Photo Gallery

2007 Late Night in the Phog

Photo Gallery

KU Men's Basketball Media Day 2007

Witherspoon is safe: Kansas University will hold walk-on tryouts on Sunday night. The burning question: Will senior Brad Witherspoon have to try out?

"If I do, they haven't told me," the Humboldt senior said. "They might tell me the night before. I'll be ready."

No need. KU coach Bill Self said Friday that Witherspoon will have a spot on the 2007-08 squad. KU has 17 players, including five walk-ons, meaning it is highly unlikely KU will add anybody from the tryouts.

¢ Injury report: KU coach Self, who looks to be in pretty good shape, reports he broke a bone in his lower leg in July.

"It healed on its own. I'm 100 percent," the coach said with a smile.

¢ Mop top: Sasha Kaun is sporting a huge mop of hair.

"You mean 'Screech?'" Self said with a smile, referring to the character on the TV series "Saved By the Bell," who had a similar mop top.

"I like it. I told him not to cut it. He'll be like a wild man out there. He could have been star on 'Saved By the Bell,' but that was before his time," Self added.

Of the hair, Kaun said: "I used to have long hair back in the day. It was a summer thing, and it got long. I may not leave it all, but longer than it was last year."

¢ Boxing fanatics: Rodrick Stewart, who is a lean 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, said he lost 20 pounds this summer.

He ate well, worked out and also credited a boxing regimen. He boxed at the community building and also boxed the first few weeks of the semester at KU under the supervision of Haskell's boxing coach, Erik Riley.

Interested Jayhawks "boxed" twice a week in 8 a.m. sessions. No punches were landed except on pads held by the players.

"It's really helped shape my body up," Stewart said.

Noted 6-3, 187-pound Brady Morningstar: "It's fun to do and gets you in shape. It's good for hand-eye coordination, quickness with your hands, footwork, toughness. I've got more respect for boxers now. If I'm in there a minute I get dog tired, and they are in there three minutes per round, full speed. It's harder than it looks on TV."

¢ Recruits: Twins Marcus and Markieff Morris, a pair of forwards from Philadelphia, attended Late Night in the Phog. Marcus is 6-7, 215 pounds, and Rivals.com's No. 37-rated player. Markieff is 6-8, 225, and rated 74th. They are considering KU, Villanova and St. John's ... Travis Releford, a 6-5 guard from Roeland Park Miege who has orally committed to KU, also attended, as did a pair of juniors: Jeff Reid, 6-5, Topeka Hayden, and Michael Dixon, 6-0, Lee's Summit (Mo.) High.

¢ First in line: Mark and Aaron Goewey, high school seniors from Peoria, Ill., were the first in line for Late Night. They arrived by car at 1:30 a.m. Friday, and, after seeing nobody else in line, slept in their vehicle until about 3:30.

"We've seen 100 games on TV but wanted to come and witness it in person," Aaron said. "After watching all these games and now to actually be in the fieldhouse, it's amazing."

¢ Reed in heaven: KU freshman Tyrel Reed was pleased to be performing at his first Late Night after attending several as a youngster growing up in Burlington.

"Oh, too many to count, six, seven, eight probably," Reed said, asked how many Late Nights he has attended.

"I enjoyed it every time I went. All the hype that surrounds KU basketball, it's fun."

Sophomore Morningstar, who grew up in Lawrence, also attended numerous Late Nights.

"As a kid I enjoyed it, I really did," he said. "Man ... I remember Pollard, Pierce, Vaughn, Raef ... all those guys. I watched some real good teams."