Kansas point guard Kirk Hinrich is putting up all-Big 12, if not All-America type numbers, at the start of his sophomore season.
“I’ve been knocking on wood a lot lately,” Hinrich said with a grin after dishing eight assists against two turnovers in Thursday’s 80-61 victory over Illinois State at Allen Fieldhouse.
He’s so far avoided the sophomore jinx, averaging 11.6 points, 8.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game for 7-0 KU.
“Kirk is the glue. He holds everything together,” KU senior Eric Chenowith said.
“He thinks pass first and shot second, which is the best quality you can have in a point guard. He’s shooting great and doing a great job leading our team.”
Hinrich is shooting the lights out.
The 6-foot-3 native of Sioux City, Iowa has hit 14 of 20 three-pointers for an unheard-of 70 percent. Overall, he’s canned 22 of 36 shots for 61.1 percent and 23 of 27 free throws for 85.2 percent.
Not bad for a guy who hit 42.9 percent of his shots and 31.3 percent of his threes a year ago.
“Last year, the rap on me around the country was I could not shoot the ball,” Hinrich said. “I feel in the right situations I can shoot the ball.
“I’m shooting it good. I’ve been taking good shots. I’ve been wide open,” noted Hinrich.
“Our whole team has not really been guarded yet. When one team really guards us, that’s when we’ll find out how good we’ll be.”
Hinrich sizzled, hitting 11 of 14 three-pointers for 78.6 percent, in KU’s just-completed homestand against North Dakota, Boise State, Washburn, Middle Tennessee State and Illinois State.
Overall he made 16 of 26 shots for 61.5 percent. He also had 43 assists against 17 turnovers in five blowout victories.
Overall he has 57 assists against 23 turnovers and is on pace to top Jacque Vaughn’s school-record mark of 7.7 assists per game, set in 1995.
“Dick Vitale picked him as a Super Soph, and I think he deserves that,” Chenowith said.
The bad news is KU senior Kenny Gregory, who has complained of a sore right foot for about a week now, has a stress fracture in that right foot. The good news is he isn’t expected to miss any games.
X-rays showed the fracture is in a joint, as opposed to a bone, meaning no surgery or immobilization of the foot is planned, KU officials said Friday.
Gregory, who dressed for practice Friday with his shoes fully laced, will sit out this weekend’s practices and rest the foot since KU doesn’t play again until 6:05 p.m. Thursday at Wake Forest.
Freshman guard Mario Kinsey, who played 11 minutes against Illinois State just nine days after surgery to repair anterior compartment syndrome in his left leg, did not practice Friday. He’s expected to play at Wake Forest. Senior Luke Axtell, who stepped on a teammate’s foot during Thursday’s game, re-tweaking his sprained left ankle, practiced Friday.
Wake Forest, 5-0, will play host to South Carolina State at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
MORE:www.kusports.com
