All the high school recruits who said they were going to attend Late Night showed up, including seniors Darrell Arthur (6-foot-9, Dallas South Oak Cliff High) and Sherron Collins (5-11, Chicago Crane).
The two prospects sat next to each other behind KU’s bench.
Others sitting in the same row included juniors Cole Aldrich (6-10, Bloomington, Minn. Jefferson), Lance Storrs (6-4, Decatur, Ga. Columbia) and Gani Lawal (6-8, Norcross, Ga.), as well as freshman Xavier Henry (6-5, Putnam City, Okla).
Seated next to Xavier was his brother, C.J., who orally committed to KU in the spring, but instead signed a baseball contract with the New York Yankees and played in a rookie league this past season.
Seated behind the front row were prospects George Goode (6-8, junior, Raytown, Mo. South), Tyrel Reed (6-2, junior, Burlington) and Travis Releford (6-4, sophomore, Kansas City Central). A 10th recruit showed unexpectedly – Verdell Jones, Jr., a 6-2 sophomore from Champaign, Ill.
The recruits were animated in watching Late Night and were especially attentive during a video of Jayhawks in the NBA.
After watching Kirk Hinrich on the big screen drill a deep NBA three, Collins turned to Arthur, shook his head in amazement and smiled.
KU coach Bill Self has two scholarships remaining for the Class of 2006 after landing Brady Morningstar, a 6-3 guard out of Free State High, now at prep school in New Hampshire.
Several women’s recruits also attended, including seniors Aija Putnina, 6-foot-3 from Regis Jesuit High in Aurora, Colo., and Kelly Kohn, 5-9 from Adrian, Mich. Tyra White, a 5-11 junior from Hickman Mills High in Kansas City, Mo., was on hand, as well as three Jayhawks who have committed orally: Danielle McCray, 6-0, Olathe East; Sade Morris, 6-0, Norman, Okla.; and Lindsay Ballweg, 5-10, Overland Park Aquinas.
