Luke Axtell will begin his college basketball comeback with the Big 12 Conference All-Stars.
Axtell, Kansas University’s 6-foot-10 senior guard/forward, who left KU’s team after 20 games last season because of an undisclosed medical condition, is one of 12 players picked to play six games in Austria and Slovakia this August.
“Obviously this is an honor. I’m looking forward not only to the experience of playing basketball on this team, but also the experience of going overseas and seeing some new places,” Axtell said Wednesday.
“I’ve never been overseas. This gives me a great opportunity to play with some of the best players in the conference and also get to know them off the court. This experience will help me prepare for next season, in that it will be a high level of competition. I’ve been playing a lot, though, and I think I’m in playing shape.”
One player from each team will represent the league. Other squad members: Terry Black, Baylor; D.J. Harrison, Colorado; Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa State; Quentin Buchanan, Kansas State; Brian Grawer, Missouri; Cary Cochran, Nebraska; Nolan Johnson, Oklahoma; Andre Williams, Oklahoma State; Chris Owens, Texas; Bernard King, Texas A&M and Cliff Owens, Texas Tech.
Coached by CU’s Ricardo Patton, the team will report to Dallas August 5 and practice for two days prior to a journey overseas August 7. The team will return August 18.
“This is a great opportunity to take the best players in the Big 12 overseas to compete and represent the Big 12 and the U.S.,” Patton said. “We are really looking forward to the experience.”
Yes, Roy Williams will watch the Los Angeles Lakers-Indiana Pacers NBA Finals … if he can locate the games on TV in Scotland site of an upcoming golf trip.
“The coach in me pulls for (Indiana coach) Larry Bird,” Williams said Wednesday on Kansas City radio’s AM Mayhem talk show.
“Larry is a good friend. He has always been nice to me and said good things about me and has talked to me about the pro game. I’d like to see him go out the right way.”
Bird will step down after the season.
“I recruited Rick Fox, who is playing for the Lakers. I recruited Sam Perkins who is playing for the Pacers. Mitch Kupchak and Jerry West (of Lakers front office) are very good friends, probably two of the guys I call to see if there are any questions about any one of our players in regards to the NBA,” Williams explained.
“I do enjoy watching the NBA playoffs, because it’s a long season for them but when it gets to this state, it’s extremely important to them. I think their level of play goes up. I will enjoy watching.”
Williams on UMKC’s firing of popular coach Bob Sundvold:
“I was in Colorado Springs at the Big 12 meetings. Kim Anderson, a former Missouri player and assistant coach told me what happened. I was just shocked. I thought they had improved a great deal this year. They have a young team coming back. I thought things were looking up for Bob.
“I have spoken to Bob. I feel very badly for him. He is a good coach and good person.”
Williams on former KU recruit Travon Bryant, a 6-9 forward from Long Beach, Calif., who signed with Missouri in April:
“We did recruit Travon very hard, very early. In fact we thought we were going to sign him in the early signing period. After we did not sign him in the early period, we did not go out to see him play. I never called Travon from November on. He called our office a couple times.
“Basically after we did not sign him in the fall, I decided if he wanted to come, fine. If not that’s OK, too. We liked what we had.
“He is a really nice young man. He’ll have a very good career at Missouri. He’ll be a heck of a player. To think he is only 16-years-old. He’ll turn 17 after he gets to Missouri. He has a chance to be a big-time basketball player.”
Williams has not asked former KU signee DeShawn Stevenson why his SAT test score jumped 700 points and was ruled invalid by the testing service.
“He took the test in North Carolina because it was a national testing date. He was down there to play in an all-star game. As to why or how the score happened and the reason they did not validate the score, we didn’t discuss that a heck of a lot.
“He had not taken the test since early in his sophomore year. They would not validate it. There’s no doubt in my mind he’d have come to college if he had passed the ACT or SAT first semester,” Williams added.
Luke Axtell is coming back to Kansas.
Axtell, Kansas University’s 6-foot-10, 220-pound junior guard/forward from Austin, Texas, has completely recovered from his undisclosed medical condition and will return to KU his senior year, Axtell’s mother, Mollie Axtell, said late Wednesday night.
Mollie Axtell
“Today was a huge day for us. Needless to say we are a happy family tonight,” Mollie Axtell said, noting Luke phoned KU assistant coach Neil Dougherty with the good news on Wednesday, indicating he’d definitely play for the Jayhawks one final year.
“We are so thrilled and relieved. He’s doing great and is really excited about coming back to KU,” Mollie added.
Luke Axtell called KU’s basketball office just to tell the Jayhawk coaches, “he’s virtually 100 percent and able to return,” Mollie Axtell said.
Luke was phoning from his hometown of Austin, where he’s spent most of the semester. Axtell was granted a medical leave and is fully qualified to play next season, Mollie Axtell said.
“Luke just feels he has regained his health. He doesn’t want to look back. He wants to go on, have a great senior year in basketball and the classroom and go on and play pro ball in that order,” Mollie Axtell said.
Mollie Axtell said she did not wish to disclose Luke’s past medical condition, but said her son indeed has been cured.
“He’s in the best shape of his life,” Mollie said. “The doctors have fully confirmed he’s healthy. He’s been working out with Dave Jamerson, the Houston Rockets’ former (strength) coach. He’s absolutely a different human being than a few months ago.
“The KU fans have never really seen the real Luke. As a freshman they saw him as a baby (playing for Texas). At KU last season he was sick. He was very sick. Now he’s healthy and excited and we’re all so excited, barring any injury he’ll be back at KU 100 percent.”
Mollie said her son would continue working out with the trainer during the summer.
“It’s to keep going and continue improving,” Mollie said. “He said the other day he’s never seen a kid 6-10 with such quick feet.”
There was always the chance Axtell would not recover from his undisclosed medical condition and elect to skip school altogether and merely get on with his life.
That did not happen as Axtell will be back. He averaged 8.7 points on 34.8 percent shooting in 20 games a year ago.
“Neil told him today, ‘Luke we need you in a leadership role next year,’ and Luke was excited to hear that. He wants to be a senior leader,” Mollie said. “He said, ‘I’m ready for that. I want to be involved and be a big part of this team.”‘
On a personal note, Mollie Axtell said she’s been touched to see Luke recover with the help of doctors back in Texas.
“It’s like you are completely getting your son back again,” she said. “He was so dead at Kansas. He’s got that look back. He’s healthy.”
Mollie Axtell said e-mails from KU fans were important.
“I’d see an incredible one and read it to Luke,” Mollie said. “He was so torn up being away from KU he wouldn’t always listen.”
As far as Axtell’s medical leave from school, Mollie said Luke passed a full course load first semester and the reasons for the medical leave were documented by doctors who called the NCAA and received approval for the leave of absence.
“Luke said he would take a couple days off, visit with friends, then come up to KU to get some things settled for next year,” Mollie said. “It’s a happy day for our family. It’s huge it’s unbelievable.”
