Kansas men’s basketball to host celebrations this upcoming season
LAWRENCE, Kan. –Kansas Athletics will host numerous events throughout the 2017-18 season to celebrate 120 years of KU men’s basketball and other Jayhawk basketball milestones.
The first celebration will be for 120 years of Kansas basketball. It will be held Saturday, Feb. 3 when KU hosts Oklahoma State in Allen Fieldhouse. Players, coaches and staff from every era of KU basketball will be recognized during the game; the weekend’s festivities will also celebrate the 30-year anniversary of KU’s 1988 NCAA National Championship team.
Additionally, the 2017-18 season marks the 10th anniversary of the 2008 NCAA National Championship team, which will be honored when KU hosts West Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 17. That weekend, which is also the NBA All-Star Game weekend, KU will retire the jersey of former Jayhawk All-American Cole Aldrich.
Moreover, plans are in place to retire the jersey of 2010 Consensus All-America First-Team selection Sherron Collins on KU’s ESPN Big Monday game against Oklahoma on Feb. 19.
“We celebrate Kansas basketball every five years, and look forward to seeing all the former players and coaches when they come in,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “This year happens to fall on the 10th anniversary of the 2008 team, and it will be great to have those guys back. Cole and Sherron were on that team, and both had outstanding careers and deserve to have their jerseys retired.”
The 2010 Academic All-American of the Year, Aldrich was a three-year letterwinner from 2008-10. The Bloomington, Minnesota, center was a two-time All-America selection, two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Big 12 First-Team honoree. A two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection, Aldrich ended his career No. 3 on the KU career blocked shots list with 253. He also has two of KU’s top five single-season blocked shots records – 125 in 2009-10, which is third, and 95 in 2008-09, which is fifth. Aldrich ended his KU career with 1,038 points; his 57.4 career field goal percentage is the sixth-best in KU history.
Collins was the 2010 Lute Olson National Player of the Year by collegeinsider.com following his senior season. The Chicago guard was the 2010 Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player and a two-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection. He was named to the all-conference squad in each of his four seasons at KU. The 2007-08 Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, Collins ranks fifth on the KU career scoring list with 1,888 points and ninth in assists with 552. Additionally, Collins is fourth on the KU career 3-point field goals made list with 232.
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