Jayhawks in the Pros (NBA Edition - Regular Season #7)
Dec. 13, 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. He has played in five games for the Thunder this season and has averaged 1.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest. Aldrich was sent to the Tulsa 66ers, Oklahoma City’s developmental team, in mid-November in order to receive more playing time. 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 three games last week, which included his second double-double effort of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Phoenix Wednesday. Arthur is averaging 9.0 points, 5.0 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, who missed time earlier this season with an ankle injury, is back to playing significant minutes for the surging Heat. Chalmers recorded eight points, three assists and three rebounds in Miami’s 104-83 triumph at Sacramento on Saturday, marking the team’s eighth-straight victory. Chalmers is averaging 3.6 points, 2.1 assists and 1.4 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. He has played in 12 games this season, seeing the floor for 29 minutes. Collins was sent to the Maine Redclaws, the Bobcats’ affiliate in the NBA Developmental League, last week. Collins has played in two games with the Redclaws and averaged 10.0 points per game, scoring 15 against the Erie Bayhawks on Saturday. 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 still hasn’t seen his minutes increase after missing the entire preseason with an injury. The eighth-year pro is averaging 20.3 minutes per game along with 4.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game this 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 hasn’t played since Dec. 1, missing time with a foot injury. He is averaging 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds 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 played in all three games for the Grizzlies last week, scoring eight points in a 104-98 victory over Phoenix on Wednesday. Henry is averaging 6.0 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in his inagural season with the Grizzlies. 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 three games for the Wizards last week, including an 18-point, five-rebound outing against Sacramento on Wednesday. He brought his season averages to 10.7 points, 4.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game on the year. 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 scored six points last Wednesday against the Washington Wizards to highlight the week. He has played sparingly for Sacramento this season, averaging 10.2 minutes, 3.5 points and 2.3 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 17-point performance against Denver last Wednesday. He matched a season-high with three blocks against Charlotte Saturday. Pierce is now averaging 18.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 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 has come on strong in recent weeks, scoring a career-high 26 points against Toronto last Monday. He has averaged 16.1 points per game in six contests this month. Rush is now averaging 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game for the season. 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 some playing time in all three of Toronto’s games last week, including 17 minutes in Detroit on Saturday, where he scored four points and recorded four steals in the Raptors’ 120-116 win over the Pistons. He is now averaging 3.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in 13 contests this year. 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.
