Collins says he fits in with Jayhawks

By Gary Bedore     Oct 19, 2005

Will Bynum took time out from his busy NBA preseason schedule to place a phone call Monday night to a buddy from his old Chicago neighborhood.

The Boston Celtics’ rookie free agent dialed Sherron Collins, who Sunday orally committed to play basketball at Kansas University.

Word of Collins’ commitment spread Monday.

“He’s like a brother to me,” Collins, a 5-foot-11, 195-pounder out of Bynum’s alma mater, Chicago Crane High, said Tuesday of the former Georgia Tech standout guard. “He said he wanted the reasons I chose Kansas. When I told him the same things I told you, he said, ‘Good choice.”‘

The reasons Collins chose KU over in-state school Illinois and Iowa as related to the media Tuesday were basic:

“I just think it was a better fit for me,” said Collins, rated the No. 2 point guard in the country by SI.com. “In my situation, I think coach (Bill) Self will get me as good as I can get on the college level.

“The people there love basketball. I thought I fit in with the group of players. They are all young. We will all be young. I’m excited to be going there.”

Collins, who is playing wide receiver and defensive back for Crane High’s 5-2 football team, said he had a great time hanging out with the Jayhawk players on his official KU visit Friday and Saturday.

He mentioned guard Mario Chalmers and guard/forward Julian Wright, both freshmen.

“Mario is looking forward to playing in the same backcourt with me, and I’m looking forward to playing with him,” Collins said. “Hopefully it (having two primary ballhandlers) can only make our team better. I knew Julian from high school,” he added of the former Homewood-Flossmoor High standout.

“On the trip it was like we were catching up on things. For how tall he is, he is so versatile. He’s a big man who can go inside and out. He’s really a good player.”

Asked to describe his own game, Collins, who averaged 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for Crane’s Illinois state Elite Eight team, said, “I break down defenses and penetrate. I can score or penetrate.”

Collins also was enthralled by the fans who attended Friday’s Late Night in the Phog at a near-packed Allen Fieldhouse.

“Late Night, it was so fun,” Collins said. “It was the fans. I fell in love with the fans.”

He hopes to reward the fans with lots of victories during his career.

“I want to go to the Final Four and win the championship,” he said, simply.

First up, however, is Crane’s bid to return to the state tournament for a second straight year.

“I think we’ll be back down state. I think we have a good team. I think this is the best basketball in the country,” he said of Chicagoland hoops. “It’s tough. You’ve got to be able to be tough and do a lot of things to win.”

He realizes a team in his hometown has been doing a lot of winning – the Chicago White Sox, who have advanced to the World Series. Collins, known for a wicked fastball – he also plays shortstop and outfield – appreciates the feat.

“It’s good. They’ve got to win the Series, though,” Collins said, choosing “Houston” when asked which team he’d rather have the hometown heroes face in the fall classic.

¢ Test coming up: Collins, who has yet to qualify academically, will take the ACT test Saturday. “I’m not worried about that at all. I’ll make it,” he said.

¢ One scholarship left: KU, which has filled two scholarships for the Class of 2006, has one left to give. The hottest target is Darrell Arthur, 6-9 from Dallas, who is considering KU, Indiana, SMU, Baylor and Texas. Arthur says KU and Indiana are the leaders.

¢ Media Day beckons: KU coach Self won’t be complaining today when he and two of his players – Christian Moody and Jeff Hawkins – meet the press at Big 12 Media Day in Dallas.

He’s not angry that no Jayhawks were named All-Big 12 or honorable mention Monday. KU was blanked on the ballot for the first time in league history.

“We didn’t deserve any. We haven’t done anything yet,” Self said Tuesday.

Of the team, which consisted of Curtis Stinson (Iowa State), Taj Gray (Oklahoma), Daniel Gibson (Texas), P.J. Tucker (Texas) and JamesOn Curry (Oklahoma State) he said: “That’s a pretty good team; a pretty good team.”

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