Jayhawks in the Pros (NBA Edition)
Nov. 22, 2010
Cole Aldrich
Center Cole Aldrich, who played at KU from 2008-10, is in his first season with the Oklahoma City Thunder after being traded on Draft Day this summer. Aldrich did not play for the Thunder last week after being placed on the inactive list. He has played in five games this season and is averaging 1.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest. Aldrich was originally drafted by the New Orleans Hornets with the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft, but was traded to Oklahoma City.
Darrell Arthur
Forward Darrell Arthur, who played at KU from 2007-08, is in his third season with the Memphis Grizzlies. Arthur played in all four games for the Grizzlies last week, highlighted by a 14-point, six rebound performance against Miami on Nov. 20. Arthur is averaging 9.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game this season. In his two professional seasons, he has averaged 5.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while appearing in 108 contests for the Grizzlies. Arthur was selected by Memphis with the 27th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.
Mario Chalmers
Guard Mario Chalmers, who played at KU from 2006-08, is in his third season with the Miami Heat. Chalmers, now fully recovered from his ankle sprain, played in three games for the Heat last week. Chalmers is competing for the starting spot with guard Carlos Arroyo. Chalmers is averaging 1.1 points and 0.4 assists on the season while playing limited minutes for the Heat. In two seasons with Miami, the former Jayhawk has averaged 8.2 points and 4.0 assists per game, while playing in 164 games. Chalmers was drafted by the Heat in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft.
Sherron Collins
Guard Sherron Collins, who played at KU from 2006-10, is in his first season with the Charlotte Bobcats. Collins played in all three games for the Bobcats last week, getting an assist in each game. Collins looks to work his way up in the depth chart where is currently third among point guards behind D.J. Augustin and Shaun Livingston. He has played in eight games this season, seeing the floor for 25 minutes. Collins was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Bobcats this summer.
Nick Collison
Forward-center Nick Collison, who played at KU from 2000-03, is in his seventh season in the NBA, and his third with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Collison played in all four games for the Thunder last week, in which he saw increased minutes as the week progressed, including 35 in an 82-81 win over Milwaukee on Nov. 20. Collison is averaging 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.4 assists on the season. In his six seasons in the league, Collison has averaged 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He was the 12th overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics.
Drew Gooden
Forward Drew Gooden, who played at KU from 2000-02, is in his ninth season in the NBA and first with the Milwaukee Bucks. Gooden looks to find his stride after starting all three games for the Bucks last week and producing double-digit scoring each night. Gooden had double-doubles against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 16 (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Oklahoma City on Nov. 20 (16 points, 16 rebounds), bringing his season averages to 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists. In eight NBA seasons, Gooden has played for seven teams and has averaged 11.9 points and 7.9 rebounds. He was the fourth overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Xavier Henry
Guard Xavier Henry, who played at KU during the 2009-10 season, is a rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies this year. Henry saw playing time in all four games for the Grizzlies last week, including his first career start against Miami on Nov. 20, scoring six points and adding three assists in a 97-95 win. Henry is averaging 14.4 minutes, 5.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game on the season. He was the 12th overall pick of this summer’s NBA Draft by the Grizzlies.
Kirk Hinrich
Guard Kirk Hinrich, who played at KU from 2000-03, is in his eighth NBA season overall and first season with the Washington Wizards. Hinrich played the first seven years of his pro career with the Chicago Bulls. Hinrich started all four games for the Wizards last week, highlighted by a game-high 12 assists in a 109-94 win against Toronto last Tuesday. He brought his season averages to 36.8 minutes, 12.1 points, 5.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game on the season. In his first eight NBA seasons, Hinrich averaged 13.4 points and 5.8 assists per game, along with 1.2 steals per contest. The former Kansas guard was the seventh overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Darnell Jackson
Forward Darnell Jackson, who played at KU from 2005-08, is in his third NBA season and first with the Sacramento Kings. Jackson played in two games for the Kings last week bringing his season averages to 4.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. In two NBA seasons, Jackson has averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game, while appearing in 79 contests. Jackson was a second round selection by the Miami Heat in the 2008 NBA Draft, but was traded to Cleveland Cavaliers shortly after the draft.
Paul Pierce
Forward Paul Pierce, who played at KU from 1996-98, is in his 13th season with the Boston Celtics. The former NBA Finals MVP started all three games for the Celtics last week, including a 114-83 win against Washington on Wednesday, where he scored a game high 23 points. Pierce brought his season averages to 20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. In his 12 NBA seasons, Pierce has averaged 22.5 points, 6.1 boards and 3.8 assists per game, played in eight All-Star games and made two appearances in the NBA Finals (2008 and 2010). Pierce was the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Celtics.
Brandon Rush
Guard Brandon Rush, who played at KU from 2006-08, is in his third season with the Indiana Pacers. Rush played in all three games for the Pacers last week, including his first start of the season on Nov. 19 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Rush scored 14 points on the night. He also recorded five rebounds and five blocks in the 107-80 victory over the Clippers. Rush is now averaging 9.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists on the season. He has averaged 8.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in his first two NBA seasons. Rush was originally drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 13th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft before being traded to Indiana.
Julian Wright
Forward Julian Wright, who played at KU from 2006-07, is in his fourth NBA season and first with the Toronto Raptors. Wright saw playing time in one game for the Raptors last week. He played 10 minutes, scored two points and grabbed two rebounds in a 109-94 loss to Washington on Nov. 16. Wright is averaging 4.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game for the Raptors this season. In three previous seasons with the New Orleans Hornets, Wright averaged 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, while appearing in 179 contests. He was originally drafted by New Orleans with the 13th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft following his sophomore year at KU.
