansas and Memphis. Perhaps it was coincidence, but when Robinson made his campus to Kansas that fall, the program was celebrating its recent national championship with a traditional ring ceremony. Robinson committed to KU a few weeks later.

One year ago, Robinson was still just a little-used power forward in Lawrence, a player that had played a supporting role on two teams that finished a combined 68-6 and earned No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. In 2010-11, Robinson averaged just 14.6 minutes per game while Marcus and Markieff Morris became first-round picks.

“To think where he was when he came, and all the things he’s been through,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “And to see that he is going to be able to provide for his family in ways that he could only dream of, even going into the season, is remarkable for him.”

Robinson averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds points game while earning consensus All-American honors in 2011-12. He would lead No. 2 seed Kansas on a run to the NCAA title game, a tourney performance that included upset victories over No. 1 seed North Carolina in the Elite Eight and a come-from-behind win over Ohio State in the Final Four. The ride would end against No. 1 seed Kentucky in New Orleans, a game in which Robinson finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds.

Now Robinson becomes the highest drafted Kansas player since Drew Gooden was taken No. 4 overall in 2002. He’s also Kansas’ first top-10 selection during the Bill Self era.
KC Star


As a second-round pick for a franchise playing its first season in its new home, Taylor will have to prove himself worthy of a roster spot if he wants to earn a contract.

But after what he went through at Kansas, he’ll certainly be battle-tested. He enters the NBA after averaging 16.6 points and 4.8 assists in 33.4 minutes per game during his senior season at Kansas. It was a season that started with some turnover-plagued performances but finished with Taylor solidifying himself as one of the best guards in the country as KU won its eighth straight Big 12 title and advanced to the NCAA title game.

“He’s not scared of work,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “And his athletic ability and his talent will win out over time. Because all he’s got to do is just be who he is.”

On Thursday, Taylor said he still hadn’t met Jay-Z, the New York-based rapper who serves as a high-profile minority owner for the Nets. But that may change soon.

“I haven’t,” Taylor said, “but I’m looking forward to it.”

For now, he’s just looking to the future. After four years at Kansas, he’s returning home to continue his basketball journey.

“Being a four-year player at a University like Kansas,” Taylor said, “I think just gives me a step up on the competition. I think I come into the league ready — ready to play right now.”
KC Star


Taylor, a 22-year-old senior, will get his chance to earn a spot on a team with just four players guaranteed to be under contract next season. Taylor, who is non-guaranteed, averaged 16.6 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 turnovers last season for the Jayhawks, who advanced to the NCAA final. The Nets had three point guards on last season’s roster, all of whom could become free agents, including Jordan Farmar, who has until Sunday to decide if he’s picking up his one-year player option.

Meanwhile, the Nets’ star point guard and main focus of the offseason, Deron Williams, was riding around with Jason Kidd in the Hamptons on Thursday, teasing fans and doing his best to fan the speculation flames.

The golfing buddies — and, not coincidentally, free-agent buddies — posed for a picture together, smiling, hours before their respective teams were navigating through the draft with limited resources.

“Just finished playing East Hampton Golf Club w/ (Kidd) let the speculation begin?????” Williams tweeted.

Cheeky.

Theoretically, the Brooklyn Nets could’ve been knee-deep in rebuilding mode — boasting a pair of third overall picks and this year’s sixth overall.

Instead, the Nets — who have a 58-162 combined record in the last three seasons — own the rights to none of their own first-round picks from the last three drafts.
NY Daily News



My personal gripe and worst moment of draft night: @heatherespn asking Jayla if she'd ever seen her brother cry before. Really Heather? Did you expect her to say, "You mean other than when our closest loved ones all died that month?" My god. Take that woman's microphone away from her. Horrible.


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Kansas 2012-13 Schedule

In a January memo to the Big 12 expansion committee, interim commissioner Chuck Neinas said Notre Dame is the only school the Big 12 could add that would “enhance the Big 12 value for television.”

The memo, obtained by The Oklahoman through an Open Records request, was sent to the committee as an agenda for a late January teleconference.

The expansion committee is made up of Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis, Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione, Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds and Kansas State president Kirk Shulz.

Here is a look at other items on the agenda and Neinas' responses:

If Notre Dame would become a partial member, how would that impact the current membership and what does it do to further expansion?

Neinas' response: “Both representatives of ESPN/ABC and Fox Sports indicated that Notre Dame's involvement with the Big 12 Conference would increase the value of the conference relative to future television and also improve the image of the conference nationwide.”

…Would expansion lead to more long-term stability for the Big 12 Conference?

Neinas' response: “There is some sentiment that an increase in membership would enhance stability. It could be argued that the Grant of Rights agreement signed by the members is the most important instrument to assure conference stability.”

Neinas goes on in the memo to say he discussed expansion with ESPN president John Skipper, Fox Sports president Randy Freer and ESPN's head of college athletics operations Burke Magnus.

Neinas said all three agreed a 10-member conference was preferred, but they would live with expansion to 11 or 12 teams. He also said both TV partners were in support of Notre Dame becoming a partial member of the Big 12 if the Irish would play a specific number of football games at Big 12 venues.
The Oklahoman


This is it folks, smoking gun confirmation of television executives consulting, discussing, and driving conference expansion decisions before those decisions are made.

This is a massive story.

So maybe you're wondering why this Oklahoman report hasn't gotten more attention.

That's a valid question.

And the easy answer is this -- the Oklahoman chose to drop this news story on the same day that college football added a playoff. Talk about awful timing, media are like kittens, if you give us a ball of yarn to play with we don't notice when you hit the other kitten with a sledgehammer.

And ESPN and Fox just hit the kitten with a sledgehammer.

This story is huge because it isn't the only evidence in the past year.

You'll recall that last fall Boston College athletic director Gene Difilippo told the Boston Globe the ACC expanded to take Pitt and Syracuse because ESPN told the conference to do so. Remember these quotes? “We always keep our television partners close to us,’’ Difilippo said. “You don’t get extra money for basketball. It’s 85 percent football money. TV – ESPN – is the one who told us what to do. This was football; it had nothing to do with basketball.’’

In the ensuing media firestorm Difilippo stepped back from the comments saying he'd mispoken.

Right.

The Oklahoman story is even more of a blockbuster and so far no one has really noticed.

Why?
Link


1. Alabama took a hit with both JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell going undrafted Thursday. So too did Georgetown after Hollis Thompson and Henry Sims went unselected. Add New Mexico's Drew Gordon, Xavier's Tu Holloway, Long Beach State's Casper Ware, Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor, Ohio State's William Buford, Texas' J'Covan Brown, West Virginia's Kevin Jones and Iona's Scott Machado to the list of players who didn't get picked.

2. Mississippi State's Renardo Sidney can't be too disappointed. He was a long shot to be selected. He has had one of the most bizarre and most discussed careers I have seen in covering the sport for 22 years. Hopefully he will find his way. The Bulldogs' Dee Bost, who didn't get picked either, once famously declared for the draft then returned to school in 2011 after claiming he didn't know the rules.
ESPN


The long wait is over for Missouri senior captains Marcus Denmon and Kim English.

After months of preparation, English and Denmon each saw lifelong dreams come true Thursday night when they were taken in the second round of the NBA Draft. English went 44th overall to the Detroit Pistons and Denmon went 59th overall to the San Antonio Spurs, becoming the first MU players drafted since 2009.

There were some anxious moments along the way.
KC Star


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2012-13 Early Season Events List

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Live stats here (Looks like a good start for Frankamp)


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Check here for the NCAA Recruiting Calendar


My 2012 KU Alumni games, 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on Youtube

Good luck to Thomas and Tyshawn tonight. I have only been here 6 months and some of my greatest impressions were created by you at Allen.
https://twitter.com/CoachWeisKansas/status/218318203632369665

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LJW live blog from the NBA Draft


Riverdale Baptist boys basketball coach Lou Wilson still can recall the pleas of the three players living under his roof during the 2007-08 season. After practice and dinner and homework, they’d want Wilson to bring them back to the gym.

“C’mon, dad,” his son, Bryan Wilson, would say.

“C’mon, coach,” Javorn Farrell would say. “Let me go back over there and get some shots up.”

“C’mon, Coach Louuu,” Thomas Robinson would say, slightly drawing out that last vowel. “C’mon, Coach Louuu.”

For a good chunk of the hour-and-a-half sessions — with Wilson, a guard, and Farrell, a wing — Robinson practiced his ball handling and outside shooting. Though Robinson was a power forward and at times they practiced pick-and-rolls and post-ups, he often had to follow the perimeter-oriented lead of his two workout partners.

...Wilson and Farrell met Robinson when their Team Maryland went against the Fort Washington Bullets, the AAU team of a tall and lanky 10-year-old Robinson.

“He wasn’t good at all,” Farrell said chuckling.

But he had potential, right?

“He didn’t even show that,” Farrell said.

After spending his first two high school seasons in Washington, D.C., Robinson began working out with Riverdale Baptist before his junior year, and ultimately transferred to the Upper Marlboro school.

“We introduced him to the weight room,” Wilson said.

A stronger Robinson blew up, averaging 16 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks, two assists and two steals per game.

Before transferring to Brewster Academy (N.H.) for his senior year, Robinson led Riverdale Baptist to the National Association of Christian Athletes tournament in Tennessee. As Farrell tells the story to his Massachusetts teammates — beginning, of course, with Robinson being a no-good 10-year-old — Robinson had 32 points, 28 rebounds and seven blocks in a game, and Kentucky offered him a scholarship on the spot.

“I knew something good was going to happen,” Farrell said. “There was a lot of coaches in the gym. I didn’t know he was going to get an offer right on the spot, but I knew his phone was going to be ringing a lot after that tournament. It was exciting, because he wasn’t really on the radar like that yet. That was like his coming-out party.”

Wilson texted Robinson when Robinson worked out with the Wizards a couple weeks ago, asking if Robinson had a chance to visit Riverdale Baptist’s basketball camp.

“He had to fly back out to California as soon as he worked out with the Wizards,” Wilson said.

“He’s big time now. Big time.”
Gazette


Tyshawn Taylor’s draft week started with one last head-to-head workout, previously unscheduled and unbeknownst to almost everyone.

No NBA general managers were present. The two participants, Taylor and Thomas Robinson, competed on a court behind Taylor’s old building in Hoboken, N.J., a 15-minute drive from the stage where David Stern will announce draft picks Thursday night.

“Long story short,” Taylor said, “I won.”

This was a 3-point competition on Taylor’s home turf, so the Kansas point guard had an edge against the Kansas forward. The outcome shouldn’t hurt Robinson’s draft stock, with most projections putting him as high as the No. 2 pick and no lower than No. 4.

“He can sleep better at night than me, because he knows he’s up there,” Taylor said.

…Taylor is confident he’ll be drafted, so that’s not the fear. It’s just the nervous anticipation, the same feeling he had while watching other KU players wait to learn their draft destinations in previous years.

…Taylor is spending this week in his old neighborhood, which is how he ended up in a pickup game with his former KU teammate. Robinson was one of 14 players invited to observe the draft from the NBA’s Green Room, which entailed several days of activities in New York. It was a short cab ride to Hoboken, a place Robinson was visiting for the first time.

“I brought him down to where I’m from so he could see a little bit of where I grew up,” Taylor said. “I took him to the court and showed him the homecourt advantage. This is my crib over here.”

While Robinson sits in the spotlight of the Green Room, Taylor will spend draft night at a restaurant with family and a few friends. He didn’t want anything too elaborate, figuring the uncertainty of the draft would be stressful enough.

“It’s kind of up in the air right now,” Taylor said. “They’ve got me going late first round, anywhere to 40. I could be there early, or I could slip late.”
TCJ


Throughout the past year, Robinson has talked a lot about his sister and how all of the work he put in was for her future. On Wednesday, Robinson was asked how Jayla was handling the overwhelming scene that is the NBA Draft and he answered with one of his trademark smiles.

“I know what it’s like,” he said. “It’s great. Because right now she’s on 5th Avenue shopping. So she’s fine. And that feels great. That’s why I worked for it. So for her to see it actually happen will be a great feeling.”

…Without hesitation, Robinson needed just one word to describe what his three years in Lawrence meant to him.

“Everything,” he said. “The more I’m away from Kansas, the more I miss it and I start to remember things that I forgot I even did. Being at KU was special for me. I’ll definitely be back.”
LJW


It will begin with a handshake and a baseball cap. The moment the well-groomed young man becomes a basketball millionaire.

Tonight inside the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., former Kansas All-American Thomas Robinson will glide across the stage in a freshly pressed suit, flash his Madison Avenue smile, and pull the bill of his new cap down over his forehead. His baby sister, Jayla — his motivation for the past year after overcoming a string of family tragedies — will likely watch from the green room.

NBA commissioner David Stern will look on proudly, and Robinson, a 6-foot-8 power forward, will turn toward the cameras and have his NBA Draft moment — three seconds that will be logged into the archives and symbolize the birth of a new career.

“It feels great,” Robinson told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday. “Because I honestly feel like I worked for mine.”

…“I think it’s a coin flip,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “He could go second or sixth, just depending on how things fall.”

This week, Robinson told reporters at a workout in Charlotte that he had conducted personal workouts with only two other teams — his hometown Washington Wizards, who own the No. 3 pick, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who draft fourth.

Robinson will likely become the first Jayhawk to be selected in the top 10 since Kirk Hinrich was drafted No. 7 by the Chicago Bulls in 2003. And there’s a fair chance Robinson could become the highest drafted KU player since Danny Manning went No. 1 in 1988. (Former Kansas forward Raef LaFrentz was picked third in 1998.)

But after Robinson takes his walk, the focus will turn to whether he can live up to the lofty expectations that go along with being a second or third pick.
KC Star


Robinson seems to be the popular choice if the Bobcats keep the second pick. What do you like about him?

Jay Bilas: He's a horse. He can run. He's explosive off the floor. His post game needs to improve a little. He can be a better passer and more aware of the floor, but he'll learn that. He's the best defensive rebounder in the draft. He's a really safe pick at No. 2.
Link


Under the new CBA, the first pick pockets $4,286,900 next year, the second guy gets $3,835,600, and Robinson likely would make that $4.28 million if not for Davis. Robinson, an athletically gifted strong forward likened to Antawn Jamison, said he knows he possesses impact skills — and knows he needs work.

“Just me as a person [and] the things I do best, you can’t teach,” said Robinson, listing “hitting open shots consistently, reading the pick and roll” as areas he needs to improve. “The rebounding, the playing hard. It’s not something you can go into the gym and work on. . . . Offensively, I think I’m better than what a lot of people think.”
NY Post


The two Jayhawks will look to be the 14th and 15th players drafted during the Bill Self era. If Robinson is selected with one of the first five picks he will be the highest Jayhawk taken since Drew Gooden was selected fourth overall in 2002. Robinson is one of 14 players who was invited to attend the 2012 NBA Draft.

If Robinson and Taylor are both selected in the first round, it will be the seventh time Kansas has had multiple NBA first round picks in the same year: 1997 (Scot Pollard and Jacque Vaughn), 1998 (Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce), 2003 (Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich), 2008 (Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur), 2010 (Xavier Henry and Cole Aldrich) and 2011 (Markieff and Marcus Morris).

Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, KU has had 21 players drafted in the NBA, which is the most of any league member. Over the last decade, KU is tied with UCLA for producing the most NBA Draft picks in the nation with 15. Three KU draft picks recently played for the 2012 NBA Championship, with 2008 second-rounder Mario Chalmers helping the Miami Heat win the crown.

Kentucky's Anthony Davis is projected to be the No. 1 overall selection. If Robinson goes second, it would be the first draft in NBA history in which each of the top two picks played against each other in the preceding national championship game, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
KU AD


This season Thomas Robinson played as a man would given the chance to step in against a JV team. A feeling of control stuck with him as a breakout junior closer than many defenders did as he averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. Kansas has always been prolific at putting out the fundamentally sound star with Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison. All the stars from Lawrence who gave off their own vibe to match — J.R. Giddens and Brandon Rush, for a few — never seemed to transition into the pros nor fit the Kansas archetype. Robinson, though, was one of the best to mix that panache, power and team concept this season.

After that season he’s expected to be drafted Thursday night in the NBA Draft in the top five picks. It’s time we looked at his top five plays of the season.
Dime Magazine

#5

Luck this bad won't change for you overnight.

But if you grab former Kansas forward Thomas Robinson in tonight's NBA draft, it would be the right first step.

My colleague Bret Strelow says you should pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the youngest player in the draft. But I think the experienced Robinson will be more valuable.

During his three seasons at Kansas, Robinson grew into the Jayhawks' best player. His hunger to improve - during which weathered the loss of his mother and two grandparents within the space of a month as a sophomore - shows no signs of waning once he gets to the pros.

One scout said that he has "one of the biggest hearts in the draft."

Robinson also possesses a 6-foot-9 frame and high work rate that had him on NBA radars early. Already considered a monster on the glass, Robinson showed an improved offensive repertoire as a junior, leading the Jayhawks in scoring and helping guide them to the NCAA tournament final.

And he seemed to do his best work when the stakes were the highest. In 12 games against teams that earned top-three NCAA tournament seeds last season, Robinson's scoring average jumped nearly two points to 19.4 while still averaging more than 11 rebounds.

"If he goes to the right place with a good development program, he's only going to get better," the scout said. ". I think his ceiling is so high, what he is now isn't what he's going to be two, three, even five years from now."

Is Robinson the kind of talent who will jolt the Bobcats out of their rut right now? Maybe not.

Could he be the player who thrives in their power forward spot for the better part of the next decade? With his mix of physicality and fire, that's possible.

And if you're the Bobcats, that's something you can't pass on.
Fayetteville Observer


“There was no doubt this kid should have been a statistical loss to society,” said Bob Hurley, Taylor’s coach at St. Anthony. “He didn’t have anything going for him that would lead you to believe he was going to change his direction.”

Yesterday, a cherry red sports car reverberated the afternoon sun as it sat idle outside the housing projects on 5th Avenue and Jackson Street in Hoboken where Taylor was born. He took Twitter pictures with it and smiled. He ran into old friends from high school who watched him rise from unwanted prospect to program staple at Kansas. He planned an NBA Draft gathering with the family that raised him, pushing him toward St. Anthony for a chance at something better.

He will wait to be called tonight as the draft plays out at Prudential Center. He is projected to go in the late first round or early second round, and the opportunity to create a new existence where there’s nothing to forget anymore.

…Taylor approaches his next life with a loose definition of manhood. It is a framework solidified after he moved his family with him to Lawrence, Kan., during his four years of college.

In his mind, taking care of them now is the benchmark of a new beginning.

“Set aside from the fact that this is my dream, I mean I’m literally living my dream, to be able to help my mom out and take a load off her, to be able to have my sisters grow up different than they have been, as a man, that’s what you want. That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
NJ Star Ledger


Bill Self paid tribute to the founder of the Ball’s Charity Golf Classic, then gave an ominous warning to University of Kansas basketball opponents as a kickoff to the 31st Golf Classic.

One of the largest if not the largest charitable fund raisers of its kind in the Kansas City area, proceeds from the 2012 Classic pushed the 31-year total contributions to more than $4.25 million.

…Self served warning to the Big 12 and the rest of the nation when he predicted “We’ll be good” for his 2012-13 Jayhawk basketball team.

That’s ominous because a year ago this time there were no great expectations for the Jayhawks and yet they won an eighth straight Big 12 championship and finished runnerup in the NCAA national tournament.

“We have four solid seniors and basically eight freshmen,” said Self. The seniors are 7-0 center Jeff Withey, 6-8 forward Kevin Young and guards Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford. “Withey and Johnson I think will both play professionally.”

…“We’re going to be big and pretty talented,” added Self. “McLemore may be the most talented player that we’ve had here.”
KC Kansan


"When you're in this business, there are four or five programs that you look at as being historic," continues Sadler, who was 101-89 overall with the Huskers but 34-64 in conference play. "And this is one of them.

"People that know me, they know that I don't have an ego. And a lot of (material) things don't really matter. Just being a basketball junkie and being a basketball guy, having a chance to sit in this arena (Allen Fieldhouse) and watch a lot of good games is going to be a lot of fun (for) me."

...Self lost Manning (now the coach at Tulsa) and Barry Hinson (the new head man at Southern Illinois) from his 2011-12 staff but gained a couple of former head coaches in Norm Roberts (who won 81 games in six years at St. John's) and Sadler (who won 149 games over eight seasons at UTEP and Nebraska). Not a bad trade-off, all things considered.

"If it's a matter of going and washing and cleaning somebody's car because we've got a recruit coming in, I know how important that is," Sadler says. "I don't think there's such a thing as being 'overqualified,' because everybody's important.

"What's going to be hard is sitting up there watching practice and not being able to be down there. I don't really miss calling the shots during the game. But the other parts are probably what's going to be hard — not really being in that part of it."

Still, Sadler doesn't plan on doing this forever, either. But for a basketball junkie who has lost his way, Lawrence is an awfully nice place to try and find yourself again.
FS Midwest


The Kansas men's basketball 87-86 overtime victory over Missouri on Feb. 25 has been nominated for "Game of the Year" in this year's ESPY awards, ESPN announced Wednesday.

Then-No. 4 KU overcame a 19-point second-half deficit to beat No. 3 MU at Allen Fieldhouse. The contest also was the final conference battle against the two schools following a 105-year league history.

The win gave the Jayhawks at least a share of their eighth-straight Big 12 regular-season title — a championship they would win outright two days later.

An ESPY nomination special will air Wednesday at 10 p.m. on ESPN2, and fans can vote for the contest on ESPN's site.
LJW


Kansas 2012-13 Schedule

Vote for Norfolk State over Missouri for ESPY Best Upset


1. Baylor coach Scott Drew said he is coming to Newark to witness history: three Baylor players taken in the NBA draft. All three -- Perry Jones III, Quincy Miller and Quincy Acy -- have a legitimate chance to be in the first round. Miller is on the bubble; Acy could yet climb into the back end of the first round. Acy is the best back-to-the-basket player among the three. What makes Drew’s appearance interesting is that none of the Baylor players were invited by the NBA. But Drew said late Wednesday that all three are going to go to Newark, sit in the stands and walk across the stage when their names are called.

2. New Kansas State and former Illinois coach Bruce Weber said he will also be in Newark, at the invitation of Meyers Leonard. This is a great gesture by Leonard, who stuck with Weber through a tough season in Champaign. Leonard had an enigmatic career at Illinois, but Weber was in his corner. Leonard has been complimentary of Weber and his time at Illinois during multiple interviews in Chicago and again Wednesday in New York.

3. St. John’s coach Steve Lavin is planning on being in Newark to witness Moe Harkless get selected somewhere in the first round. North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Kentucky’s John Calipari will also be in the green room -- Williams has three players invited (Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson), Calipari two (Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist). Washington coach Lorenzo Romar is in Newark as well to support late add Terrence Ross, who isn't expected to get past No. 15 Thursday night. Two coaches who have had a history of not coming to the draft and allowing their players to have the moment to themselves are Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and UConn’s Jim Calhoun. Neither will be in Newark on Thursday.
ESPN


ESPN Take Two: Alternative to one-and-done?


ESPN: Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones show risks of leaving college later


The sad tale of Renardo Sidney is one that every single Division I basketball prospect should be told.

As a middle schooler, Sidney was a can’t miss talent. In eighth grade, he was considered the best player in the country in his age group. Most expected him to eventually become the next great one-and-done player, possibly even the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

In high school, Sidney bought into his hype, moving from his native Mississippi to California in an effort to get more exposure and compete against the best that the LA area had to offer. But all that ended up happening was that Sidney and his family not-so-subtly lined their pockets, enough that it drew the attention of the NCAA. UCLA got scared off. USC did as well. Sidney ended up enrolling at Mississippi State, where the NCAA suspended him for a full season plus nine games of the following season for the illegal benefits and the lies he told to try and cover it up.

By the time Sidney finally saw the court in college, he was far too overweight to play enough significant minutes. He seemed to lack the motivation to improve, both in regards to his conditioning and his off-court temperament. His second year at MSU, Sidney got into a pair of fights with teammates, including an ugly brawl with Elgin Bailey that was caught by ESPN’s cameras in Hawaii.

The irony?

If Sidney had given half the effort to getting in shape that he did in trying to drop Bailey with a haymaker he may have heard his name called by David Stern in the first round of Thursday’s NBA Draft.

Because for all the excess fat — Sidney weighed in at 304 pounds with 22.4% body fat, the second-highest in the database hosted by Draft Express — and the horrendous conditioning, the talent Sidney has was still evident. He was nimble, quick even, with good feet for a man his size. He had touch around the basket and range on his jump shot. His wingspan (7’4.5″ at the combine) and his vertical (30″ without a step, a good number for a 6-foot-10 power forward that’s actually in shape) should give you a glimpse of just what kind of player Sidney was earlier in his career.

Instead, Sidney has now burned through his second agent since the draft process started and has seemingly accepted the fact that his talent has officially been wasted.

“This whole NBA process is really tough and with me dropping two agents, it really doesn’t look good for me right now,” Sidney told Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger. “Like you said, it sounds like I’m lost. I can admit that I’m lost. I’m just trying to find my way back and see on Thursday what happens.”

So keep this in mind, recruits. Remember what happens when you buy into your hype and when you expect everything yo be handed to you. Guys like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant are exceptional talents with undeniable athletic gifts, but they also work incredibly hard at their craft. LeBron didn’t win a title until he developed a post-game. You think that happened by accident? Durant is a three-time NBA scoring champ because he’s 6-foot-10 with the perimeter skills of a shooting guard. You think that he was born with range out to 30-feet and the ability to handle the ball like a player eight inches shorter?
NBC


The summer is a dreary time for basketball fans. The NBA draft leaves all but a few former college basketball players by the wayside -- fighting for spots in Europe or the D-League or forced to confront the possibility that their days as stars are over.

A new summertime minor league basketball organization, the Basketball Alumni Legends League, is hoping to reconcile those two facts. The league is the brainchild of CEO Michael Wranovics, who believes "The-BALL" can fill the most specific of hoops niches -- a summer league composed of teams with former local collegiate stars.

The league would "feature former college standouts from the local universities, giving the teams instant star power and a built-in fan base," according to a Wednesday release. The season would run from July to August, "giving top players a highquality professional hoops alternative during their offseason break from the NBA, DLeague or international competition." Theoretically, a team from Washington D.C. would feature players from Georgetown, Maryland, George Mason, etc., while a team from Philadelphia would include players from Temple, Villanova, La Salle, and on down the line.

…That future, if it happens, is still at least a year away. The league plans to launch July 2013, but is still considering its first markets and seeking out owners. There is much to solve first.

But the idea -- which sits at the nexus of fan nostalgia and post-college hoop dreams, and could provide some entertaining college-level-ish basketball during the very quiet summer months -- is undeniably intriguing. Something for college hoops fans to keep an eye on, at least.
ESPN


Kansas State men’s basketball coach Bruce Weber and his staff will host a high school team shootout on Saturday. The camp is open to any and all high school teams of varsity or junior varsity levels. Teams will have an opportunity to play at least four games on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. The entry fee is $150 per team with each squad being guaranteed four games. Games will be played at Bramlage Coliseum, Ahearn Field House and Chester E. Peters Recreation Center with certified high school officials.
KC Star


Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin announced Wednesday that June 27 is a day dedicated to the University of South Carolina's new head basketball coach.

The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce hosted a breakfast for USC coach Frank Martin.

The former Kansas State University coach was announced as USC's head men's basketball coach in March.

"I didn't come here to just coach basketball, I came here to become a member of this community and hopefully impact it in as many positive ways that I can," said Martin.

When asked about what he expects this season, Martin said he doesn't like to promise wins, but promises a team that will play with tremendous heart; something his Kansas State University team was known for.

"You can ask any of those ESPN, CBS, all these different experts out there, ask them who's the hardest playing team in the country, and they all would have said Kansas State University. Well that's what they're going to say about South Carolina Gamecocks from now on," said Martin.
Link


2012-13 Early Season Events List

Kansas: If the 2012 recruiting class for the Jayhawks was meant to build depth, the 2013 class emphasizes quality. Two top-50 prospects are already locked up, with in-state combo guard Conner Frankamp currently playing from USA Basketball’s U17 team, and 6-6 swingman Brannen Greene. The Jayhawks can afford to be selective in targeting another top tier talent or two to complete this class.
NBC


Before the plethora of spring "travel ball" tournaments unfold, there was a consensus as to the five best players in the Class of 2013.

The five players I refer to are Julius Randle (6-foot-8, Plano, Texas, Prestonwood Christian/Texas Titans "travel team"); Jabari Parker (6-7, Chicago, Simeon/Mac Irvin Fire); Andrew and Aaron Harrison (Richmond, Texas, Travis/Houston Defenders); and Aaron Gordon (6-7, San Jose, Calif., Mitty/Oakland Soldiers).

After watching Randle for four days during the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League in Hayward, Calif., I came away with a strong hunch that he's the No. 1 prospect -- on both the college and NBA levels -- in the Class of 2013.

He dominated every game the Texas Titans played, from both the perimeter, and the mid- and low-post areas -- including the one against the Mac Irvin Fire, led by Parker.

…The Florida Rams will be among the most watched clubs during adidas-sponsored tournaments in Indianapolis (adidas Invitational, July 11-15) and Las Vegas (adidas Super 64, July 25-29) next month. And a big reason will be the presence of Kasey Hill (6-2, Montverde, Fla., Academy), Chris Walker (6-10, Bonifax, Fla., Holmes County) and Brannen Greene (6-6, Juliette, Ga, Mary Persons).

…Whether he's listed as a "guard" or as a "forward" on the University of Kansas roster during his 2013-14 freshman season, this can be certain about Greene, who committed to the Jayhawks early last season: He's going to be on the floor a whole lot for Coach Bill Self.

…If you don't know, now you know: The best of the guards at the Pangos All-American Camp was a fellow from Wichita (specifically, North High).

With eight McDonald's All-American voters on hand in Long Beach, Conner Frankamp (who will be on the July tour with the Kansas City Run GMC), left little doubt that he's among the front-runners for one of the 24 slots next spring. His jump shot and crossover dribble maneuvers can all safely be tagged "wicked".
SI Burlison


FIBA U17 World Championship official site

San Diego State star basketball recruit Winston Shepard was arrested on campus late Monday for possession of marijuana, according to SDSU police.

A campus police officer checked the parked vehicle he was occupying about 11 p.m. Monday and found a small amount of marijuana, police records show.

SDSU police said they consider it a “technical arrest,” but he was not taken to jail. He was issued a citation and released.
Link


It is common to find as many as 15 coaches from Washington-area private schools watching a summer tournament game involving middle school players. Suber said nine of his players were recruited to the ultracompetitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, which features traditional powers like DeMatha, Gonzaga College High School and Archbishop Carroll High School.

Pete Strickland, an assistant coach at George Washington University who began his career as an assistant at DeMatha, said that high school recruiting in Washington was more frenetic than college recruiting because of the career goals of the young assistants involved.

“It’s almost like Nixon’s White House,” he said. “There’s a lot of guys with blind ambition.”

Suber said the schools used a “shotgun approach” to recruiting, focusing on as many players as they could, not just the stars. That means continual communications from coaches to players through social media, letters and phone calls. The process can be overwhelming for parents.

But players at a recent tournament seemed to enjoy the attention. Chris Lykes said he was “flattered” when he saw a coach watching him from the bleachers.

Andre Boykin, a 6-foot-3 center on a 13-and-younger travel team affiliated with the club Team Takeover, said: “It’s pretty cool to say a coach comes to my games. I know that’s when I’ve really got to play my hardest.”
NY Times: Middle School - The New Recruiting Battleground


Summer Event Schedule


adidas Grassroots schedule


Nike EYBL Schedule


Check here for the NCAA Recruiting Calendar


My 2012 KU Alumni games, 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on Youtube

Last week, when former Jayhawk point guard Russell Robinson got his first up-close look at current Kansas University sophomore Naadir Tharpe, he liked what he saw.

“I think he has enough talent to get some minutes on this team,” said Robinson, the starting point guard on KU’s 2008 national championship team. “You know, Tyshawn (Taylor) was ahead of him last year and that’s tough, but I think Naadir is a better point guard at that stage than I was.”

…During Robinson’s tough time, he got a lift from former teammate Aaron Miles, who simply reassured the New York native that he was a good player and that things would work out as long as he put in the time. Robinson said he tried to give similar advice to Tharpe.

“(I just tried) to set some knowledge on him,” Robinson said. “The fact that he was supporting his team (last season) means his mind is still into it. I think he’ll have an opportunity to play this year and I think he’ll make the most of it.”

Like Robinson, Tharpe, who hails from hoops factory Brewster (N.H.) Academy, logged fewer minutes (5.5 per game) than he would have liked during his freshman season and often found it tough to adjust from being a starting prep school point guard to a spot role player in college. But also like Robinson, Tharpe chose to remain at KU and currently is in the midst of an offseason designed to overhaul his game.

“Coach told me that he’s going to need more out of me,” Tharpe said. “And I know I need more out of myself. It’s definitely motivating. Last year I didn’t really get to play as much as I wanted to, but I had to look at myself in the mirror and see how much I really wanted to do this and I’m just working hard every day to try to get on that court.”
LJW


Wizards owner Ted Leonsis declared on the night of the draft lottery that the team would not trade the third pick. A week later, President Ernie Grunfeld said “in all likelihood” the Wizards would keep the selection and added, “We do what our owner says.”

Other NBA teams have apparently taken those comments as a dare. As Thursday’s draft draws near, the Wizards are discovering that No. 3 is in demand. According to two league sources, the Wizards have been fielding calls in recent days from teams interested in moving up to possibly select Kansas big man and District native Thomas Robinson.
Washington Post


David Aldridge of TNT and NBATV reports via Nets Daily that the Brooklyn Nets are aiming to acquire a pick with which to select forward Thomas Robinson of Kansas. The assumption is that the Nets would then flip Robinson to Orlando in their unicorn-chase-like pursuit of Dwight Howard.

The problem, of course, is that the Nets have absolutely nothing to trade for the No.2 pick.
CBS


The unplanned reality show that has become Robinson's life should take a much happier turn Thursday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. He could be selected directly after the projected top NBA draft pick, Anthony Davis, meaning Robinson will be able to provide for his sister and possibly allow her to move in with him wherever he makes his new home.

"I want to make sure she has no worries," Robinson said earlier this month after a workout with Olympic gold-medal sprinter Maurice Greene on the track at Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village. "As long as I can remember, my family has struggled, so I feel like I have a chance to turn things [around] and fix it so I try to fix my whole family.

"We'll start with my sister and go from there."

Robinson's father was never a presence in his life. But his mother . . . well, she was everything.

Lisa Robinson was a caretaker for autistic children in Washington, D.C., who taught her son to always be prepared for whatever hardships life might throw his way. Whenever she meant business, she called him Earl, his middle name.

"Yeah, which was every day," Robinson said.

Robinson knew his mother wasn't feeling well when he saw her at his grandmother's funeral in December 2010. Lisa was experiencing migraine headaches, but she never disclosed to her son that she had undergone an angioplasty for a clogged artery in her heart. She didn't want him to worry in the middle of a basketball season.

Lisa did confide in Angel Morris, a family friend who lived at the time in Lawrence, Kan., to be close to her twin sons Marcus and Markieff, then forwards for the Jayhawks. Angel had also vowed to keep tabs on Lisa's son as a favor.

When Angel spoke with Lisa in late January 2011, the women discussed some new medication Lisa was taking for her headaches.

"I just told her, 'If that medicine doesn't work, go back [to the doctor] the next day,'" Angel recalled. "She said, 'I will. I'm just tired.' I said, 'OK, get some rest.'"

The next day, Lisa was dead.

…Jayla will be among a handful of family and friends who will accompany Robinson to the draft, on what figures to be a day fraught with memories of those who won't be there.

"I don't know what emotions are going to come on," Robinson said. "I just can't wait to get there."

Angel Morris has her own vision of how things will play out after Robinson walks across the stage and puts on the hat of his new team.

"I just think in his mind, he's going to say, 'Momma I did it, and I did it for you,'" she said. "And that's when the tears are going to come."
LA Times

More than a month ago, when the draft process was just heating up, Taylor was hesitant to guess where he might be taken. He’d heard the projections: Probably second round; maybe first, if he impressed during individual workouts.

“I’m hoping to just get drafted honestly,” Taylor said. “To be in the first round, of course, is huge. But just to get drafted is going to be a blessing.”

Based on what Kansas coach Bill Self has heard, it may be a coin flip whether Taylor sneaks into the first round.

“I think he’s gonna be on the border, right there,” Self said. “Does he go first or second?”

...Taylor has reportedly worked out for close to 10 teams. The list includes Boston, Indiana, Miami, Cleveland, Memphis and Golden State — all teams that will pick in the latter third of the first round.

...A long-held view among some observers of the Kansas program is that Taylor’s game may be well-suited for the NBA. The theory: Taylor’s strengths — his turbocharged speed and ability to break teams down off the dribble — will be huge weapons in a game with shorter possessions and rules (no hand checks) that seem to benefit explosive guards.

“I think I could potentially become a better NBA player than maybe I was in college,” Taylor said. “And I think that’s a lot to do with the spacing. And I also think that’s a lot to do with the team and where I get drafted, too.

It’s an argument that Self doesn’t disagree with, either. But for Taylor, it may be all about landing in the right system.

...Still, to go in the first round, Taylor may have to convince a team that his offensive decision-making — he had 138 turnovers last season — won’t be an issue. Of course, Taylor says that he’s been doubted before. Last June, few would have thought that Taylor could guide a team to the NCAA title game. And that happened.
KC Star


The scout said he always had Taylor listed as a point guard and not one that excited him much.

“This year he finally breaks out, not really as a distributor, but as a scorer,” Clibanoff said. “His senior year kind of confirms him as a two guard. If you’re not so turned on by having to have a guard who’s a prototype and you can throw him on the court and put good players around him, he could help that team. He’ll need to define his identity and refine his game at the NBA level. That’s what the second round is for.”

His identity, the scout said, will have to be as a guard who takes pride in playing outstanding defense against point guards and shooting guards. Clibanoff offered Armon Johnson as a comparable. Johnson was taken out of Nevada with the 34th pick in 2010 by the Portland Trail Blazers, has gone back and forth between the NBA and the D-League and now is the property of the Brooklyn Nets.

“If all goes well, try Keyon Dooling,” Clibanoff wrote in his draft guide, citing the former Missouri guard who has averaged seven points per game in 11 seasons with six different franchises.

Dooling has earned roughly $35 million, not bad work if you can get it. Taylor’s best shot at getting it lies in becoming a focused, non-stop defensive pest from Day 1.
LJW

Chalmers, 26, basked in the team’s championship celebration Monday with his mostly veteran teammates. The Heat’s starting point guard received one of the loudest ovations of any player when he was introduced during the team’s indoor ceremony that followed the parade.

But even then, James couldn’t pass up a chance to mess with Chalmers.

As he was interviewed at an auxiliary stage, the Heat played a montage of such instances of veteran scolding on the arena’s big screen.

James stood up and mimicked one of his on-court rants from the main stage across the arena — even slamming his cap playfully on the floor.

“It’s tough sometimes, but you have to keep fighting,” Chalmers said. “That’s my motto.”

Without Chalmers’ performance, the Thunder had a chance to swing the momentum of the series, something that did not go unrecognized by his teammates.

“They gave me a lot of love,” Chalmers said after Game 4. “They always have encouraging words. Any time I hear encouraging words after struggling like I have been, it gives you an extra boost of confidence.”

Chalmers added this championship to his list that already included two state titles at Bartlett High in Anchorage, Alaska, and a national title at Kansas.

“[Winning an NBA title] has got to be No. 1,” Chalmers said. “On this stage, with this team, these fans and this coaching staff…there’s nothing better.”
Miami Herald


The Warriors have extended a qualifying offer to swingman Brandon Rush to make him a restricted free agent.

The team announced the long-expected move Tuesday. The tender allows Golden State to match any offer Rush receives this offseason.

Rush, 26, appeared in 65 games last season after coming to Oakland in a trade from Indiana for Lou Amundson. Rush averaged a career-high 9.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26 minutes per game.

Rush ranked sixth in the NBA in three-point percentage, shooting a career-high 45.2. He also posted career highs by shooting 50 percent from the field and 79 percent on free-throw tries.
SF Chronicle


Former Kansas guard Jeremy Case has accepted an assistant coaching position with Houston Baptist.

Case spent the last three years as an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State but was not retained by Redhawks’ coach Dickey Nutt after the season.
LJW


Kansas 2012-13 Schedule

I want to apologize to all the recruits this week. I'm spending the majority of my time answering questions from NBA teams about my six guys
John Calipari ‏@UKCoachCalipari


This is Part I of ESPN.com's two-day series on the NBA's minimum age requirement. Check back Wednesday for the conclusion.

The search for Taj McDavid -- and the other prep-to-pro prospects who followed Kevin Garnett's model but failed to find his success -- tires the seeker.

Excluding the mentions of his decision to enter the NBA draft as an unheralded prep prospect more than 15 years ago, he's vanished -- in a contemporary sense. Unlisted phone numbers lead to frustrating chimes and, "We're sorry, but the number you have reached is no longer in service" messages from phone providers.

No Facebook page. No Twitter feed.

Google searches yield archives from the mid-90s and little else. His online footprint suggests he's lived off the grid following an unpopular choice to enter the 1996 draft. Yet he's still relevant in the ongoing dialogue about young men pursuing professional basketball careers.

From the barbershop to the boardrooms of NBA executives, McDavid and others like him (Korleone Young, Leon Smith, Ellis Richardson) provide the ammo for supporters of the NBA's minimum age requirement -- players in the NBA draft must be at least 19 years old and a year removed from their high school class graduation -- that the league implemented starting with the 2006 draft.
ESPN


One and done stars


One and done flops


Michigan State and Connecticut are planning to play a men’s basketball game on a U.S. Air Force base in Germany next season.

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis says the game will take place Nov. 9 at Ramstein Air Base, pending final approval by the Defense Department. The Spartans and North Carolina played last season on an aircraft carrier, and the game drew ESPN’s highest-ever rating for a game played in November.

Hollis says the game at Ramstein would take place before an audience of 2,500 to 3,000 enlisted men and women.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo calls it “another amazing opportunity for Spartan basketball and Michigan State University” and says it would be an honor to be part of the first college basketball game played on a military base overseas.
NCAA


2012-13 Early Season Events List

Abdul Gaddy was a late arrival but subbed in early in the game. Anrio Adams, Rainer Beach and incoming freshman for Bill Self and Kansas, drew Gaddy’s number on the defensive end. Adams picked his pocket a few times, but for the most part Gaddy was able to find his own shot.
HuskyHaul


He netted a total of 15 points as he was guarded closely by Kansas bound Anrio Adams. Rio was giving Gaddy some fits early on as he picked him clean off the dribble on a couple of occasions.
HuskyHaul


After a very good school season with Grace Prep (Tex.), four-star prospects Jordan Mickey shot up the rankings and emerged as one of the better forwards in the class of 2013.

Recently, Mickey took trips to Louisville, Ohio State, Kentucky and West Virginia.

With the Cardinals, Mickey's athleticism and ability to make plays in transition could suit him well at Louisville. “There are great players out there,” he said.

His trip to Columbus came while the school was updating their facilities, but he was still able to take a tour.

“I went and saw the facilities, and they were remodeling,” Mickey said. “I saw the campus.”

Mickey also stopped at West Virginia, and had a chance to meet with the players and coaches.

“It was a great trip,” he said. “I got to work out with the guys, sat down with coach [Bob Huggins].”

After visiting Lexington in early June, Kentucky has emerged as a potentially intriguing option for Mickey.

“I could fit in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's spot as a hustle guy,” he said. “It makes it appealing.”

Those aren't the only schools in the mix for Mickey, as the 6-foot-7 prospect is also hearing from Providence, Kansas, Texas, Florida State, Florida, Missouri, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Arkansas. His performance at the NBPA Top 100 camp, where he averaged 7.6 points and 5.4 rebounds, certainly didn't dissuade any schools.

After his initital quartet of trips, he also went to Arkansas this past Sunday and Monday.
CBS


FIBA U17 World Championship official site


Summer Event Schedule


adidas Grassroots schedule


Nike EYBL Schedule


Check here for the NCAA Recruiting Calendar 


My 2012 KU Alumni games, 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on Youtube

Terrence Ross gets 14th Green Room invite w/Davis, T-Rob, Beal, MKG, Barnes, Lillard, Waiters, Rivers, Drummond, Lamb, Henson Zeller Leonard
Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress


Only one player in Kansas basketball history amassed more rebounds in one season than the 463 Thomas Robinson pulled down last year.

That was Wilt Chamberlain.

No one in the country had more double-doubles last season than Robinson, who had a school-record 27 of them. And in the national championship game, Robinson had 18 points and 17 rebounds against Anthony Davis and the Kentucky Wildcats.

…Scouts love Robinson because of his maturity and dependability. NBA teams believe they can count on him to produce every night, as he said, and love his strong character and makeup.

Robinson is a bit undersized, measuring at 6-9 in shoes at the combine, making him about the same height as the Cavs' Thompson. But where Thompson's best quality is his tremendous athleticism, Robinson relies on brute strength.
Akron Beacon Journal


Since landing the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery the Charlotte Bobcats have made no secret of their desire to move down from the #2 spot and try to secure multiple assets in this draft in efforts to rebuild the team around a youth movement.

The Bobcats met with Kansas big man Thomas Robinson over the weekend and are debating their options with the #2.

Sources say the team understands that Robinson is likely a can’t-miss prospect, but they do not appear to be sold that he is the franchise changer the team desperately needs. The same is being said of Kentucky forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Like Robinson, he is said to be a solid NBA prospect and really has a limited downside, but like T-Rob he’s not going to get the Cats into contention all by himself.

Enter the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavs hold the #4 and #24 picks in the 2012 NBA Draft and do not appear to want either pick. The Cavs have eyes for Florida’s Brad Beal and they know that if they stay at #4 they know the Wizards are taking Beal with the #3.

League sources say there is a standing offer of the #4 and #24 to Charlotte for the rights to the #2 pick and it seems if something better does not surface they may trigger a deal.
Hoops World


The Atlanta Hawks will wrap up announced workouts on Tuesday with a couple of point guard prospects in Tony Wroten and Tyshawn Taylor.

Its interesting that Wroten is in the final workout for the team as most early mock drafts projected him to Atlanta then moved off of him. Chad Ford's latest mock draft once again projects Wroten to the Hawks.

…Taylor is another interesting prospect that could be in play in the second round should Atlanta focus on drafting a big or a wing in the first round. Wroten fits the combo guard profile and could potentially slide into the reserve role that Kirk Hinrich was in last season.
Link


CBS Mock Draft


With eight new scholarship freshmen on the roster, it's hard to predict exactly how the Kansas men's basketball team's offensive roles will establish themselves for the 2012-13 season.

If history is any indication, though, KU fans shouldn't expect seniors Elijah Johnson and Jeff Withey to do the same heavy lifting offensively that departed players Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson did in 2011-12.

…Though Pomeroy told me it's not impossible for players to make possession percentage leaps from the teens into the high-20s, more than likely, both players will end up in the 20-24 percent range.

That would leave a lot of possessions unclaimed for KU.

So who might pick those up?

Kevin Young is a possibility (19.3 percent), though he needs to improve his defense and reduce his fouls to pick up increased minutes.

Travis Releford, meanwhile, seems unlikely to take on a huge role, as he posted the second-lowest possession percentage of KU's regulars last season (13.9 percent).

It appears, then, that there is an opportunity for freshmen Ben McLemore and Perry Ellis (and potentially Anrio Adams and Andrew White) to make a big offensive impact for KU in their first years.

In all likelihood, KU's offense will be more balanced in 2012-13, with the Jayhawks needing a few good freshmen to immediately step into scoring roles.
LJW


Former Kansas University basketball assistant coach John A. Pfitsch died Friday at age 92 according to an obituary appearing in the Des Moines Register.

As a graduate assistant, Pfitsch served two years as KU’s freshman team basketball coach starting in 1940. After serving in World War II, Pfitsch spent one year as an assistant coach for Phog Allen during the 1945-46 season. He was Allen’s first assistant coach.

Pfitsch also met his wife, Emily Hollis, during his time at KU.
LJW


Kansas 2012-13 Schedule

In the grand scheme of crimes committed by former Baylor basketball players, this one is fairly tame.

But it’s still intriguing.  And perhaps troubling.

According to KWTX.com, former Baylor basketball player Richard Hurd has been arrested for allegedly attempting to extort Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who played college football at Baylor.

Hurd is in federal custody, due to appear before a magistrate judge at 2:00 p.m. CT.
NBC


Richard Khamir Hurd, a former Baylor basketball player, is charged with extortion following his Friday arrest by FBI agents.

Court documents unsealed following Hurd’s 10 a.m. arraignment describe Hurd contacting an representative of a St. Louis, Mo., agency, identified only as “B.D.” on June 18.

“Hurd communicated that he had derogatory information on a client of B.D., and that he intended to release that information to the media to damage or injure the reputation of B.D.’s client unless the client paid Hurd a substantial sum of money,” states the affidavit.

Griffin is not named in the document, but sources said Sunday that the Heisman Trophy winner was the target of the alleged extortion attempt. His manager’s name is Ben Dogra.

According to records, a man appointed by "B.D." to represent the agency and Hurd met at a Waco business on Friday, where Hurd “signed a non-disclosure agreement, turned over his derogatory information and was give a check representing the lump-sum payment.”
Waco Tribune


Former Ohio State star and two-time all-American Jared Sullinger will watch the NBA draft inside a Columbus restaurant, not in the green room in Newark's Prudential Center, after the NBA declined to invite him to Thursday's draft.

NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson told ESPN.com that Sullinger would not be invited based on the reports the league had received that Sullinger wouldn't be selected in the top 15.

"He's more likely to go in the teens or in the 20s," Jackson said. "We continue to have contact with teams, but at this late date we don't anticipate inviting him."
ESPN


Frank Haith of Missouri and Billy Kennedy of Texas A&M have both spent time in the region of the country their teams will now call home.

Kennedy hails from Louisiana and worked his way up the coaching ranks before he got the Aggies gig a year ago. He was coach at his alma mater, Southeastern Louisiana, for six years, then at Murray State in Kentucky.

"The biggest difference is the SEC is more athletic, it's more up-and-down (the court),'' Kennedy said Monday on an SEC teleconference.

"The Big 12 tends to be a grind, especially when you play people for the second time. It's a physical, grinding league.

"Both of 'em are great leagues and you have to have great players to win.''

Haith coached at Miami and was an assistant at Wake Forest.

"We do have some recruiting ties back that way,'' he said.

"The biggest adjustment for us is getting adjusted in terms of travel. We've got a longer distance to go to get where we're playing. We had five bus trips last year and we're not gonna have any this year.''

Frank Martin, who comes from Kansas State in the Big 12 to South Carolina in the SEC, says the SEC is getting an upgrade.

Missouri was a top-five, 30-win team last year. Injuries were a factor in ending A&M's NCAA tournament run of five consecutive years.

"They bring two tremendous programs and have tremendous homecourt advantages,'' Martin said.

"Those two buildings are just a whole lot of fun to be in.''
Link


Charter Big 12 members Missouri and Texas A&M will be abdicating the conference on Sunday for their new home in the Southeastern Conference.

The Big 12 isn’t giving up the fight — at least until that day arrives.

Shoppers on the Big 12′s merchandise page can still purchase Aggie and Tiger-themed merchandise.

That’s right, Big 12 fans. You, too, can buy coaching shirts just like the ones that Gary Pinkel and Kevin Sumlin will be wearing across SEC sidelines this fall. You can even buy Aggie and Tiger flip-flops like their fans will be wearing into new stadiums to watch their teams.

Most are being offered for full price. But cost-conscious Missouri fans can buy Santa hats at $14.99 – down from their original price $18.95 — if they buy by Friday. It will be for their first holiday apart from the Big 12 family in a long time.

And Aggie fans can pick up price-slashed 2011 commemorative pennants from A&M’s victory at the NCAA women’s basketball championship.

The Big 12 probably won’t acknowledge that championship by the time basketball season arrives. Even if after his first swing through SEC road venues Gary Blair might want to go back.

The only item missing is a giant blinking blue light and a countdown ticking down the number of hours the Aggies and Tigers have left as Big 12 members.
San Antonio Express blog


2012-13 Early Season Events List

If there was any doubt, go ahead and install the United States as the favorite in the FIBA U17 World Championship, which begins Friday in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Playing without top-ranked Class of 2013 star Jabari Parker, the USA throttled Latvia by 36 points Sunday and Australia by 25, 89-64, Monday to capture the Gran Canaria U17 International Invitational – a tune-up event for the competition in Lithuania later in the week.

The event was played in Las Palmas, Canary Islands.

…The Americans will be one of six teams pooled into Group A in Lithuania along with Australia, China, Czech Republic, Egypt and France. The USA will play each of those teams in preliminary action with the top four teams in Group A and Group B reaching the knockout phase beginning July 6.
MaxPreps


FIBA U17 World Championship official site


USA Basketball story, stats, etc


The North Seattle Community College Summer League begins tonight. Here's a look at which teams feature Washington Huskies and prominent players.

LAKERS - Andrew Andrews and Shawn Kemp Jr. (UW) and D'Vonne Pickett, Jr. (Seattle University).

BOSTON - Abdul Gaddy and Martin Breunig (UW).

KNICKS - Jernard Jarreau and Mark McLaughlin (UW).

SUNS - Desmond Simmons and Hikeem Stewart (UW), Anrio Adams (Kansas), Mitch Brewe (UC Santa Barbara) and John Steinberg (University of Chicago).

76ERS - Scott Suggs and C.J. Wilcox (UW) and Riggs Yarbro (University Puget Sound).

BLAZERS - Sterling Carter (Seattle University), Ben Eisenhardt (Whitworth), Geoff Mcintosh (Cal State) and Nate Walker (Central Washington).

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE

6 p.m. - Chicago vs. 76ers
7 p.m. - Suns. vs. Boston
8 p.m. - Knicks vs. Blazers
9 p.m. - Lakers vs. Miami
Seattle Times


NSCC SUMMER LEAGUE REPORT

--- Washington newcomer Mark MacLaughlin flushed a breakaway Statue-of-Liberty dunk and drained several long shots while entertaining fans Monday at the North Seattle Community College Summer League. He played against a team led by Seattle University guard Sterling Carter.

--- Husky senior Abdul Gaddy paired against Anrio Adams, the Kansas recruit, and Andrew Andrews and Shawn Kemp Jr. were on hand to play in the nightcap.
Seattle Times


Ever since reclassifying to the Class of 2013 from 2014, Wayne Selden’s recruitment has sped up significantly.

Instead of having to pick a school a year from now, the 6-foot-4 Tilton (N.H.) School small forward will try to select a school this year.

“The schools coming the hardest probably would be Florida, Ohio State, Missouri, UCLA, Harvard and Kansas,” Selden said from the Kevin Durant Skills Academy in Chicago. “[They are] coming at me the hardest.”

Selden has no visits planned yet, but said,  ”I’m going to visit some schools but I’m not sure which ones at which times.”
Zags Blog


Morgan County High rising junior big man C.J. Turman traveled to the 19th-annual National Basketball Players Association Top 100 High School Basketball Camp, last week, at the University of Virginia.

The camp, which ran June 13-16, was created by the NBPA in 1994 to assist elite high-school student-athletes in the development of their basketball and life skills.

For the 6-foot-9 Turman, it provided an opportunity to test his skills against some of the best players in the nation regardless of classification, as well as show off his talents for college scouts and recruiting services.

Count Reggie Rankin, a former college coach for 14 years and current scout and analyst for ESPN Recruiting since 2007, among those who were impressed by the power forward prospect from Madison.

Rankin posted some quick impressions of Turman on Twitter, describing the player as “strong,” “physical,” “explosive around the rim” and “active.”

“Body like a grown man!!,” Rankin wrote. “My kind of [power forward]. Great upside!”

Turman was joined at the camp by five other players from Georgia, including the top-ranked player in the state and a top-50 player nationally for next year’s class in Brannen Greene. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard recently transferred from Mary Persons High in Forsyth to Tift County High for his senior season.

…Turman lists Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee as schools that have shown interest in him thus far. He hopes to eventually secure scholarship offers from his dream schools--Kansas, Kentucky and Duke.
Link


Summer Event Schedule


adidas Grassroots schedule


Nike EYBL Schedule


Check here for the NCAA Recruiting Calendar


My 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, KU Alumni games, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on Youtube

6/23/12 11:36 PM
S/o to my dudes @JeffWithey and @Jackie_C32 taking another step towards the dream at Amare Skills Acdaemy.
Justin Wesley (@justinwesleyIV)


6/22/12 7:13 PM
Just confirmed with my coaches at kansasUniversity ill be there in a week #RCJH
#TeamRio (@THAREALRIO2KU)


Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson looked like he’d just taken a shower. Nope, this was all sweat, courtesy of Charlotte Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap’s full-court 3-on-3 drill.

“You’re supposed to get tired. That’s the whole point of the workout,’’ Robinson said. “To see if we can play when we’re tired. I think I handled it pretty well.’’

That Robinson got the nuance of Dunlap’s high-speed testing speaks to his savvy. Of the candidates the Bobcats have auditioned for Thursday’s No. 2 overall pick, Robinson is the most NBA-ready. The big man he was matched against Friday – Connecticut freshman center Andre Drummond – is much more a long-term project.

At 6-10 and 270 pounds, Drummond has a great NBA body. But he’s limited offensively and shot just 30 percent from the foul line his only college season. He has a lot to learn at the next level.

…“We’re friends off the court, but on the court we’re trying to take each other’s head off,’’ Robinson said.

To which Drummond replied, “We’re cool – smiling at each other off the court. But on the court, we go at each other. Try to make each other better.’’

The one way they’re similar is both need to prove they’re better offensively than they’re perceived. Robinson (6-9, 240 pounds) averaged 17.7 points as a junior last season. He asserts that his offensive game is still expanding.

“I’m a little better off the dribble than people think and my shot has gotten better since the season,’’ Robinson said. “I’m learning to read defenses more than ever.’’
Charlotte Observer


SLAM: When you think about the National Championship game, what comes to mind?

TT: The National Championship game was a really good game, man. I feel like if we had about a minute and a half or two minutes left in that game it could have gone either way for sure. I think—obviously, the Kentucky team is really talented and they played really well together, but I love the way our team fought back from a big lead. I was really proud of my guys. It hurt for a little while, but I mean, when you look at the gist of the whole season, it was a good season because we weren’t even supposed to be in that position. Just to get there was a really good feeling.

SLAM: What’s your favorite memory of your time at Kansas?

TT: I mean, making it to the Final Four. I’d been there for four years; we had really, really good teams all three years before that and we fell short. We fell short. So like I said, making it as far as this year’s team did was just amazing, man. This whole season was just an amazing experience.

At the beginning of the year, going to Maui and losing in the championship to Duke, we got so much better after that. Then, going in conference and losing at Missouri… that was a tough one, but we got better after that and we ended up winning the conference.

You know, and then going to the Big 12 Tournament and losing to Baylor… we got better after that and we took it all the way to the National Championship. I think this whole season was something to look back on and it’s definitely something I’m going to remember for a very, very long time.

SLAM: What was it like to play for him? What would you say about your time with him, on and off the court?

TT: I mean… I think coach Self taught me a lot. I really never played the point guard position until I got to high school, so I give a lot of credit to coach Self for kind of transforming me into that position. There were times when I was younger that he and I kind of butted heads because I was just a stubborn kid. I was a stubborn 18-, 19-year-old kid who kind of wanted things to go his way and wasn’t looking at the big picture.

I think my last two years, coach Self would tell you that he loved coaching me. I was very coachable. I worked hard every day… I brought it every day, and so I think overall, my four years I think it’s been really good. I helped win him a lot of games and he helped get me to the player that I’m at right now. I love Coach Self to death and I’m sure that we’ll be in touch for a long time.

SLAM: What has Coach Self been doing to help you through this draft process, if anything?

TT: Not much, actually. Coach Self helped me with the agent thing, but as far as the draft process it’s just something that you’ve gotta go through yourself. You’re flying to cities all by yourself. You rent hotels all by yourself. You go to the workout and then it’s onto the next city, so there’s really not much he can do to help. I’m sure he’s been in contact with some of the other teams. I had a great career playing for him and there were some ups and downs… I’m sure that he had some great times coaching me. So if he’s talking to the teams, I’m sure he’s saying nothing but good things.
SLAM Q & A with Tyshawn Taylor


Latest Draft Express mock has Taylor going #29 to the Bulls


Collins on Saturday said his injury-plagued season in Turkey motivated him to make a run at another shot with an NBA team.

He said the level of competition in Turkey — where some of the players “weren’t that good” — made him realize he shouldn’t be playing there.

Collins, who has battled weight issues in the past, said his agent is talking to “three or four” NBA teams. He is hoping to land a summer league spot and play himself back into the NBA.

Accompanying Collins at Saturday’s book-signing was his youngest brother, 21-year-old Robert Collins, of Chicago.

The younger Collins said he was in Lawrence with Sherron to help keep him focused on his goal of making another run at the NBA.

Robert Collins said Sherron “has been losing about 4 pounds every day” and was down to 211 pounds as of Saturday, getting closer to his 195-pound goal. Collins’ playing weight was about 205 pounds while at Kansas.

While in Lawrence, Robert said, he and Sherron are staying with the family of former teammate Brady Morningstar.

“He’s working out extremely hard,” Robert said of his brother. “He’s running, training, shooting. These are going to be some of his best workouts ever.”

Robert said possible summer league teams for Sherron included the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings.

Robert said he has been working out alongside his brother every day, rising around 6 a.m. to get started.

“That way, he can’t complain,” Robert said with a grin, “because I’m doing it, too.”
TCJ


In four years at Kansas, Keith Langford scored 1,812 points, won three Big 12 regular-season titles and played in two Final Fours, a remarkable run of collegiate success that earned him a lifetime of free drinks and adulation in Lawrence.

Yet for a long time after his KU career ended, the last place Langford wanted to be was Lawrence. The place where he made a name for himself had become his discomfort zone. The community that embraced him instead made him feel unworthy.

It's not what anyone did. They still treated him the same, asking for his autograph, slapping him on his back.

It's what they said, unwittingly cutting to his core with the simplest of questions:

Why wasn't he in the NBA?

An honest query, those six words instead felt like daggers to Langford because, in them, he heard the implication:

What's wrong with you? You did so much in college. What happened? You're a failure.

"It becomes too much to explain," Langford said. "On campus, in your hometown, you're just so ashamed that, for a while, it's easier to just not be around."

It's ludicrous, really, to think that someone as accomplished as Langford could ever feel like a bust.

Statistics tell us that only 2 percent of all high school athletes earn Division I scholarships. Only 15 will be named All-Americans (that's including first, second and third teams) and only five to an All-Final Four team, like Langford was. Far less will play in a Final Four and an infinitesimal percentage will play in two national semifinals, as he did.

By any normal number crunching, he is the elite of the elite. Yet on the basketball yardstick, which measures one to D-Wade, he felt like he came up short.

…It's easy to understand why. Langford remembers his first day on the Kansas campus. He was playing in a pickup game with future teammates and former pros. He made a sweet pass, one that Drew Gooden immediately labeled a "league pass."

One season and a Final Four run later, Gooden punched his ticket with a No. 4 pick to the NBA. So when the following year Langford helped take the Jayhawks back to the Final Four, everyone assumed his turn was coming.

"The message boards were on fire," he said. "All your peers around you are first-rounders. You're playing against guys like Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony and they're first-rounders, so everyone's like, 'OK, he will be, too.' Then it says you're the 46th pick projected or whatever and people start asking, 'What's wrong with him?' It gets overwhelming."

Langford was never drafted and for a long time believed he was, in fact, a failure, swimming through what he referred to as "basketball purgatory," jumping from D-League teams to the USBL and back again.

He blamed his agent, blamed the system, blamed everyone but himself and, worse, turned up his nose at the thought of playing overseas. He turned down more than one contract in Europe, convinced he could latch on in the NBA.

Finally in debt after taking a loan from his agent, he sat down with an overseas agent and actually listened. He signed his first overseas contract.

"It wasn't until I got over there that I finally bought in," Langford said. "That's when I realized I'm still a professional basketball player."

Not that everyone else sees it that way.

After seven years of sewing together a pretty steady and lucrative overseas career -- he's played in Italy, Moscow and Tel Aviv -- Langford still is treated like a semipro.

"I could walk in to talk to a couple hundred kids and if you picked any guy who was playing for the NBA minimum, he'd be the one, the guy they think they're supposed to listen to," Langford said. "Or someone will ask me if I want to work a camp to make a little extra money. I want to yell, 'Hey, I'm a millionaire, too,' but it's not worth explaining. Guys ask me all the time, 'Don't you want to go pro? I'm like, 'Man, I am a pro.' But it's just NBA or nothing."
ESPN


Days before the Warriors finalize the rankings on their draft board, they've already made two decisions about the free-agency period that follows Thursday's draft.

Warriors general manager Bob Myers on Friday said the team is unequivocal in its intention to keep restricted free-agent swingman Brandon Rush...
SF Chronicle


"We have guys that can play different positions, and they're tough minded, and you put them in the right system, we don't view it as a negative," Spoelstra said.

So get used to calling Bosh a center. He apparently already is.

"I kept getting moved around, and I was asked to change quite frequently, but I was with it," he said. "I believed in the coaching staff. I knew that Spo and the coaching staff saw something, saw some way that I could help. After they asked me to move to the five, I didn't fight it."

Just as teammates accept Chalmers for who he is, a combo guard at Kansas who can thrive as a hybrid point guard with the Heat, with James handling much of the playmaking and Wade capable of stepping up defensively against elite point guards.

"It's not easy for most people to come in and whatever role that they're supposed to be in, to not have the role," Wade said. "A lot of times Mario Chalmers don't bring the ball up, and he's the point guard. And then there's other times we depend on him to do it so much, and we want him to make plays for us. I'm sure it's confusing at times. He's out of rhythm a lot.

"But he's a big game kind of player."

Ultimately, these past six months delivered the Larry O'Brien trophy to South Florida. But they also provided something ostensibly just as elusive for the Heat these past two seasons: clarity at center and point guard.
Sun Sentinel


While much of the basketball world discussed (and obsessed with) what an NBA title would do for LeBron James, there were also two Miami Heat players who joined the list of NBA champions with NCAA titles as well.

Shane Battier (Duke, 2001) and Mario Chalmers (Kansas, 2008) can now add their names to the list, and according to the Sporting News 71% of the teams who have won a title have had an NCAA champ on the roster.

Battier became the first Blue Devil to accomplish the feat while Chalmers is the second Jayhawk to do so (Clyde Lovellette).

…Does the experience of winning at the college level prove beneficial at the pro level? The percentage above (along with the number of players who have won both titles) seems to offer evidence that it does help.

Whether it’s college coaches who try to mine successful scholastic programs or NBA teams that like to draft players from winning colleges, adding players who “know how to win” can provide the ultimate reward.
NBC


LJW: HORSE, KU style

The University of Kansas stands alone among the state's public universities in a quest to elevate admissions standards beyond the minimum required by law.

Neither Kansas State University nor any of four other universities in the Kansas Board of Regents system expressed a desire to follow  KU's maneuver to break from the pack.

"We've had no interest with institution-specific admissions other than KU," said Andy Tompkins, the state board's president and chief executive officer.

The 2009 Legislature authorized establishment of differentiated undergraduate student admissions standards.

Nearly a year ago, Gov. Sam Brownback urged the Board of Regents to improve national rankings of the state universities, especially KU and K-State.

University officials have long sought to raise profiles in published rankings, and one method of grabbing attention is to make admissions more selective.

KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little packaged the campaign to tighten the roster of entering freshmen students as an attempt to improve the university's retention and graduation rates.

At the same time, she said, the program targeted for initiation in 2016 would help redirect to other colleges the applicants without skills to succeed at the four-year school.

"These new standards will let students and parents know what sort of preparation is needed," she said. "They’ll encourage students to strive for excellence in high school so that they’re ready when they arrive at KU."
TCJ


With Hubert Davis trading his seat behind the "College GameDay" desk for one on the North Carolina bench last month, ESPN has an opening to fill on its popular weekly college hoops pregame show.

The network has yet to officially announce its choice, but TheBigLead.com reports that Jalen Rose has emerged as the front runner.
Yahoo


Q: I know you aren't having an advanced skills camp this summer. I understand there was some confusion about housing? (Missouri self-reported an NCAA violation in December because campers attending the camp last summer were housed in a different dorm and served breakfast in a different dining hall than the campers who attended the individual camp.) How much does that matter?

A: It doesn't affect you one bit. To be honest with you, I'm not a big fan of the camp anyway, so it doesn't affect us. I'm not concerned with our ability to recruit players. That doesn't hurt us in any shape or form.

Q: Is the camp something you think you will have again in the future?

A: Maybe, but those guys have to convince me of it. Me, personally, I'm not a big fan of it. My staff would have to convince me, because with where we're located, guys getting to us is hard. We could attract local guys, but we're not a place where they could fly in here and get here. It's a hard place to get to.
Columbia Tribune: Q & A with Frank Haith


For a guy who played for a program that has never made the Final Four, former Missouri guard Kim English sure has a lot of confidence in his ex-teammates.

English made a bold prediction Thursday after a workout with the Knicks, telling SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria that he expects the Tigers to cut down the nets in Atlanta next April.

"I can say this now that I'm gone, but I expect them to win a national championship without a doubt," English said. "We should've at least went to the Final Four this past year and it definitely left a sour taste in a lot of guys' mouth out there, but they should win a national championship. They're the best team in the nation heading into next season."

It's admirable that English believes in his former teammates, but they'll have to overcome long odds in order to prove him right. Bovada currently lists Missouri's title odds at 50-1, behind such championship long shots as Florida State (25-1), Stanford (30-1) and Georgetown (40-1).
Yahoo


College basketball attendance averages fell this year for the fifth consecutive season. According to a study conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, nearly one in five Division I men’s basketball programs saw attendance fall by 20 percent or more over the past four seasons. Including the regular season and NCAA tournament, overall attendance has fallen by an average of 348 fans per game since 2007.

The slide is a growing topic among college coaches and administrators.

“There’s always a concern when you have revenue streams going down,” Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Doug Elgin said.

Sometimes the decline in attendance is based on the product on the court. Otherwise, it’s blamed on the economy, a regular season overshadowed by March Madness or the saturation of games on television, not to mention the HD home theaters that turn a couch into a luxury box. Late-night made-for-TV game times and the transient nature of today’s game also play a role.

…the Atlantic Coast Conference ranked fifth nationally among conferences after falling 12 percent in the past four years to 9,876 per game. The Pac-12 dropped to 7,143 — a 17 percent loss over the same span — in part because of struggles on the court. The Big East and SEC also have seen slight declines, while the Big 12 remained steady.

…“It’s a supply-and-demand thing. There’s a ton of supply out there now,” said new Illinois coach John Groce. “When we were growing up, you saw a Big Ten game, or Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA or North Carolina.”

Groce coached at mid-major Ohio University last season, and the Bobcats were shown on five different outlets.
Link


2012-13 Early Season Events List

USA U17 wins first game, defeats Latvia. Frankamp's shot is off, 2nd in assists.


NIKE Skill Academies rosters, measurements


Video: Jabari Parker talks recruiting


During the college basketball season, Parker said he watched a few of the elite teams to see what they did so well and how he could potentially fit into their strategy.

Kentucky: “Their penetration, it fits my game.”

Kansas: “The way they utilized Thomas Robinson, how they implemented his game.”

Duke: “Austin Rivers, the way they moved him around the perimeter.”

In general, Parker said he looks at each school and what types of players they have had in the past. As a result, he could see what made each school so successful.
CBS


Yet despite Izzo's interest in Parker, he can't reach the youngster without going through his parents.

"Everybody doing their job, but they still can’t have Jabari’s number," said his father Sonny, according to Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago. "That ain’t changed.
"We want him to enjoy being who he is. If he wants to talk, we’ll ask him first. Right now, we don’t want him to be over-bombarded because coaches can sometimes be aggressive, and that can be overwhelming."

It's nothing personal with Izzo. Sonny and his wife Lola simply want to rein in a recruiting process that can spin wildly out of control. Along with MSU, Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville have also reportedly offered Parker a scholarship.

For the most part, coaches have stayed within the rules. Not the NCAA's, but the Parkers'.
"It’s okay," Sonny said of the new NCAA rules. "It’s how you handle it. Don’t get overwhelmed, don’t get caught up. They have to do their job. We’re doing our job."
MLive


Video: Jordan Mickey talks UK, U of L visits


Allerik Freeman 2013 SG

Freeman appears to have hit a little plateau as of late, but that doesn't mean he isn't still a good prospect. He is a good shooter, but not a great one and didn't shoot well at the camp, aside from a game or two. The 6'4 wing likes to work with the ball in his hands and is effective in pick and roll situations, as he has great poise. Since he does prefer to have the ball a lot, he will need to tighten up his handle even more, but this is something that hopefully shouldn't be a problem moving forward. Freeman should prove to be a productive four year player at a high-level school, but he will need to show that he can continue to improve and not level out as a player.

Anthony Barber 2013 PG

Barber blows by anyone and everyone. The 6'1 lead man is impossible to stay in front of and has defenders on their heels throughout every game. He finishes acrobatically at the rim and was one of the camp's leading scorers. Barber will just need to learn how to be more vocal and lead a team effectively. His top two are Kansas and Alabama.

Brannen Greene 2013 SG

Greene is a stud. He seems to do everything well, and he doesn't force anything when he's doing it. The Kansas commit made everything look easy out there and should become another standout in a Jayhawk uniform.
Blog


Billy Donovan admitted his team lacked perimeter shooters, but it didn't matter since his frontline was so dominant.

"We were physically overpowering up front," Donovan said. "From the small forward spot to center we overwhelmed teams."

Donovan's team cruised through the FIBA Americas U18 tournament and earned the gold medal courtesy of a 81-56 rout over host Brazil. Julius Randle, one of the elite players in the Class of 2013, led the Americans with 18 points and 12 boards in the title game. Jarnell Stokes (Tennessee) added 11 points and Oklahoma State-bound guard Marcus Smart added 10 points in the win.

Donovan raved about the potential of Randle. "The last two games, he took his game to another level," he said. "Early on, he was thinking too much."

"I've never seen a guy his size that quick and athletic off the bounce," he added.
CBS


Cliff Alexander is one of the top juniors in the country and he’s garnering a ton of college attention.

Last week, the the NBA Players Association top 100 camp, the 6-foot-9, 250-pound Alexander called Kentucky a “dream school” and said Indiana was “really recruiting me hard right now.”

But the Wildcats and Hoosiers are not the only schools on the list. Alexander also mentioned Michigan State, Ohio State, Marquette, Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Memphis, Kansas, Florida, Florida State, DePaul and Louisville.

“I’m just taking it slow and trying to see what happens,” Alexander said, who attends Chicago Curie High School.
LCJ


Summer Event Schedule


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Former Kansas University guard Mario Chalmers of the Miami Heat joined Clyde Lovellette Thursday in becoming only the second Jayhawk to win an NCAA championship and an NBA title.
Lovellette, who won an NCAA title in 1952 with KU, won NBA titles with the Minneapolis Lakers in 1954 and the Boston Celtics in 1963 and 1964. Chalmers won an NCAA title with KU in 2008 to go with the Miami Heat crown.

Chalmers becomes the 10th Jayhawk to win an NBA title. Others: Lovellette; Wayne Simien, Miami, 2006; Maurice King, Boston, 1960; Wilt Chamberlain, 1967, Philadelphia and 1972, Lakers; Jo Jo White, 1974, 1976 Boston; Bill Bridges, 1975, Golden State; Jacque Vaughn, 2007, San Antonio; Paul Pierce, 2008, Boston; Scot Pollard, 2008, Boston.
KU AD


Mario Chalmers became Alaska's first NBA champion and scored a rare basketball hat trick Thursday in Miami.

The 2005 Bartlett High grad contributed 10 points, seven assists, two rebounds and two steals in the Miami Heat's championship-clinching 121-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

An NBA champion in his fourth season as a pro, Chalmers now owns championships at all three levels of competition -- high school,college and NBA -- a claim only a handful of men can make.

Chalmers, 26, won two high school championships, helping the Golden Bears to state titles his freshman and sophomore years. He won an NCAA Division I title his junior year at Kansas, making the cover of Sports Illustrated for his clutch 3-pointer with the clock winding down to send the championship game into overtime.
Anchorage Daily News


And yet it is not without some irony that James' partner in carrying Miami was Mario Chalmers. While an enormous investment has been required from James to cultivate a certain comfort in these circumstances, Chalmers never has squirmed when the game is in his hands.

One seems to have acquired his late-game gravitas by nature, the other by nurture.

Chalmers, who helped Kansas to a national title with one of the great clutch shots in NCAA tournament history, once again embraced the big moment that so used to overwhelm James.

For much of the series, Chalmers was a cipher — he missed 16 of 18 shots in one stretch. But when the Heat needed him most, with Russell Westbrook scintillating and James on the bench for the final minute with cramps, Chalmers calmly delivered.

…"Mario has that thing called heart," Wade said. "No matter what, no matter how tough we are on him, he actually thinks he's the best player on this team, and that's a gift and a curse. Tonight, it was a gift for us because he never gets down on himself. He always believes. 'Find me, I can make a shot. I can make a play.' "
FS


Long, lean, lightning-quick and passionate on every play: Those are the ways the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Taylor and Rondo, 6-1, 185, are alike. But in that runaway victory over Longwood, one very un-Rondo-like element of Taylor’s game also showed up — six turnovers.

While many look at the builds and abilities of these two and see similar players, one NBA assistant coach contacted for this story said most guys at the pro level see Taylor in a completely different light than Rondo.

“I don’t think anybody in the NBA thinks he’s a point guard by any stretch,” the coach said of Taylor. “His decision-making is just not a strength. With your point guard having to be such a good decision-maker because it’s the most important position in the NBA these days, I think people are seeing him more as a spark plug, combo guard off the bench who can give you some scoring punch and get the pace of the game going up and down.”
LJW


"With the obligatory 'things can change' attached, it's not sounding as if (Robinson) will be working out for the Kings," Amick tweeted Wednesday.

If the Kansas forward does not feel the need to show the Kings in person what he can do, that would suggest he has received some assurance that he will be taken with one of the top-four picks.
Link


It’s summed up pretty well in what Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated tweeted:

In the continuing draft circuit, I’m told Kansas F Thomas Robinson had his way w/ UConn C Andre Drummond in a Cleveland workout today.

Robinson is a legit top 3 pick (who could slide to 4 or 5), a power forward who had the same vertical leap at the combine as Blake Griffin. And Robinson comes with his motor always on.
NBC


As for Robinson, Friday looms large for his chances of being the second overall pick as he is scheduled to work out against Connecticut center Andre Drummond for the second time in three days. The two squared off in Cleveland on Wednesday, which never would have happened if Robinson didn't change his own strategy and tell his management team that he just wasn't a one-on-none type of guy.

After flying solo at a workout in Washington on June 13, Robinson told his agents, Tony Dutt and Jason Martin, that he was done with the individual workout approach. To Drummond's credit, he obliged. And Robinson, who I spoke with over the weekend as his strategy was changing, was thrilled to get his way.

"We've been going (in this draft process) for a long while, just practicing and not being in a game atmosphere," he said. "I want to go out there and compete, to get that game feeling. You don't get that just playing (in an individual workout). It's even worse because it's not like you're training for college and you're going back to a place you know. With training, you don't' know where you're going to go."

Yet while Robinson knows he won't be going No. 1, he made it clear at the Chicago predraft camp earlier this month that he thinks he should be the top pick. It's all part of a personality that is the most fiery in this entire bunch and part of the gritty makeup that makes him so attractive to teams who are confident he'll be a high-level, reliable forward for years to come.

"I think (his competitiveness) is something I've always had, just wanting to make it more fun," Robinson said. "I think the game is much better if you're competing anyway. I mean what are you playing for? I don't get people who just go out there and just play. You want to go beat somebody else or take down somebody. That's the whole point of playing. That's my mentality."
SI


If you had to guess which school had produced the most draft picks in the past 10 years, how would you guess? North Carolina? Duke? Kentucky? UConn? Texas? Those would probably be my selections, if not necessarily in that order, and I -- as is so often the case when we don't consult the numbers -- would be wrong. CBS's Matt Norlander wanted to answer this question with data, so he dove into the past decade of NBA drafts and organized the picks based on alma mater. The results are actually somewhat surprising. All the teams above are included: Texas, Duke and Kentucky have each produced 14 picks in the past 10 years; UConn and UNC have produced 12; Florida has 11; Memphis and Arizona each have 10. But none of the top-tier programs on the list can match Kansas and UCLA, who tied for the lead with 15 draft picks apiece in the past decade.
ESPN


KU basketball players Elijah Johnson and Zach Peters visited Bob Chipman's Summer camp at Washburn.  Johnson, who is coming off of knee surgery, will have a new role for the Jayhawks.

"I get to do something that I've been wanting to do for a long time now: I finally get to lead," Johnson, said. "I've always been a leader and I've never been a follower so to actually lead the team in my opinion means the world to me right now."

Peters is a freshman from Plano, Texas and is adjusting to the Kansas lifestyle.

"My first three weeks here I've really enjoyed it," Peters, said. "Getting to play in the practice facilities, use the locker room, it's really exciting to get to experience all of that in the summer.  It's Kansas, that's the only thing you can really say - it's Kansas.  Best basketball tradition in the world for collegiate sports."
KSNT


KU AD Throwback Thursday: Danielle McCray


Kansas 2012-13 Schedule

A Rivals.com website that covers the University of Texas, orangebloods.com, has reported that two anonymous Big 12 Conference sources have confirmed that Notre Dame will announce the departure of its Olympic sports from the Big East as soon as this summer, thus ending a relationship that began in 1995. Next stop would be the Big 12.

Along with the move of the Olympic sports, the report said Notre Dame has agreed to play at least three, and as many as six, Big 12 teams in football in upcoming years.

The Irish will face Big 12 favorite Oklahoma this season.

“I thought maybe (Big 12 commissioner Bob) Bowlsby and I should really hold hands up there to really fuel that,” Swarbrick said, referring to the figurative group hug (for the media’s sake) all Wednesday’s participants went through on stage after their meeting. “I have no idea what prompted that. It is not based on any discussion, any meeting, anything that we have done.”

Swarbrick didn’t say it’s not going to happen.

“I’ve said all along there were three important factors for us,” Swarbrick said. “One is the resolution of the postseason, football, which we are closer to. One is the resolution of our media relationship, which we are in the homestretch of. And third is the stability of the Big East, which we get more information on every day.

“Pieces of (the state of the Big East) are starting to fall into place that will put us in a time and a place where we’ll look at it and decide what we’re doing.”

Ah, hah! The caveat. Stability? C’mon, in the next two years the Big East will go from a 2012 Escalade to an ‘85 Yugo.
South Bend Tribune


"I think if a (BCS school) didn't make it, it would look really bad," Ohio University professor David Ridpath said last week. Ridpath is also past president of NCAA watchdog The Drake Group.

All the banned teams, including Connecticut, face additional sanctions of losing a minimum of four hours of practice time per week, which must be replaced by academic activities. The penalties could create an unusual scenario for the seven affected conferences.

Not only will UConn and the other teams be ineligible for NCAA play, but league officials could also rule them ineligible for the individual conference tournaments. If that happens, it could force changes in the tourney pairings.

Big East presidents already have said any team ineligible for the NCAA tourney will not be allowed to compete in conference tournaments, including UConn.
ESPN


What had been expected since April became official Thursday: Duke guard Andre Dawkins will redshirt next season.

Mike Krzyzewski confirmed the decision during his annual summer news conference when asked why he didn't mention Dawkins among the program's rising seniors.

"It's time for him to step away," Krzyzewski told reporters. "It's the right thing. We're doing the right thing."
Yahoo

While most players become content with their talent after an early commitment, there is still much development remaining in their game.

Brannen Greene hasn't received this "lazy" memo, as he has been working on and off the court so far this spring.

Currently committed to Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks, Greene took the challenge of playing alongside Chris Walker and Kasey Hill with the Florida Rams this AAU season. He still feels the room for improvement.

"I know I can shoot, so I want to improve on attacking the basket this summer," Greene explained.

Playing as a guard in the Big 12 will be a physical task, so the 6-foot-7 also feels the need to improve in the weight room, too.

"I want to get stronger and faster. That will be big for me."

Several months removed from making his pledge to KU, Greene says he is still very firm with his decision.

"My relationship with Kansas is great. I feel like Coach [Bill] Self is a genuine guy. I could spend several years living in Lawrence," he said enthusiastically.

Greene is now spending his time recruiting his close friends, Chris Walker, Isaiah Lewis, and Allerik Freeman to Kansas.
Link

His stock on the rise after leading his team to the Group AAA basketball championship three months ago, Hampton High point guard Anthony Barber has narrowed his recruiting focus to two schools: Alabama and Kansas.

Barber was in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Tuesday and Wednesday for an unofficial visit, during which he spent time with Crimson Tide coach Anthony Grant. He was scheduled to leave Wednesday for Chicago, where he'll attend Nike's Deron Williams Skills Academy.

"It's been a good trip here," Barber said Wednesday morning. "I've enjoyed it."

Barber has at least five other offers, including Virginia and Virginia Tech, but said Alabama and Kansas now lead the pack.

Hampton assistant coach Walter Brower Jr. said Grant has been to Hampton to see Barber at least twice, including once during the season when he flew up on the school jet. Tide assistant John Brannen has also been seen in the Crabbers' gym.

Brower Jr. said Grant compares Barber with former VCU point guard Eric Maynor, a first-round pick in the 2009 NBA draft. Grant coached Maynor at VCU.

"And he says there are some things Cat does better," Brower Jr. said.

Kansas coach Bill Self has also been to Hampton, as has lead Jayhawks recruiter Joe Dooley.
Daily Press


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While the University of Kansas Men’s basketball team notched its eighth straight Big 12 Conference championship, they kept another valuable streak alive as well.

Tuesday morning KU officials announced the results of the 2010-2011 NCAA Academic Progress Rate for the University’s athletic department. For the sixth straight year the men’s basketball team received a perfect APR score of 1,000.

…According to Paul Buskirk, KU’s associate athletic director, only student athletes that are on scholarship are used when determining the APR score. Each scholarship athlete can earn up to two points a semester, one for retention and the other for eligibility. The combination of all scholarship athletes’ scores add up to the APR score for each sport.

Even though standout KU forward Thomas Robinson is leaving early for the NBA draft, it won’t negatively impact the men’s basketball team’s APR score. Buskirk said there are three examples where a student can leave an institution and the schools APR score will not be penalized.

“Number 1 is if you transfer to another four-year institution and, when you do, you have a 2.6 GPA. Number 2 is if there’s a documented medical (or) family reason. And then the big one is if a student leaves for a professional sports opportunity,” Buskirk said.

Coach Bill Self said he was pleased with players who even though left school early, still took care of their academic responsibility.
UDK


Self said that he flat-out tells his NBA prospects they better take care of academics ... or else.

“I make a deal with all my guys. It sounds pretty mean to say. We talk about it every first practice: ‘If you leave out of here and in any way, shape or form put us in position to lose a scholarship, then you’ll never be invited back (to KU), ever,’” Self said “At least as long as I’m here. If you don’t care enough about yourself you certainly don’t care enough about the place that has been good to you, then you shouldn’t come back. A lot of schools it’s a problem because kids don’t love the school so much. Here they love the school so much, the place has been so good to them, they have an obligation to do that. That’s why we have 1,000 APR. Those kids that leave know they’ve got to finish before they leave. I’d let everybody know (if a player didn’t finish),” Self added forcefully. “Thomas and those guys handled their stuff. Marcus, Markieff (Morris), Josh (Selby) Xavier (Henry), Cole (Aldrich) ... they all took care of business before the draft.”
LJW


Self added that he’d seen the numbers from this past semester, and the streak will likely be seventh when the 2011-12 year is reported 12 months from now.

 "I think there’s a correlation between being good on the court and taking care of business off the court," Self said. "It’s amazing to me, the better we do in the classroom, it seems like the more games we win."
KC Star


He walked down a hallway inside Allen Fieldhouse, new teammates and friends moving alongside him. It was Tuesday afternoon, and Milton Doyle was on his way to the KU locker room. Finally.

Just two months ago, Doyle’s future was still limbo, the fateful result of an ill-timed injury and a coach’s pink slip. Just two months ago, Doyle, a 6-foot-4 freshman guard, was back at home in Chicago, waiting to see if any more college coaches would come around.

These days, those feelings are gone. And that means walking on campus with his roommate, freshman walk-on Tyler Self, and freshman forward Zach Peters.

“I was really sold before I ever came here, knowing the history of Kansas,” Doyle says. “Just finally being here put it all together.”

Doyle certainly looks like someone who just finished high school. He’s carrying just 185 pounds on his lanky frame. His sentences are soft and short. And the story that made him perhaps the most unlikely member of KU’s 2012 recruiting class is still fresh.

It’s the story of how a city helped a high school senior go from a complete unknown to a Kansas Jayhawk in the span of a few months.

“I (had) been calling and trying to inform people about him,” said Henry Cotton, Doyle’s coach at Marshall High School in Chicago. “But you know … nobody bought into it.”

In many ways, Doyle’s story isn’t that different. Like so many others, Cotton said, Doyle was hardened by the city streets that have molded basketball players for decades. Basketball people will tell you that the Windy City hoops scene can churn out a certain type of player. And if you need to know anything more about Doyle’s background, you might want to know that Arthur Agee, one of the stars of the iconic basketball documentary “Hoop Dreams,” went to Marshall High School, the same school that Doyle attended, the old school on the west side.
KC Star


The city of Chicago has been kind to Kansas University’s basketball program during the Bill Self era.

“I know Sherron (Collins) from being back home and Mario (Little) from here and some other guys (Julian Wright, Jamari Traylor),” said Milton Doyle, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound guard from Marshall High — the latest Windy City native to play for Self’s Jayhawks.

He spoke to the media on Tuesday in Allen Fieldhouse on his second full day on campus.

“I’ll try to follow in their footsteps and play like they do,” Doyle said.

…“It feels good to be here, to finally work out and be around the team, be around the guys,” said Doyle, who will wear his high school jersey number — 25 — at KU. “They welcomed me in like I was already part of the team from the beginning.”

KU coach Bill Self said Tuesday that Doyle, who averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 steals per game his senior season at Marshall, figures to play both point and shooting guard.

“I think there’s a difference in being a point guard and being able to play some point,” Self said. “He’s a guy who definitely can play some point, no question. The way we play, whoever gets it brings it. Tyshawn (Taylor) wasn’t a true point at least the way we played. Elijah (Johnson) is not a true point. We’ve got a lot of combo guards. He’ll be one of those combo guards.

“He’s a good athlete, has great length. He has to get stronger, which is natural for all freshmen. He probably has to get where his stroke is a little more consistent. We have minutes to be earned back there from a depth standpoint. He should provide us extra depth, no question.”

Of his role, Doyle said: “Combo guard that can play any spot, who is able to go out there and play whatever the coach tells me to play ... a good defender, all around player.”

Doyle — who once was a Duke fan, but switched allegiances to KU about the time the Jayhawks won the national title with Collins playing a major role in 2008 — has played point guard pretty much all his life. He credited his mom, Lisa, a former Mississippi Valley State player, for “putting me in the gym ... it was out of her job because she works for the park district, so I was always in the gym.”

… KU senior forward Kevin Young said he enjoyed competing with the likes of J.J. Barea (Minnesota, NBA), Shabazz Napier (UConn), Mike Rosario (Florida) and Renaldo Balkman (South Carolina) at the recent Puerto Rico national team tryouts.

“It was fun. I learned a lot. I think I grew a lot as a player, too,” said Young, who was one of 12 players asked to play in a tournament this week in Puerto Rico, but was told he would be bumped from the Olympic team once several Puerto Rican pro players reported to camp.

“I worked on my shot, my handles a bit. Hopefully I’ll show a little bit of improvement when I get back in the gym, today,” Young added.

…KU coach Self said he heard Young played well at tryouts. “The last game he plays five minutes, gets eight points, four rebounds, is 2-2 from three which I was kind of excited to hear about. Kevin will have a good year this year because he’s going to be a lot more comfortable,” Self said.
LJW


University of Kansas men’s basketball team will participate in a scrimmage Wednesday afternoon, according to Chris Theisen, the assistant athletic director for media relations.

The scrimmage will take place at 3:15 inside Allen Fieldhouse. The game will consist of two 20 minute halves with a running clock.

Besides players on the current rosters, former KU players will also participate in the scrimmage. Last week Aaron Miles, Brady Morningstar, Jeff Hawkins and Julian Wright all participated in the scrimmage.
UDK


Bill Self was allowed to choose his own jersey number for the All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game, set for Sunday, July 8, at Kauffman Stadium.

“I have a unique number, as a matter of fact,” Self, Kansas University’s basketball coach said Tuesday in Allen Fieldhouse. “I didn’t know what number to pick. I figured (George, No. 5) Brett would be playing and some other guys would be playing, so I went with my own, unique number. I’m ‘08’ — I thought that was a good number to pick,” Self added, “08” ostensibly referring to the year KU won the national basketball title.

…“I think I’m going to have to go on a diet just to get in the pants size I gave them,” Self said.

“Going way back ... I probably haven’t swung a baseball bat since 1993. It hasn’t been quite 20 years. We had a big-time team back in Stillwater,” added Oklahoma State graduate Self. “Seven, eight years after (graduation) we pretty much ran that city league down there. I’ve not had a chance to play since then. I’m going to go to the cages a little bit and make sure I can hit a slow-pitch softball.

“I still feel I’ll be able to do something in that celebrity all-star game which I have no idea why I’m in it. I could get out on my front foot a little bit, and get a little excited, and maybe swing and miss, too. I’m definitely going to take a little B.P. (batting practice).”
LJW


With Kidd-Gilchrist, you know what you're going to get. With Drummond and even Beal, you are assuming the player's potential will vastly eclipse his production as a freshman. (Beal seems like the much sounder bet here, but it is nonetheless a bet.) That might be right. It might not. Robinson presents the best of both worlds: Already a very good player -- the consensus runner-up for 2012 national player of the year -- T-Rob still has tons of room to improve.

Robinson's past two seasons (a sophomore campaign backing up the Morris twins and a breakout junior year) offer evidence of both. In 2012, the Kansas forward posted a rebounding rate of 30.5 percent, the highest mark in the nation in a skill that typically translates well to the NBA. Robinson's offensive rebounding rate fell to 11.5 percent last season from 18.8 percent in 2011, but that had as much to do with his new role as KU's go-to scorer as anything else.

Bottom line: At the very least, Robinson will do what every NBA power forward must do: He will rebound. He has the athleticism and tangible production to back that prediction. Worst case, if he ends up becoming a more-skilled Kenneth Faried, well, which NBA coach wouldn't sign up for that?

But Robinson's evolution from a rebound machine/energy backup to go-to guy is still a work in progress, one that should make most NBA scouts salivate. T-Rob is still building his offensive skills away from the rim, still finding a midrange-to-18-foot jumper, still working on post moves over both shoulders, still refining many of the offensive and defensive fundamentals that separate the best post players from the merely mediocre.

Robinson is not a finished product by any means. If this finishing process goes well, he could be an All-Star power forward one day. Even if you're being conservative, maybe he becomes a more athletic, above-the-rim version of Utah Jazz-era Carlos Boozer. Again: We're dealing with a high ceiling here.

There are players with more potential, and there are players who offer a stronger predictive picture without the ceiling to match. But other than Davis, I'm not sure there is a top-five-level player with equal measures of both. Less risk, more potential. If I'm an NBA GM and I can't take Davis, that calculation sounds pretty good to me.
ESPN


You think maybe now LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will give Mario Chalmers a break?

The Heat don’t win Tuesday’s game, don’t take a 3-1 series lead and assume command of these NBA Finals, without those 25 points from Chalmers.

Twelve of them came in the fourth quarter, when LeBron was fighting cramps and Wade was missing five of seven shots.

“That kid’s not afraid of any moment,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We all know that. He’s a gutsy kid. He’s a gamer. You can’t quantify that. You can’t measure it. You can’t necessarily evaluate that with a kid you’re drafting. He obviously had a big moment in college [in the NCAA final against Memphis]. He’s not afraid of the moment. You can’t teach that.”

Maybe now the Dynamic Duo will let Chalmers slide for being one of the few NBA players (along with Paul Pierce) to have a Spalding shoe contract.
Sun-Sentinel

It's not every day when an opportunity comes along to provide children with a free service to better their basketball game, as well as give them a chance to meet one former and two current Kansas Jayhawk basketball players. This past Monday and Tuesday, over 110 kids seized their chance to get some one-on-one coaching from players that have lived their dreams.

Former KU player Jeff Boschee, who is now an assistant with the Missouri Southern State University basketball program in Joplin, took his camp on the road once again to Dodge City. In years past, Boschee has taken advantage of his ties with the Jayhawk program to get some assistance from players currently on the roster.

His appearance in Dodge came at an opportune time for kids who want to get better at the game of basketball, but can't afford the multitude of high profile camps across the state. With the help of local businesses, all the entrants into the camp got in free of charge and were even given a t-shirt and basketball for participating.

…The kids were also given a treat as he brough along White and Releford as part of his KU program. White is a freshman-to-be, a standout guard from Chester, Virg., and Releford played big minutes during KU's championship game run this past season. Releford is a senior from Bishop Miege High School in Kansas City.

For Releford, these camps are a special opportunity for players to give back to the community and gives them a different perspective on the game of basketball.

"It helps a lot for the kids to be able to see that we want to give back," Releford said. "When I was young, I didn't have a chance to come to camps like this, and if I had the chance to work out with someone I looked up to, it would be a great experience."
Dodge Globe


Note to the high school class of 2016: If you’re looking to attend the University of Kansas, start cracking the books.

That C average will no longer get you in.

You’ll need at least a B and higher standardized college admission test scores than have ever been required by a Kansas public university.

When the Kansas Board of Regents meets in Topeka today, members are expected to make KU a more elite school, kicking in higher admissions standards in four years. That gives this year’s high school freshmen time to pass the required courses and maintain the grades they’ll need to become KU material.

If those requirements were in place today, roughly 35 percent of the freshmen admitted last year would not have made the cut for automatic admission to KU.

The new rules would demand freshmen take the necessary precollege classes, graduate from a high school or home school with either a minimum 3.0 grade point average combined with a 24 score on the ACT or 1090 SAT; or a minimum 3.25 GPA and a 21 ACT or 980 SAT.
KC Star

The Big Slick poker tournament returns for its third year, hosted by hometown celebrities Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis. Actors Eric Stonestreet of KCK, Jon Hamm and Bobby Cannavale are expected as well.

The event (and its accompanying celebrity weekend) is a benefit for the oncology department of Children’s Mercy Hospital. The schedule:

•  5:30 p.m. Friday: Big Slick Celebrity Wiffle Ball Tournament at Kauffman Stadium (played at the “Little K” before the Royals vs. Cardinals game).
•  10:30 a.m. Saturday: Big Slick Texas Hold ’em Poker Tournament at Harrah’s North Kansas City Casino & Hotel, off Interstate 35 and Armour Road.
•  6:30 p.m. Saturday: VIP party at the Midland theater, 1228 Main St.
•  8:15 p.m. Saturday: Celebrity party and auction at the Midland (doors open at 7 p.m.).

Auction items include a trip to New York to see “Saturday Night Live” and meet the cast backstage; a trip to Los Angeles to visit the set of “Anchorman 2”; a trip to attend the L.A. premiere and private after-party of Paul Rudd’s comedy “This Is 40”; tickets to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, with a visit to the announcer’s booth to meet Joe Buck.

Seats for the poker tournament cost $500. Tickets to the party and auction cost $125. See bigslickkc.org.
KC Star

Dump on them all you want in old-fashioned, face-to-face meetings at a recruit’s home. That’s what those things are for.

But if you do it via text or online, there’s visual evidence, and you’re at the mercy of the recruit’s discretion. No one wants to make that awkward call to Mike Krzyzewski to apologize for saying there are “rumors that he is a war criminal.”

Why should you have to apologize for that? You told the truth. There are rumors. Check any UNC message board.

Send a text to Kelvin Sampson.

Tell him sorry. And thanks. He was the first great explorer into the land of text messaging. He did not last to see this day and has been forever banned to NBA assistant coachdom, but he will not be forgotten. 2 Klvn!

Make sure you really want to do this.

According to some studies, kids age 13 to 17 – so the people you’re recruiting – send more than 3,000 text message per month. How many high school players are you recruiting at one time: 10, 15, 50, 100? If you start texting these people, your life is OVER. Every waking moment will be spent receiving some of the stupidest, most pointless drivel ever typed. And you will have to read them all and respond as though they are great pearls of wisdom because you need a 3-star or better at forward or you’re screwed!

Is getting the next LeBron James or Kevin Durant worth having to read texts, tweets and Facebook messages from teenagers? No. No, it’s not. Resign now before your life becomes a hellscape of inanity.
ESPN Technology guidelines for college hoops coaches


TCU men's basketball coach Trent Johnson senses a wait-and-see attitude from Horned Frogs fans. That's no surprise. That's been the prevailing point of view for almost a decade.

The skepticism surrounding TCU basketball as it moves into the Big 12 Conference, although much of it optimistic, is understandable. It has been years since the program garnered truly inspired preseason expectations even without a move into a major basketball power conference in the equation.

"I think people are sort of sitting in the back waiting," said Johnson, who took over for Jim Christian on April 5. "There's some excitement, but also there's some curiosity and a wait-and-see attitude: Can we compete? Can we get it done at this level? And that's good. I know what it's like and I know what we're getting into."

Johnson, who won at Stanford in the Pac-12 and at LSU in the Southeastern Conference, knows just how tough Big 12 competition will be, especially in the inaugural season. "But for this institution and this program athletically it's time, in my opinion," Johnson said, "to take on the challenge of the Big 12."

In many ways, the change in coach and conference signal a makeover for the program. TCU hopes to announce renovations to 61-year old Daniel-Meyer Coliseum later this year. Other upgrades to the basketball facilities are in the works.
FW Star Telegram


Connecticut's ban from next year's NCAA men's basketball tournament is about to become official.

The NCAA will be releasing its annual academic progress report for the 2010-2011 academic year on Wednesday. UConn officials say they're expecting a score of 978.

That is much improved over recent scores, but not high enough to keep the school eligible for the tournament. NCAA rules require a 900 average over four years or a 930 over two years. Connecticut's four-year score would be 889 and its two-year average would be 902.
AP


2012-13 Early Season Events List

On Tuesday evening, the roster for the United States U-17 team was announced.

It it headlined by the nation’s top recruit in the Class of 2013, Sports Illustrated’s coverboy Jabari Parker. Joining him on the team is high school teammate Kendrick Nunn, meaning that Simeon High School is probably going to have a pretty good season in Chicago in 2013.

There are six rising seniors on the roster and six rising juniors. Chicago actually has three players on the roster, as Class of 2014 recruit Jahlil Okafor made it as well. California and Florida both have two players on the roster, but Dakari Johnson, who attends Monteverde Academy in Florida, is a New York native.

Here is the full roster:

Beejay Anya, F/C, 6-9, 275 lb, 2013, DeMatha Catholic H.S., Gaithersburg, MD
Joel Berry, G, 6-1, 190, 2014, Lake Highland Prep School, Apopka, FL
Stephen Domingo, F, 6-7, 205, 2013, St. Ignatius Prep, San Francisco, CA
Conner Frankamp, G, 6-1, 155, 2013, Wichita North H.S., Wichita, KS
Dakari Johnson, F/C, 6-10, 250, 2014, Montverde Academy (FL), Brooklyn, NY
Stanley Johnson, F, 6-6, 230, 2014, Mater Dei H.S., Fullerton, CA
Tyus Jones, G, 6-2, 175, 2014, Apple Valley H.S., Apple Valley, MN
Kendrick Nunn, G, 6-3, 180, 2013, Simeon H.S., Chicago, IL
Jahlil Okafor, C, 6-10, 280, 2014, Whitney Young H.S., Chicago, IL
Jabari Parker, F, 6-8, 225, 2013, Simeon H.S., Chicago, IL
Johnathan Williams, F/C, 6-9, 203, 2013, Southwind H.S., Memphis, TN
Justise Winslow, F, 6-6, 212, 2014, St. John’s School, Houston, TX

Stephen Domingo (Georgetown) and Connor Frankamp (Kansas) are the only two players on the list that have committed to a college.
NBC


USA Basketball U17 schedule

Grant and his staff have positioned themselves well for one of the nation's best at the position as Hampton, Virginia star Anthony Barber has named the Tide one of two finalists for his services, according to BamaOnline. Sources tell al.com that Barber is scheduled to visit Tuscaloosa on Tuesday night.

"I just like Coach Grant because he keeps it real with you and he's a laid back coach," Barber said. "I think coming to Alabama would be a great fit for me because I've built a relationship with him and he likes me."

The 6-foot-1, 160-pound star named the Kansas Jayhawks as his other finalist. Barber said he plans on visiting Kansas later this summer.
AL.com


Julius Randle, a Dallas native and one of the best big men in the Class of 2013, scored 15 points and grabbed four boards to lead the way for Team USA as they advanced past Argentina 107-72 in the FIBA Americas U-18 championship.

Argentina held an early lead, but Syracuse-bound wing (and younger brother of Notre Dame’s Jerian) Jerami Grant threw down a dunk to give the United States the lead that was never relinquished.

It was a balanced effort for the Americans, as seven players finished with double figures. Duke-bound Rasheed Suliamon finished with 14 points, while future Memphis Tiger Shaq Goodwin had 13. Goodwin, who scored 30 points in a win over the Virgin Islands, scored seven straight points — including back-to-back three point plays — to stretch a lead that remained at ten for much of the second quarter to 53-36.

The USA will advance to take on Brazil, who beat Canada 66-62. The Americans beat the Brazilians 83-64 on Monday.
NBC


The NCAA may now permit coaches to call and text recruits unlimitedly, but the restrictions in contacting Simeon’s Jabari Parker, the nation’s Class of 2013 recruit, haven’t changed.

Parker remains off limits. His parents, Sonny and Lola Parker, do not permit college coaches to contact Parker directly. They must call or text them.

“Everybody doing their job, but they still can’t have Jabari’s number,” Sonny said on Tuesday. “That ain’t changed.

“We want him to enjoy being who he is. If he wants to talk, we’ll ask him first. Right now, we don’t want him to be over-bombarded because coaches can sometimes be aggressive, and that can be overwhelming.”

Sonny said all of the coaches have stuck to the rules and have not attempted to contact Parker directly. Just in case, though, Parker did change his number recently.

“It’s okay,” Sonny said of the new NCAA rules. “It’s how you handle it. Don’t get overwhelmed, don’t get caught up. They have to do their job. We’re doing our job.”

Coaches have been reaching out to Parker’s parents in the last week. Sonny said they’ve heard from Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, among others.

“I talked to (Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski) the other day,” Sonny said. “He wished me a Happy Father’s Day. My voicemail is filled. It’s been filled for a year.”

Parker, who was the ESPNChicago.com 2011-2012 Player of the Year, and his family haven’t discussed recruiting much yet. Sonny said Parker would trim his list to five schools at the end of the summer and begin to make visits.
ESPN


In a text message to The Oklahoman late Tuesday night, his mother, Dorshell Clark, confirmed that her son will remain at Douglass for his senior season, rather than graduate early to enter college in the fall.

“Stephen advised me (Tuesday night) that he wants to stay in school and complete his senior season,” Dorshell Clark said. “He said he didn’t give himself enough time to make such a big decision.”

Stephen Clark had been looking into opportunities at a half-dozen or more colleges for the fall, but he’ll have four times as many possibilities by staying in the 2013 class. Harvard is the latest program to come on board in pursuit of the 5-foot-11, 175-pound point guard, who has more than 25 scholarship offers.
The Oklahoman


Summer Event Schedule


adidas Grassroots schedule


Nike EYBL Schedule


Check here for the NCAA Recruiting Calendar


My 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, KU Alumni games, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on Youtube

Lanky Milton Doyle, the latest addition to Kansas University’s basketball team, exhibited a soft shooting touch from beyond the three-point arc during a high-energy drill Monday at Bill Self’s basketball camp in Horejsi Center.

“He’s got length and reminds me so much of Tyshawn (Taylor), including recruiting in that he committed to FIU (Florida International), and they had a coaching change, and we were fortunate enough to recruit him after that,” KU coach Self said, officially announcing the 6-foot-4, 175-pound Chicagoan’s signing of a grant-in-aid agreement.

…“He’s got a lot of upside,” Self said of Doyle, who averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 steals per game his senior season at Chicago’s Marshall High. “He’s a combo guard that can certainly play on the ball. He’s also big enough and skilled enough to play off the ball and a very good athlete. I think he’ll give us great depth in our backcourt.”

…“I’m so appreciative of his family trusting us throughout the recruiting process because it was so quick after the situation at Florida International,” Self said. Doyle decommitted after coach Isiah Thomas’ firing at FIU in April.

“I have known coach (Henry) Cotton (at Marshall) for a long, long time, and he sings Milton’s praises on his talent. Milton would have been a very highly recruited kid had he played AAU last summer, but he didn’t because he was injured (wrist), and a lot of people didn’t have the opportunity to see him.”

…KU senior forward Kevin Young will not be playing for Puerto Rico’s national team in the Olympics.

Young, who has been at tryouts in Puerto Rico the past several weeks, was one of 12 players invited to compete in a tourney in Puerto Rico this week. However, he was told he was not yet guaranteed a spot on the national team because several pro players are expected to report to tryout camp soon.

“It was a fun experience, and I gained a lot from it, but I’d rather focus on summer school and Kansas basketball,” Young said Monday. He plans to return to Lawrence this week.
LJW


Doyle, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound combo guard, becomes the fifth member of the 2012 recruiting class to land on campus this month. (The final piece, Seattle combo guard Anrio Adams, is believed to be arriving later this summer.)
KC Star


KU AD press release


It’s been quite a year for Mario Chalmers. Not only did he hire an image consultant, his older sister, Roneka, according to an ESPN the Magazine story on him, but he also ranked behind only Miami Heat teammate LeBron James and San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker in the plus-minus stat available on NBA.com.

Oklahoma City Thunder reserve forward Nick Collison, ranked 25th in the league, is the only other former Jayhawk to make the top 50, although Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics just missed.

That doesn’t make Chalmers the league’s third-best player, but it does demonstrate he’s on the perfect team for him. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade drive and collapse the defense, leaving Chalmers open. His skill at stealing the ball and pitching it ahead to the game’s best finishers comes in handy, too.

So why is everybody always yelling at him on TV during the most compelling NBA Finals in decades, and is there anything his image consultant can do about it?
LJW Keegan


When Sean Pearson was growing up on the east side of La Grange, he never saw prolific basketball players come back to the area to mentor children.

The 1991 Nazareth graduate still managed to have a memorable career and now likes to give back to the community whenever he gets a chance.

Pearson was back in town June 9 to run a youth basketball clinic at the Community Center in La Grange.

“This is where I’m from,” Pearson said. “I know some of the kids like to play basketball, so I felt why not come back and teach them some of the fundamentals that I learned growing up to help them get better for their basketball careers. It’s the little things that they have to start learning now. It’s something I enjoy doing. I try to give the kids in the community something to look forward to doing.”

Pearson is a member of Nazareth’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a four-time All-Private School League selection, including being named the conference Most Valuable Player twice. He was nominated for Mr. Basketball his senior season when he earned all-state honors.

He went on to play four seasons for coach Roy Williams at the University of Kansas where was a member of the 1993 Final Four team.

…Pearson lives in Missouri and started Pearson Basketball Basics, which is a camp for children.
Link


Kansas 2012-13 Schedule

University of Missouri Head Basketball Coach Frank Haith announced the hiring of former Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year Dave Leitao as an assistant coach on Friday.

Leitao, who owns a pair of conference championships as a head coach at DePaul (2004) and Virginia (2007), has made 21 career postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA Tournaments highlighted by the 1999 National Championship as the Associate Head Coach at the University of Connecticut under Jim Calhoun.

Leitao  was named the 2007 ACC Coach of the Year after leading the Cavaliers to an 11-5 league mark (21-11 overall) and a win in the NCAA Tournament, the 52-year-old comes to Mizzou after one season coaching the Maine Red Claws of the National Basketball Association's Developmental League (NBDL).
Wire


Collegiate coaching veteran Jerry Wainwright has joined the Marquette University men’s basketball program as director of operations, head coach Buzz Williams announced Monday afternoon.

In 16 seasons as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level (DePaul, Richmond, UNC-Wilmington), Wainwright led his teams to a total of seven postseason campaigns (three NCAA berths and four NIT appearances).
Press release


The Charlotte Bobcats have hired St. John's assistant Mike Dunlap to be their new head coach, two people familiar with the decision said.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because an official announcement was still being planned for the next two days.

The Charlotte Observer first reported the news.

The choice comes as a bit of a surprise because Dunlap was not one of the team's three finalists and rejoined the picture late.

He was originally one of the 10 candidates to interview for the job, but the team trimmed the list to former Utah coach Jerry Sloan, Indiana assistant coach Brian Shaw and Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Quin Snyder last week.

At some point Dunlap re-entered the picture and was offered and accepted the job Monday night.
AP


Ohio State Buckeyes big man Jared Sullinger has been medically red flagged by NBA doctors, multiple league sources told ESPN.com on Monday.

Sullinger, who is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2012 NBA draft, underwent a series of medical tests at the NBA draft combine a week ago. According to sources, the doctors who looked at Sullinger were concerned with Sullinger's back.
ESPN


CBS Parrish picks UK to repeat



Adidas canceled plans for a sneaker with a shackle-like ankle cuff Monday night after some critics said it too closely resembled a symbol of slavery.

The JS Roundhouse Mid, a high-top sneaker with an orange plastic cuff, was made in collaboration with fashion designer Jeremy Scott.

The sneaker "is nothing more than the designer Jeremy Scott's outrageous and unique take on fashion and has nothing to do with slavery," Adidas said in a statement. "Since the shoe debuted on our Facebook page ahead of its market release in August, Adidas has received both favorable and critical feedback. We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace."

The sneaker was supposed to be a reboot of a classic high-top sneaker with a strap across the middle. A preview was offered months ago and generated little chatter, but the company recently started promoting it on its Facebook page.

Scott is known as one of fashion's more outrageous characters. Adidas said he is heralded for a style that is "quirky and lighthearted."
AP

6/18/12 7:59 PM
Speaking of Conner Frankamp as a top 5 shooter Ive ever scouted
Jerry Meyer (@3starmeyer)


Named as one of 14 finalists for the 2012 USA Basketball Men's U17 World Championship Team on Sunday afternoon (June 17), Conner Frankamp is one step closer to making his second USA Basketball roster in as many years.

In fact, as a member of the 2011-12 USA Basketball Men's Developmental National Team, Frankamp has participated in four training camps at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC), including this week's camp, mini-camps in October of 2010 and 2011 and the USA Men's U16 National Team training camp in June of 2011.

Following the U16 training camp last June, Frankamp was named to the 2011 USA U16 National Team, and he was one of 12 players that helped the USA qualify for this year's FIBA U17 World Championshp with a 5-0 record and gold medal in the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Cancun, Mexico.
USA Basketball


Brannen Greene: So far this spring, Greene has been somewhat lost in the shadow of five-star Florida Rams teammates Chris Walker and Kasey Hill.In Charlottesville, the well-developed, 6-foot-6 wing scorer proved to be one of the single most skilled wing scorers. Not only does he shoot with range, but Greene has an advanced feel for using his body to create an advantage against less physical players. It was a good weekend for the Kansas commitment.

...Anthony Barber: "Cat" was one of the top three players in camp all weekend and has taken his game to a new level. He's still quite lean, but has added a bit more strength. He's been shooting from the perimeter much better to complement his blazing speed and quickness.
Rivals Top showings at NBPA


One of the top overall players at the prestigious NBA Players Association Top 100 camp in Charlottesville, Va., last week was Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber.

The Hampton, Va., High School point guard is an elite prospect with ridiculous quickness and an ability to get to the basket on any defender.

Barber led the tournament with 14.3 points a game and also dished out 17 assists. The shifty 6-foot-2 guard simply was one of the best players there.

During the event, Barber talked a lot about the recruiting process.

He confirmed that Kentucky called on him two weeks ago and also noted that he has been hearing some from Louisville, but said Kansas and Alabama were standing out.

Barber also mentioned Duke, Florida State, Virginia, Baylor and Virginia Tech.

Ranked as the No. 13 prospect by Rivals.com and No. 14 by Scout.com, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Barber move into the top 10.

He said some people have compared him to Allen Iverson, the former NBA All-Star player and a friend of Barber’s mother.

“I take that as motivation to get better,” he said. “I have heard people say that but really I am myself. I am my own guy.”
Louisville CJ


6/18/12 9:20 PM
I always have good convos with my two fav colleges #uf #ku #gators #jayhawk.
Christopher Cortez (@cwalkertime23)


Lattin, a mature, worldly prospect whom ESPN recruiting expert Dave Telep called the "Renaissance man" of the Class of 2014, set his mind on a European season after going on an Italian tour with his Houston Select AAU team last summer. "I love trying new things and taking risks," said Lattin, who was back in the U.S. and attending the NBA Players' Association Top 100 camp last week at University of Virginia. "I figured [Canarias] would be an experience that would take me to a new level in life and basketball."

Here's what he didn't figure: That detractors would be everywhere -- even within his own family. A normal high-schooler embarking on a year abroad might be praised for his curiosity or, at worst, subjected to the jealousy of less-fortunate peers. But the decisions of high-profile basketball recruits are scrutinized on a different level, and some thought Lattin was engaging in a self-detrimental experiment. It seems that it is one thing to lament that the European system is superior at skill development (a generally accepted fact among NBA scouts), and a whole different thing to actually reject American training in favor of going overseas.

Even though Lattin was maintaining his NCAA eligibility at an academy that has sent 41 Europeans to Division I and is run by a former Cal-State Fullerton assistant, Rob Orellana -- this wasn't remotely like Jeremy Tyler's turning-pro-in-Israel debacle -- it was a hard sell in Houston. Some players praised the idea, Lattin said, but others called him a "moron" and an "idiot." Local high school and AAU coaches openly questioned it. Former NBA guard and coach John Lucas, who was running the NBPA Camp and has also been Lattin's local trainer since he was 11, told him he'd be better off developing stateside.

Most cutting of all was what he heard from his famous, paternal grandfather, Dave "Big Daddy" Lattin, who starred on Texas Western's trailblazing 1966 national championship team that was portrayed in the 2006 movie Glory Road. Lamb has been divorced from Dave's son, Cliff, since 1996, and she and current husband Felix Powell have raised Khadeem, but Dave remains a voice in his basketball life.

"[Dave] saw no benefit in it," Khadeem said. "He has slang where he says, 'judge,' and he told me, 'It's just a real bad look, judge. I don't understand it, judge.'"
Dave, when reached by SI.com, said he believed in Khadeem's future as a prospect, but remained upset that his grandson had gone to Europe. "It was his mom's decision, and I don't think it was a good one," Dave said. "Those are kids [at Canarias] from all over the world who are trying to get over here to play, and she took him over there. I tried to talk her out of it, but it is what it is. I'm just hopeful that he can catch back up."

While Khadeem had final say on the move, it was Lamb's idea: She was fond of the 14 years she played in Europe, wanted to "well-round" her son, and worried that as a 6-9 underclassman in the U.S., Lattin would get stuck playing too much at center, which was unlikely to be his college position. They initially looked at Italian club teams, but finding no NCAA-friendly options, turned their sights to Canarias, which seemed like a perfect fit.

…Two of the big questions surrounding Lattin this summer are whether he'll opt to reclassify to the Class of 2013 -- he's in good enough academic standing to do so -- and if he'll opt to re-matriculate at a Houston high school for 2012-13. The odds are that he won't return for a second season in Spain. Lattin said he's leaning toward remaining in the U.S., and Lamb said she initially viewed Canarias as a one-year adventure, and doesn't want him to miss out on important parts of the American high school experience.

(There is also an unresolved issue with Canarias and the NCAA. SI.com learned that in an April memo to recruiters, the NCAA's interpretation staff, making a judgment based solely off of a lack of information on Canarias' website, declared Canarias a non-scholastic team despite its attachment to a prep school. That meant that while Canarias players were still recruitable, college coaches were not allowed to visit the academy's practices during the April evaluation period, limiting prospects' potential for exposure. That designation may not be permanent, though. Canarias has updated its website with details of its academic affiliation -- its model is very similar to that of Nevada's Findlay Prep or Florida's IMG Academy, both of which are in good standing -- and an NCAA spokesperson told SI.com that they were in the process of reviewing information on Canarias' status.
SI


Getting points from every member of the USA U18 Team, including a game high 22 points from Jarnell Stokes (University of Tennessee/Memphis, Tenn.) and 15 more from Julius Randle (Prestonwood Christian Academy/ McKinney, Texas), the USA downed host Brazil (2-1) 83-64 Monday night at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men in Sao Sebastiáo do Paraiso, Brazil.

“I was able to use my strength and size that God blessed me with,” said Stokes, who scored14 of his 22 points in the first half. “Luckily I got a lot of easy baskets from my teammates such as Rodney (Purvis) who came in and gave us some good minutes, Marcus (Smart), Nate (Britt) So the guys really got me going early.”

The win earned the U.S. a qualifying spot in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship, improved the Americans record to 3-0, and earned them the Group A No. 1 seed for Tuesday’s medal round semifinals.

The USA will face 2-1 Argentina, second place finishers in Group B, in the 5 p.m. (EDT) semifinal game. Canada (3-0) earned Group B No. 1 seed and will face host Brazil in the other medal round semifinal contest at 8 p.m.
USA Basketball


Summer Event Schedule


adidas Grassroots schedule


Nike EYBL Schedule


Check here for the NCAA Recruiting Calendar


My 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, KU Alumni games, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on Youtube

It gives me chills every time I turn on to Naismith Drive. You must travel this road in Lawrence, Kan., to reach one of basketball's most storied gyms, Phog Allen Fieldhouse. I have covered many games here as reporter for ESPN. But today, I will be in a different role, assistant coach at the Bill Self Basketball Fantasy Camp. I am the only woman, with 48 men, participating. I am given a bag of coaching gear complete with whistle. Coach Self has won eight straight Big 12 Championships and is one of four coaches in NCAA Division I history to have led three different teams to the Elite Eight. I have accepted this fantasy camp invitation to learn from one of the best coaches in the country. I hope it will make me be better at my job. But, in the end, I learn much more.

…Our record is 3-0. We are getting some respect from the other campers. Self stops talking trash.

Next, we sit down with Self for an in-depth film session, breaking down a Missouri-Kansas game from this year, play by play. Self has the clicker and stops the tape to tell us what play or defense Kansas was running, who was supposed to do what, when. Then we see what actually happens. It is fascinating. So many details go unnoticed -- a wrong defensive switch or player out of position changes the entire play. Self remembers it all months later.

That night, Bill Self presents the, "Phog Allen Coach of the Camp" award. I am stunned when he announces my name.

"When she interviews me at half time, I didn't think she knew much about basketball," Self joked. "But she really does. Great job."

I am thrilled. I get a beautiful trophy. I have worked hard and the guys listened to me, treated me like a real coach. This is the most fun I have had in years.
ESPN Holly Rowe


Kansas, Milton Doyle’s dream school, wants the 6-foot-4 Marshall guard in a Jayhawks uniform next season.

The Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World reported Friday on its website (KUsports.com) that Doyle will be attending Kansas on scholarship next season. But according to his mother, Lisa Green, Doyle has one more hurdle to clear.

Green said Doyle has the grades and test scores to be eligible next season, but he’s awaiting approval of two courses he took online because of complications following his transfer from Tilden to Marshall after his sophomore year.

Neither Doyle nor Green spoke to the Journal-World for its report.

“I didn’t want to release anything,” Green said. “I wanted the people in Chicago to have this first. I was waiting on his eligibility because every time I get ready to say something, something else comes up.”

Doyle missed all of his junior season with an injury, so few basketball insiders knew who he was when he committed to then-Florida International coach Isiah Thomas before the 2011-12 season.

Doyle proved to be a coup for FIU with a great senior season -- 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals per game. But he was back on the market when FIU fired Thomas in April after three seasons.

He impressed Bradley’s coaches on a visit to Peoria in late April, but another player accepted the Braves’ remaining scholarship first.

Then Kansas coach Bill Self came calling. Doyle visited Lawrence on May 14 ready to commit.

The offer came and Doyle signed financial aid papers, but Green said the scholarship is pending NCAA clearance.
Chicago Tribune


Milton Doyle, the newest member of KU’s recruiting class of 2012, arrived on KU’s campus Sunday afternoon. His Jayhawker Towers roommate is fellow freshman Tyler Self. Doyle, a 6-4 combo guard from Chicago’s Marshall High, averaged 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals a game his senior season. The second-team Chicago Tribune all-stater is unranked by Rivals.com.
LJW


“Fast,” Cotton said, asked to describe Doyle, who averaged 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals a game his senior season.

“Dunks, crossing over, breaking (players) down, pulling up. I’ve seen him do it all,” Cotton added in a Saturday phone conversation with the Journal-World. “He can shoot the three, shoot deep, get to the basket, has a mid-range shot.

“He’s a very good distributor. He can do things ... take over when he needs to, make plays when he needs to.”

Cotton said Doyle’s only weakness is his slight frame, which can improve once he hits the college weight room.

“Once he puts some weight on, a couple pounds, that’ll be it,” Cotton said, noting Doyle played point guard and shooting guard at (24-8) Marshall, where he earned second-team all-state honors. “You put some weight on him and the sky’s the limit.”

Cotton said personality-wise, Doyle is “a quiet kid, a very humble kid. It’s a great fit. They (KU fans) are going to love him there. I’m really excited for him.”
LJW


Kansas University sophomore basketball player Christian Garrett is seeing the world during a memorable spring/summer of 2012.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound walk-on guard from Los Angeles recently spent two weeks in Poland and Germany with former KU guard Jordan Juenemann as a member of Athletes in Action’s college all-star team.

In August, he and the Jayhawks will be heading to Switzerland and Paris to play six exhibition games.

“I’m definitely excited to go back with my teammates and see another part of Europe that I haven’t seen. I think the food will be better where we’re going than Poland and Germany,” Garrett said with a smile.

“Some places were nice. Some not very good at all. That’s how it is,” he added of restaurants overseas. “It’s definitely fun to travel, but it makes you appreciate America more. The United States is so special. Traveling makes you appreciate it.”

The Athletes in Action squad, which was coached by Baylor assistant Tim Maloney, went 6-0 on its trip against pro teams in Germany and Poland’s national team.

“We won every game by 40 (points) at least,” Garrett said. “We did really well. It was really fun. I was backing up Brady Heslip of Baylor at point guard. He’s a really good player. I got a lot of assists, which was good. I did fine. I played my role.”
LJW


Kansas Athletics has announced times and ticket information for the Kansas Jayhawks basketball games in Switzerland and France during the team’s European tour later this summer. Admission to the two games in Switzerland is free but tickets will be available for purchase at the door for the two games in France.   

All of KU’s games will occur in the evening, with a match-up against the Swiss National Team starting the four-game exhibition slate on August 7 at Fribourg Olympic Arena at 7 p.m. The Jayhawks will play the Swiss again on August 8 at 5 p.m. Both games are free to the public and space is limited to the first 2,000 fans.

Kansas then travels to Paris where it will match-up with a French club team at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 11, and again at 8 p.m. on Sunday, August 12 at Halle Georges Carpentier. Tickets will be available at the door the day of the event for 10 euro (or roughly $12.50), and are limited to the first 4,000 fans.

Anthony Travel will have seats blocked off in both arenas for those that have booked the tour with Kansas Athletics. The 8 p.m. start on Sunday is to allow everyone to watch the Olympic Gold Medal game at 4 p.m.

Ticket inquiries should be directed to Anthony Travel via email at International@AnthonyTravel.com or through its website at www.AnthonyTravel.com/Kansas.

• August 7th – Fribourg Olympic Arena – 7 p.m. – Fribourg, Switzerland
• August 8th – Fribourg Olympic Arena – 5 p.m. – Fribourg, Switzerland
• August 11th – Halle Georges Carpentier – 7 p.m. – Paris, France
• August 12th – Halle Georges Carpentier – 8 p.m. – Paris, France
http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/061412aaa.html


Russell Robinson, who has played professional basketball in Spain and Turkey the past two seasons after a stint in the NBA Developmental League, says he’s thoroughly enjoyed competing overseas.

“The money is good. The competition’s good everywhere in Europe,” said Robinson, starting point guard on Kansas University’s 2008 NCAA championship team.

There’s been one huge drawback to earning six-figure paychecks, however.

“I miss home. That’s the biggest thing,” said Robinson, a 26-year-old native of New York. “I get away and enjoy it a little bit, but then I get homesick.”

The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder returned from a six-month stay in Trabzon, Turkey in mid-May. He spent a few weeks with family members in New York, before heading to Lawrence on Thursday for the Rock Chalk Roundball Classic charity basketball game — one in which he scored 21 points off 7-of-17 shooting. He hit five threes.

“I’ll be here two weeks. I booked a one-way flight here. Maybe I’ll stay longer,” said Robinson, who plans on working out with KU’s current players, who are in town for summer school.

“I love to come back any chance I get. It’s always good to be around some love. With KU fans, you feel a lot of love,” Robinson added.
LJW

Continuing our NBA Pre-Draft Tour, the next destination to stop at was Houston, TX, to see what John Lucas Enterprises had to offer. Along with right-hand man Brian Merritt, Lucas offered an incredibly strong group of potential draftees, starting with Kansas point guard Tyshawn Taylor.

Fresh off of taking KU to the title game against Kentucky two months ago, Taylor wrapped up an outstanding college career with his most productive season by far. His averages of 17 points and 5 assists per game while running point supplanted him on NBA Draft boards as a guy who’s going to get looks in the late first round with his package of size, speed and athleticism. More of a combo guard by nature, it’s been a learning process for the Jersey native in his time in Houston with Coach Lucas.

“I’ve really been working on my decision making,” Taylor admitted to SLAMonline. “I’m really becoming more consistent from NBA three-point range and am becoming more comfortable as a playmaker.”
SLAM


6/15/12 12:43 AM
Mario Chalmers on facing fellow @KU_Hoops Jayhawk Nick Collison: "It means another ring is going back Kansas. We both love Kansas to death"
Shane Ewing (@ShaneEwing)



In Game 2 on Thursday, Bosh yelled at Chalmers because “he thought I was somewhere I wasn’t” on defense. “I was explaining I was there in a unique way. Our opinions, it’s not always going to come out the right way.”

But why is Chalmers seemingly the only one subjected to public floggings?

“It comes with being a young guy,” Bosh said. “He’s Mario. It has always been that way since the team came together. It’s a little brother mentality. We stay on him because we want him to be better.”

Wade said “if he couldn’t take it, we wouldn’t do it.”

When did Wade decide he could talk harshly to Chalmers?

“After his rookie year,” Wade said. “Rookie year, with him, Deaquan [ Cook] and [ Michael] Beasley. Oh my God! It was tough. Once Daequan and Beasley weren’t around, he came and said, ‘I know I’ve got a lot to learn. I want you to teach me. I want you to be honest with me.’ He said it every year. When you give us that green light, we’re going to use it every now and then.”

When Chalmers spoke back to James during a playoff game at Madison Square Garden, Juwan Howard started laughing. “I don’t really hear when Rio responds,” James cracked.

Wade said that particular exchange “kept going for a long time and I thought LeBron was holding on to it too long, and I was like, ‘Hey, squash it.’ I went to Rio and said, ‘It’s over with. Move on.’”

Wade added: “I like when we talk to Rio and he fires back. … Not saying anybody is going to listen. One day, I’m not going to be playing with him. We don’t know if LeBron is going to be playing with him. One day, he’s going to lead other guys. We’re teaching him.”
Miami Herald


Kansas 2012-13 Schedule

An in-depth Journal-World study of Big 12 athletics, including the incoming and outgoing teams this year, found widespread clustering — defined by researchers as 25 percent of a team sharing one major — in men’s basketball and football programs.

Some of the more significant cases of clustering found in the study include:

Baylor football team: 51 percent of players major in general studies, compared with just 1 percent of all other undergraduates.

Texas A&M: 37 percent of the men’s basketball players and football players major in agricultural leadership and development, compared with less than 1 percent of nonathletes.

Iowa State: Seven of 11 men’s basketball players majored in liberal studies.

The study also examined the majors of all Kansas University athletics teams. In the last season, student athletes’ majors appear fairly distributed at KU.

But a closer look at the KU men’s basketball team through the years tells a different story.

Between 2004 and 2012, 43 players who’ve indicated a major in media guides have passed through the KU men’s program. Of those, 61 percent have majored in communications, African and African-American studies, or American studies.

Think of the best players to come through Lawrence over the past few years, and there’s a good chance they majored in one of those three.

Mario Chalmers, TyShawn Taylor, Sherron Collins? All African and African-American studies majors.

Brandon Rush, Cole Aldrich, Julian Wright? Communications majors.

Thomas Robinson and the Morris twins? American studies.

Of the 17 KU players since 2004 who have been drafted or signed by an NBA team, 13 have majored in those same three majors.

Those majors were disproportionately high among basketball players compared with the total undergraduate student body, as well as among KU student athletes.

Such clustering, though, is not against any NCAA regulations, and it’s not even clear whether, or how, the NCAA monitors clustering.

So what’s the problem?

…What about Texas A&M, with 37 percent of football and basketball players majoring in agricultural leadership and development?

According to the school’s website, the program is designed for those who plan to venture into the world of crops and farming. In Texas, that makes sense.

But many of the basketball players who choose that major come from places associated with anything but agriculture.

There’s guard Dash Harris, from Los Angeles; forward David Loubeau, from Miami; and guard Naji Hibbert, from Baltimore.

Representatives from Texas A&M declined an interview request, but did provide an email statement.

“There are a number of agriculture majors who are doing well in their respective fields and careers. The variety of these degree paths provide many options for our students, as well as our student athletes,” said John Thornton, interim director of athletics, in the statement. “It is not the specific degree that makes the student, but it is what the student does with that degree.”
LJW


Alex Etherington, a 6-foot-6 small forward from Hamilton Heights High in Arcadia, Ind., gave an oral commitment Sunday to Kansas State.

Etherington, who became K-State’s first commitment in its 2013 recruiting class, is lucky to be playing basketball at all. As a sophomore, he suffered a concussion in February last year after being undercut on a breakaway dunk and was temporarily paralyzed.

“I was scared,” he told the Topeka Capital-Journal. “I’ve never been that scared in my life.”

His recuperation kept him out until July and off the AAU circuit for part of last summer.
KC Star


The Arizona Board of Regents on Friday approved an extension of Arizona head men's basketball coach Sean Miller's contract through the 2016-17 season.
Wire


2012-13 Early Season Events List

Following four sessions featuring 28 of the nation’s top prep players age 17-and-under (born on or after Jan. 1, 1995) at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., 14 finalists for the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team were announced today.

Headlined by 2011 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year Jabari Parker (Simeon Career Academy / Chicago, Ill.), the list features eight athletes who won a gold medal at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and one who was on the 2011 USA Basketball 3x3 Youth World Championship Team.

Named as finalists for the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team were: Beejay Anya (DeMatha Catholic H.S. / Gaithersburg, Md.); Joel Berry (Lake Highland Prep School / Apopka, Fla.); Dominique Collier (Denver East H.S. / Denver, Colo.); Stephen Domingo (Saint Ignatius Prep / San Francisco, Calif.); Conner Frankamp (Wichita North H.S. / Wichita, Kan.); Rondaé Jefferson (Chester H.S. / Chester, Pa.); Dakari Johnson (Montverde Academy, Fla. / Brooklyn, N.Y.); Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei H.S. / Fullerton, Calif.); Tyus Jones (Apple Valley H.S. / Apple Valley, Minn.); Kendrick Nunn (Simeon Career Academy / Chicago, Ill.); Jahlil Okafor (Whitney Young H.S. / Chicago, Ill.); Parker; Johnathan Williams (Southwind H.S. / Memphis, Tenn.); and Justise Winslow (St. John’s School / Houston, Texas).

“Of the four years I’ve been involved with the USA Developmental National Team, I think this has been by far the most competitive camp,” said Don Showalter, USA and Iowa City High School head coach. “Players came in in great shape. They came in with the idea that they’re going to show what they can do. You look at the roster and you see we have six new faces from last year’s U16 team. That just shows you that some of the guys who didn’t make the team last year used that for motivation to improve their game in order to make this team.

“We still have 14 because there’s still some question about players fitting in, who best fits for international competition. We’re going to take a look at that over the next two or three days. It also makes for a great practice situation with 14 guys, because we have some who are banged up a little big. So, we have two extra guys for practice, which will be a help.”
USA Basketball
http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u17/12_mu17_finalists.html


One of the 12 holdovers from the 2011 USA U16 team is Conner Frankamp (Wichita North H.S./Wichita, Kan.), who averaged 8.6 points per game in Cancun, including a game-high 22 points in a 118-46 triumph over Costa Rica to close preliminary play.
USA Basketball


6/17/12 6:05 PM
Love Conner Frankamp's intelligence and shooting ability. Pure stroke and solid all around player in general.
Jerry Meyer (@3starmeyer)

Brannen Greene shined at #top100camp #allstar #Kansas a perfect fit. Favorite thing hanging with family @b_greene14 pic.twitter.com/VVoCgUhW
https://twitter.com/TMcCormickESPN/status/214362119255228416

The other point guard on display at the NBPA Camp that has an offer from Virginia is Anthony Barber.  Barber is from Hampton.   He has offers from Virginia, Virginia Tech, Connecticut and Kansas to name a few.  He's rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals.  Barber recently called Duke his dream school, but he hasn't gotten an offer from the Blue Devils yet.

Both point guards are just tying to showcase their skills.

Barber says, "I think I played good. We played as a team. I came out, and got my teammates going, and then when it was my time to score, I was scoring. Coach told me, he said he heard about me a lot. He said he knew when it was down to the wire, it's my time to go. He told me to get to the bucket, so that's what I did."
http://www.nbc29.com/story/18793111/uva-recruits-showcase-skills-at-nbpa-top-100-camp


Anthony Barber, a 6-1 guard from Hampton, Va., scored 37 points in the first three games here. Only two players averaged more points. Only 11 others averaged double-digit points.

UK coaches called his father to touch base two weeks ago, Barber said.


...Wayne Selden, a standout guard prospect, has not heard from UK for a while.

"I'm not sure where that stands," he said. "It is what it is."

If UK has a greater interest in twins Andrew and Aaron Harrison, Selden will look elsewhere.

"They're good players," he said of the Harrisons. "I can't see myself going there if they go there. I'm just saying."

Selden, who sounded sure he will be reclassified from the class of 2014 to 2013, listed Florida, Ohio State and UCLA as three programs "for sure" as college possibilities.

A native of Boston, Selden also listed Harvard as a possibility.

"I work out in their gym a lot," he said. "It's just down the street."
Lex HL


Just like he started it, Anthony Barber finished camp as the best point guard in attendance. The 6-foot-2 jitterbug from Hampton (Va.) has solidified himself as the No.3-ranked point guard in the class of 2013 behind Andrew Harrison and Kasey Hill. Barber will next take an unofficial visit to Alabama.
Rivals


The premier event for high school basketball players is taking place this week at U.Va., but it's more than just a chance for them to show their skills.

The NBA Players Association runs the Top 100 Camp, five days filled with basketball, but also off-the-court development for players, parents and coaches.

…The state's best player, Hampton's Anthony Barber, won't play for the Cavaliers. His college finalists are Alabama and Kansas.
Richmond Times Dispatch


Jordan Mickey of Grace Prep in Arlington (TX) is one of the better frontcourt prospects in the nation in the class of 2013.

A 6-foot-7, 215-pound power forward, Mickey is a long and athletic player with some major upside. It is clear that colleges agree that the Texan is a talented prospect, as he is being looked at by schools across the country.

On Friday at the NBPA Top 100 High School Basketball Camp, Mickey said he holds scholarship offers from Louisville, Ohio State, West Virginia, Providence, Kansas, Texas, Florida State, Texas A&M, and Missouri. Additionally, he mentioned that he is receiving interest from Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina.

Mickey has gone on a recent visit spree, taking trips to Louisville, Ohio State, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

…With Friday being the first day that coaches could text players, Mickey said he received messages from coaches at Louisville, Alabama and LSU. It was Alabama head coach Anthony Grant who was the first to send him a text, doing so right at midnight.

Of what Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said in his text message, Mickey remarked, “Said he was happy to have me on campus when I came and he [will see me in] July.”

As aforementioned, Mickey also recently took a visit to Louisville’s archrival, Kentucky. He shared his thoughts on UK head coach John Calipari from while he was on the trip.

“He was excited to have me on campus to look around [and he was] . . . proud of all the things that he accomplished,” Mickey said.

The Lone Star State prospect also touched on the head coach of the team that Kentucky beat to win the 2012 national championship, Kansas.

“Coach [Bill] Self, I like his attitude and I like what he stands for,” Mickey said, adding, “[He] wants to win.”
NBE Basketball


A tired basketball cliché has the teacher noticing a big kid walking a school hallway and figuring anyone that size should play the sport. The teacher encourages the kid to try out for the team. Pituitary typecasting produces a diamond-in-the-rough story.

That scenario fits Cliff Alexander, a player whose rapid rise in youth basketball put him in Charlottesville, Va., last week for the Top 100 Camp.

Three years ago, Alexander was the kid walking down a school hallway. Basketball meant little to this eighth-grader.

"I just wasn't interested," he said last week. "I was more a football guy."

…Recruiting analysts say Michigan State is the school to beat for Alexander. When asked for the schools on his list, he mentioned Michigan State first, then added Indiana, Illinois, DePaul, Tennessee, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisville, Florida State, Providence and Kansas.
Lex HL


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