No lavish press conferences have been scheduled for today’s signings of Moulaye Niang and Jeff Graves to Kansas University basketball letters of intent.
“It’s a different world out here. High school athletics is pretty much ignored in the media with so much else going on,” Curtis Hofmeister, Niang’s coach at Christian High in El Cajon, Calif., said Tuesday, the eve of the week-long fall signing period.
“There won’t be any huge fanfare. We won’t do anything spectacular. He’ll sign the letter at home and bring it to school and we’ll send it out from here.”
Niang, a 6-9, 205-pound senior forward/center, recently orally committed to KU over San Diego State, UConn and others after averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds his junior season.
“He’ll do well. He’s clearly our best (player),” said Hofmeister, who has run his team through two season-opening practices. “Primarily he’ll play inside, but we’ll give him some freedom too. We’ll trust him with the ball inside and out.”
Meanwhile, Graves, a 6-foot-9, 262-pound sophomore at Iowa Western Community College, today will sign the letter in Council Bluffs, Iowa, then send it to his mother in Lee’s Summit, Mo. She’ll sign the letter and ship it to KU.
“There was great anticipation where he’d go. He’s made the decision and just wants to get on with the season, have a great year then go to KU,” Graves’ mother, Linda, said of her son, who averaged 12 points and 10 boards last year.
Graves chose KU over Illinois, Missouri, Long Beach State and Louisville.
Graves had arthroscopic knee surgery on Nov. 2 to repair a small tear in his right meniscus. He will miss another 10 days as he rehabilitates the injury.
“It’s not a bad injury, no cartilage, no tendons (torn),” Linda Graves said. “If you have to have surgery this is the one to have.
“He had the procedure at 8 a.m. and walked out of the hospital. The surgeon initially said one to three weeks. Everybody there was hoping for one week, but you don’t want to take any chances. You are cautious with something like this.”
Graves’ brother, Robbie, still plans to try out for KU’s team next fall at KU walk-on tryouts.
Robbie Graves, a 6-2, 205-pound former UMKC guard, averaged 8.5 points a game his freshman season in college after scoring 18.6 points his senior year at Lee’s Summit (Mo.) High School. He scored in double figures 14 times his sophomore season, then injured his left knee in the summer and had surgery to reattach the patella tendon.
Graves missed all of last season at UMKC and is now at Penn Valley CC trying to attain his associates degree in arts. He needs the degree to be eligible at KU next year.
“There’s nothing official. He has to complete his work (academically) and go through the rigors of tryouts (at KU),” Linda Graves said. “He’s doing fine, working hard to complete the two-year degree which the NCAA requires.”
KU has four scholarships to give during the school year. The current signing period lasts today through next Wednesday. The next signing period is in April.
No lavish press conferences have been scheduled for today’s signings of Moulaye Niang and Jeff Graves to Kansas University basketball letters of intent.
“It’s a different world out here. High school athletics is pretty much ignored in the media with so much else going on,” Curtis Hofmeister, Niang’s coach at Christian High in El Cajon, Calif., said Tuesday, the eve of the week-long fall signing period.
“There won’t be any huge fanfare. We won’t do anything spectacular. He’ll sign the letter at home and bring it to school and we’ll send it out from here.”
Niang, a 6-9, 205-pound senior forward/center, recently orally committed to KU over San Diego State, UConn and others after averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds his junior season.
“He’ll do well. He’s clearly our best (player),” said Hofmeister, who has run his team through two season-opening practices. “Primarily he’ll play inside, but we’ll give him some freedom too. We’ll trust him with the ball inside and out.”
Meanwhile, Graves, a 6-foot-9, 262-pound sophomore at Iowa Western Community College, today will sign the letter in Council Bluffs, Iowa, then send it to his mother in Lee’s Summit, Mo. She’ll sign the letter and ship it to KU.
“There was great anticipation where he’d go. He’s made the decision and just wants to get on with the season, have a great year then go to KU,” Graves’ mother, Linda, said of her son, who averaged 12 points and 10 boards last year.
Graves chose KU over Illinois, Missouri, Long Beach State and Louisville.
Graves had arthroscopic knee surgery on Nov. 2 to repair a small tear in his right meniscus. He will miss another 10 days as he rehabilitates the injury.
“It’s not a bad injury, no cartilage, no tendons (torn),” Linda Graves said. “If you have to have surgery this is the one to have.
“He had the procedure at 8 a.m. and walked out of the hospital. The surgeon initially said one to three weeks. Everybody there was hoping for one week, but you don’t want to take any chances. You are cautious with something like this.”
Graves’ brother, Robbie, still plans to try out for KU’s team next fall at KU walk-on tryouts.
Robbie Graves, a 6-2, 205-pound former UMKC guard, averaged 8.5 points a game his freshman season in college after scoring 18.6 points his senior year at Lee’s Summit (Mo.) High School. He scored in double figures 14 times his sophomore season, then injured his left knee in the summer and had surgery to reattach the patella tendon.
Graves missed all of last season at UMKC and is now at Penn Valley CC trying to attain his associates degree in arts. He needs the degree to be eligible at KU next year.
“There’s nothing official. He has to complete his work (academically) and go through the rigors of tryouts (at KU),” Linda Graves said. “He’s doing fine, working hard to complete the two-year degree which the NCAA requires.”
KU has four scholarships to give during the school year. The current signing period lasts today through next Wednesday. The next signing period is in April.
No lavish press conferences have been scheduled for today’s signings of Moulaye Niang and Jeff Graves to Kansas University basketball letters of intent.
“It’s a different world out here. High school athletics is pretty much ignored in the media with so much else going on,” Curtis Hofmeister, Niang’s coach at Christian High in El Cajon, Calif., said Tuesday, the eve of the week-long fall signing period.
“There won’t be any huge fanfare. We won’t do anything spectacular. He’ll sign the letter at home and bring it to school and we’ll send it out from here.”
Niang, a 6-9, 205-pound senior forward/center, recently orally committed to KU over San Diego State, UConn and others after averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds his junior season.
“He’ll do well. He’s clearly our best (player),” said Hofmeister, who has run his team through two season-opening practices. “Primarily he’ll play inside, but we’ll give him some freedom too. We’ll trust him with the ball inside and out.”
Meanwhile, Graves, a 6-foot-9, 262-pound sophomore at Iowa Western Community College, today will sign the letter in Council Bluffs, Iowa, then send it to his mother in Lee’s Summit, Mo. She’ll sign the letter and ship it to KU.
“There was great anticipation where he’d go. He’s made the decision and just wants to get on with the season, have a great year then go to KU,” Graves’ mother, Linda, said of her son, who averaged 12 points and 10 boards last year.
Graves chose KU over Illinois, Missouri, Long Beach State and Louisville.
Graves had arthroscopic knee surgery on Nov. 2 to repair a small tear in his right meniscus. He will miss another 10 days as he rehabilitates the injury.
“It’s not a bad injury, no cartilage, no tendons (torn),” Linda Graves said. “If you have to have surgery this is the one to have.
“He had the procedure at 8 a.m. and walked out of the hospital. The surgeon initially said one to three weeks. Everybody there was hoping for one week, but you don’t want to take any chances. You are cautious with something like this.”
Graves’ brother, Robbie, still plans to try out for KU’s team next fall at KU walk-on tryouts.
Robbie Graves, a 6-2, 205-pound former UMKC guard, averaged 8.5 points a game his freshman season in college after scoring 18.6 points his senior year at Lee’s Summit (Mo.) High School. He scored in double figures 14 times his sophomore season, then injured his left knee in the summer and had surgery to reattach the patella tendon.
Graves missed all of last season at UMKC and is now at Penn Valley CC trying to attain his associates degree in arts. He needs the degree to be eligible at KU next year.
“There’s nothing official. He has to complete his work (academically) and go through the rigors of tryouts (at KU),” Linda Graves said. “He’s doing fine, working hard to complete the two-year degree which the NCAA requires.”
KU has four scholarships to give during the school year. The current signing period lasts today through next Wednesday. The next signing period is in April.
No lavish press conferences have been scheduled for today’s signings of Moulaye Niang and Jeff Graves to Kansas University basketball letters of intent.
“It’s a different world out here. High school athletics is pretty much ignored in the media with so much else going on,” Curtis Hofmeister, Niang’s coach at Christian High in El Cajon, Calif., said Tuesday, the eve of the week-long fall signing period.
“There won’t be any huge fanfare. We won’t do anything spectacular. He’ll sign the letter at home and bring it to school and we’ll send it out from here.”
Niang, a 6-9, 205-pound senior forward/center, recently orally committed to KU over San Diego State, UConn and others after averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds his junior season.
“He’ll do well. He’s clearly our best (player),” said Hofmeister, who has run his team through two season-opening practices. “Primarily he’ll play inside, but we’ll give him some freedom too. We’ll trust him with the ball inside and out.”
Meanwhile, Graves, a 6-foot-9, 262-pound sophomore at Iowa Western Community College, today will sign the letter in Council Bluffs, Iowa, then send it to his mother in Lee’s Summit, Mo. She’ll sign the letter and ship it to KU.
“There was great anticipation where he’d go. He’s made the decision and just wants to get on with the season, have a great year then go to KU,” Graves’ mother, Linda, said of her son, who averaged 12 points and 10 boards last year.
Graves chose KU over Illinois, Missouri, Long Beach State and Louisville.
Graves had arthroscopic knee surgery on Nov. 2 to repair a small tear in his right meniscus. He will miss another 10 days as he rehabilitates the injury.
“It’s not a bad injury, no cartilage, no tendons (torn),” Linda Graves said. “If you have to have surgery this is the one to have.
“He had the procedure at 8 a.m. and walked out of the hospital. The surgeon initially said one to three weeks. Everybody there was hoping for one week, but you don’t want to take any chances. You are cautious with something like this.”
Graves’ brother, Robbie, still plans to try out for KU’s team next fall at KU walk-on tryouts.
Robbie Graves, a 6-2, 205-pound former UMKC guard, averaged 8.5 points a game his freshman season in college after scoring 18.6 points his senior year at Lee’s Summit (Mo.) High School. He scored in double figures 14 times his sophomore season, then injured his left knee in the summer and had surgery to reattach the patella tendon.
Graves missed all of last season at UMKC and is now at Penn Valley CC trying to attain his associates degree in arts. He needs the degree to be eligible at KU next year.
“There’s nothing official. He has to complete his work (academically) and go through the rigors of tryouts (at KU),” Linda Graves said. “He’s doing fine, working hard to complete the two-year degree which the NCAA requires.”
KU has four scholarships to give during the school year. The current signing period lasts today through next Wednesday. The next signing period is in April.
