Kansas University will play the University of Toledo not only in football, but also men’s basketball, in 2006.
The Jayhawks and Rockets, who will meet on the gridiron on Friday, Sept. 15, in Toledo, have contracted to compete in hoops on Saturday, Dec. 9, in Kansas City’s Kemper Arena.
Toledo, of the Mid-American Conference, returns four starters from last year’s 20-11 team: senior guard Justin Ingram (14.6 ppg), senior forward Florentino Valencia (12.0 ppg), senior guard Keonta Howell (11.3 ppg) and junior guard Kashif Payne (8.4 ppg, 4.3 apg). The Rockets are led by 11th-year coach Stan Joplin.
Contrary to rumor, the Jayhawks have not scheduled a series with Ohio State.
“That isn’t going to happen,” KU senior associate athletic director Larry Keating said. “We talked to them about that six months ago.”
With talks not materializing, the Jayhawks contracted to play Boston College on Dec. 23 in Allen Fieldhouse, with a return game to the ACC school the following season.
Other marquee games on this year’s slate, thus far, include a game against Florida on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas, a home game versus Southern California and a game at South Carolina. KU’s schedule will be released sometime this summer.
¢ Barnstorming tidbits: The roster of KU’s Barnstorming team for Saturday’s game against the Kansas Christian Athletic Assn. All-Stars has been set.
KU’s Christian Moody and Stephen Vinson and ex-Jayhawk Brett Olson will be joined by former KU football player Evan Toren, a 6-8, 250-pound forward who played a year of basketball at Johnson County Community College, plus 6-5 De Soto High senior Scott McElvain.
The KCAA team will consist of Andrew Bartlow and Mark Randtke, Veritas Christian; Ryan Atherton, Wichita Christian; Rodney Spillman, Eudora High; Chris Stark, Topeka Heritage; Ryan Atherton and Justin Moser, Wichita Christian; Eric Gorenc and Michael Shaldoin, Olathe Christian; Adam Chase, Flint Hills Christian; and Will Palmer, St. Mary’s.
Game time is 7 p.m. in the Eudora Community Center, 10th and Main.
Moody, by the way, will be playing for Athletes in Action this summer during the all-star team’s tour of China.
¢ Jayhawk Invitational upcoming: Participating teams and rosters will be announced next week for the Jayhawk Invitational AAU tournament (May 12-14 in Allen Fieldhouse and Robinson Center), which will feature future KU center Cole Aldrich, a 6-11, 250-pound junior from Jefferson High in Bloomington, Minn.
Aldrich and another major college prospect in the Class of 2007 – 6-4 Blake Hoffarber – play for the Minnesota Magic 17-and-under team.
“We are jam-packed full, 64 teams coming from Florida, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, California and Washington,” meet organizer Roger Morningstar said. “This year we’re going to format it with a couple of super pools. Really good teams will play each other in pool play, with everybody advancing in the brackets to the championship (round).”
The Kansas City Pump N Run squad will be led by Tyrel Reed, a 6-3 junior guard from Burlington High who is considering KU, North Carolina, Iowa, Stanford and others; Conner Teahan, 6-5 junior, from Kansas City Rockhurst; and Travis Releford, 6-5 sophomore from Shawnee Mission Miege.
Releford, who is coming off an ankle injury, is questionable for tourney action. He’s being recruited by KU, North Carolina, Duke, Illinois, Iowa, Texas and others.
Teahan is a standout football quarterback.
¢ Arthur decision coming?: Dallas South Oak Cliff High coach James Mays told rivals.com prized senior forward Darrell Arthur hopes to sign with a school this weekend, perhaps on Sunday.
“Kansas, Baylor and LSU are the schools that he is seriously looking at for next year. Texas might be in there also, but I don’t know for sure. I do know that Darrell wants to have a decision made on or before Sunday,” Mays said.
Point guard Scotty Reynolds, 6-0 from Herndon, Va., who recently received a release from his letter of intent at Oklahoma, visited LSU with Arthur last weekend. Reynolds told The Baton Rouge Advocate he “had a great time. The (LSU) players are close with no jealousies. Chemistry is big on the list of things I’m looking for.”
Of possibly playing at the same college as his buddy Arthur, Reynolds said: “Darrell is one of my best friends, and we think highly of each other, but a lot of people think we’re both going to the same school no matter what. That may happen, but it might not. We’ve both got to make the best possible decisions for ourselves. If we go together, fine. If not, that’s fine too.”
Reynolds is also considering Villanova and Michigan. He told The Advocate he had scheduled a visit to ‘Nova a week from today.