Four Jayhawks Honored on NABC All-District 12 Team

March 5, 2008

<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas junior guards Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers were each named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District 12 First team while, sophomore Darrell Arthur and senior Darnell Jackson were second team selections, as the organization released its all-district teams Tuesday.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

This marks the second-straight season Rush has been named to the NABC District 12 First Team. As a freshman Rush was a second-team District 12 member. The other three Jayhawks are appearing on the NABC All-District 12 squad for the first time.

Joining Rush and Chalmers on the first team were Michael Beasley of Kansas State, Blake Griffin of Oklahoma and Aleks Maric of Nebraska. Joining Arthur and Jackson on the second team were Bill Walker of KansasState, Richard Roby of Colorado and Josh Young of Drake.

Rush leads No. 5 Kansas (27-3, 11-3 Big 12) in scoring in conference play with a 13.7 points per game average. Overall, the Kansas City, Mo., guard averages 12.4 points per contest and leads the team with 56 three-pointers. Chalmers leads the Big 12 in steals with 2.34 per game to complement his 12 point scoring average. Besides steals, Anchorage, Alaska, native leads the team in assists with 135 and three-point field goal percentage at 46.7 percent (49-of-105).

Arthur is KU’s leading scorer overall at 13.3 points per game and he also paces the team with 43 blocked shots. The Dallas product is second to Jackson in rebounds with six per contest. Jackson, an Oklahoma City native, averages 6.9 rebounds per contest and scores 12.2 points per game. He has a team-best 64.3 shooting percentage.