Kansas Guard Xavier Henry Drafted by Memphis

June 24, 2010

NBA Draft Quotes

NEW YORK –

Kansas freshman guard Xavier Henry has been selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2010 NBA Draft with the 12th overall pick Thursday evening at Madison Square Garden.

Henry becomes the second Jayhawk selected in this year’s draft, and marks the fifth time in Kansas basketball history that multiple players have been chosen in the first round. Earlier in the night, Cole Aldrich was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets.

Henry played one season at Kansas in which the Jayhawks went 33-3, won the Big 12 regular-season title with a 15-1 record, won the Big 12 championship and was ranked No. 1 for 15 weeks during 2009-10.

The Oklahoma City native averaged 13.4 ppg for the season, and was KU’s second-leading scorer. Henry’s 483 points are second on the Kansas freshman scoring list and only trailing KU legend and current assistant coach Danny Manning’s 496 points set in 1985.

Henry was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week three times during the 2009-10 season and led KU in scoring in 11 games. An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection and freshman All-American by many outlets, Henry led Kansas with 54 steals and had a KU freshman-record-tying seven steals against Baylor (Jan. 20). Henry, who was also named to the 2010 Big 12 All-Rookie team, was second on the team with 69 three-point field goals made and hit multiple three-pointers in 21 contests. He finished fifth in the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage at 41.8 percent. He ranked 18th in the Big 12 in scoring at 13.4 ppg, eighth in steals at 1.5 and 13th in three-pointers made at 1.9.

A member of the Athletic Director’s and Big 12 Commissioner’s honor rolls in Fall 2009, Henry had four games of 20-plus points this season, including a career-high 31 points against LaSalle at the M&I Bank Kansas City Shootout at the Sprint Center on Dec. 12.

Senior guard Sherron Collins is still waiting for his name to be called at the 2010 NBA Draft Thursday.