Jayhawks in the Pros (NBA Edition - Regular Season #6)
Dec. 6, 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 Tulsa 66ers, Oklahoma City’s developmental team. He has played in five games for the Thunder 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 two games for the Grizzlies last week, scoring eight points against Denver last night and seven with four rebounds against Houston on Friday. Arthur is averaging 9.2 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, is starting to see increased minutes, playing in all four games for the Heat last week. Chalmers had a game-high six assists in a 97-72 win over Detroit last Tuesday. Chalmers is averaging 3.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.3 rebounds on the season. 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 one game for the Bobcats last week, scoring three points in two minutes against Philadelphia. Collins looks to work his way up in the depth chart where is currently third behind point guards D.J. Augustin and Shaun Livingston. He has played in 12 games this season, seeing the floor for 29 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, fresh off a new contract extension, played in three games for the Thunder last week, scoring eight points in 21 minutes against the Toronto Raptors. Collison is averaging 4.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.3 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 played just 10 minutes for the Bucks last Tuesday in a game against Orlando, while battling a foot injury. Gooden is averaging 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists on the season. 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 started all four games for the Grizzlies last week, setting a career high of 17 points in 27 minutes at Denver in a 108-107 loss last night. Henry was 8-of-12 from the field, and added three assists against the Nuggets. Henry is averaging 6.4 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.7 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, including a 15-point, five assist performance in Toronto on Dec. 1. He brought his season averages to 10.6 points, 4.8 assists and 2.8 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 six minutes in two games for the Kings last week bringing his season averages to 3.4 points and 1.9 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 four games for the Celtics last week, including a game-high 28 points in a 99-95 win over Portland on Dec. 1. Pierce also added seven rebounds and two assists against the Trail Blazers. Pierce is now averaging 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on the season. 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 a 21-point scoring performance on Dec. 3 at Phoenix. He also recorded four rebounds and an assist in the 105-97 loss to the Suns. Rush is now averaging 11.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 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 limited minutes in two games for the Raptors last week. He is averaging 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.9 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.
