Joe Jackson, a 5-foot-11 senior point guard from White Station High in Memphis, on Friday orally committed to the University of Memphis. He chose Memphis over KU and Tennessee. … KU coach Bill Self today will hold an in-home visit with Brandon Knight, a 6-3 senior point guard from Pine Crest High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Guests at tonight’s Bubbles and Barbecue benefit for Community Living Opportunities’ Midnight Farm will be treated to brisket, chicken and sausage, Kansas University hoops style.
Former Missouri State head basketball coach Barry Hinson, who is in his second season as KU’s director of external relations, will be doing the cooking — and several of KU’s players the serving — for more than 200 individuals attending the event.
The feast is designed to help showcase the farm, which is located seven miles south of Eudora and a mile west.
“I was a Div. I head coach for 11 years. Now I’m a cook. I’m head coach at ‘Barbecue U,”‘ Hinson cracked.
His claim to fame as a chef was the day he used his 14-foot-by-6 double-door trailer smoker to cook barbecue for George W. Bush on a day the former President of the United States was in Springfield, Mo. — home of Missouri State — for a speech.
“He didn’t speak until 11:30 (a.m.), and I had to have it to security by 8 o’clock,” Hinson said of the food. “The dogs had to sniff it.
“The funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life is, the juice had fallen out of one side of the container, and the dog started licking it. The Secret Service said, ‘Hey, that’s the President’s barbecue. Get away from that,”‘ Hinson exclaimed.
The President enjoyed his meal.
“I got an autographed picture and was on the Christmas mailing list when he was President,” Hinson said. “I got more Christmas bulbs, Presidential M&M’s. He took care of me after I fed him. It was kind of a neat deal.”
Hinson and the Jayhawks are happy to lend their support to the 40-acre Midnight Farm. It is a working farm run by CLO that provides programs and opportunities for adults and children with special needs. There are two houses on the property, where clients with disabilities live alongside a host family, experiencing the farm life. Plans call for two more houses to be built on the property in the future.
“Barry has done an incredible job embracing this. His enthusiasm is so contagious,” said Allison Frizell, one of those in charge of the event. “He’s been an amazing catalyst for the whole thing.”
Hinson, for instance, drove to Ponca City, Okla., to pick up 300 bottles of Head Country Barbecue sauce, which will be given to the attendees tonight. Like the Ponca City company, both Biggs BBQ and Vermont Street BBQ of Lawrence have also donated items for Hinson to use in the preparation of the food.
“It’ll be fun,” Hinson said. “We (he and his wife, Angie) are doing all the cooking. Our players will help me. I don’t know if I trust ’em to cook, but they’ll be pulling it off the trailer.
“They’ll be slicing and dicing. They’ll be ‘Roncoing’ it,” he said with a laugh.
For information on CLO and Midnight Farm visit this Web site.
Recruiting update
Joe Jackson, a 5-foot-11 senior point guard from White Station High in Memphis, on Friday orally committed to the University of Memphis. He chose Memphis over KU and Tennessee. … KU coach Bill Self today will hold an in-home visit with Brandon Knight, a 6-3 senior point guard from Pine Crest High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.