A who’s who of Kansas men’s basketball coaches and players will convene at historic Allen Fieldhouse for the Legends of the Phog exhibition game Saturday, Sept. 24, at 4 p.m.

Former KU coaches Larry Brown and Ted Owens will coach a collection of former KU players who have been part of three NCAA titles, 54 conference championships, 13 Final Fours and 2,038 all-time victories. The rosters will include many current NBA Jayhawks, including NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, as well as many other recent KU standouts.

“It’s going to be a spectacular event,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. ”Not very often can you spin a negative into a positive but we get an opportunity to do so with the NBA lockout. There have been numerous times we’d like to get all these guys back at the same time, but it’s always been hard for the current NBA players to come back because their schedules run similar to ours. On September 24th we are going to have a KU alumni game, which is basically a legends game, in which many of our most recent KU greats are going to come back, allowing them a chance to run out of the tunnel one more time and play a game, hopefully in front of a packed house.

“We have many committed,” Self continued, “the majority being recent guys who have played (under Self) and several of Roy’s (Williams) players will be here as well, including NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, who is coming back for the first time in a long time. We’ve asked Coach Brown and Coach Owens to be the honorary coaches. Much of the proceeds will go to the memory of (former KU assistant basketball coach) Neil Dougherty, who lost his life tragically this summer due to a heart attack. We’re working with Neil’s family to find a cause that will definitely give Neil a lasting legacy in an area of his life that was very dear to him.”

Additionally, Self said Kansas Athletics will donate a portion of the proceeds to one of Dougherty’s favorite local charities – the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence.

“It will be great coming back to Lawrence and catching up with some old friends and meeting the current players,” Pierce said. “No place compares to Allen Fieldhouse and the rich tradition that is Kansas basketball. When you are a Jayhawk, you’re a Jayhawk for life.”

“The University of Kansas has meant so much to me,” Brown said. “I have a lot of fond memories of my time in Lawrence and coming back for this event will be great. I look forward to visiting with current staff, the old coaches and players and friends.”

Tickets for the Legends of the Phog will be $20 for adults and $10 for students and youth. Williams Education Fund members and current KU students will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets. Tickets ordered via the KU Tickets Office online (www.kuathletics.com) or by calling 800-34-HAWKS. Parking for the event is free.

Williams Education Fund Presale
Wednesday, August 24: Hall of Fame, Champion and All-American membership levels
Monday, August 29: All remaining Williams Education Fund membership levels

KU Student Presale
Wednesday, August 24

Public Sale
Tuesday, September 6

— KU Sports Information —

Kansas football head coach Turner Gill named sophomore Jordan Webb as the starting quarterback here Friday afternoon. Webb, who was in a battle for the top spot with senior Quinn Mecham, was the Jayhawks’ starting signal caller in seven games as a redshirt freshman.

“After evaluating our quarterback position with (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach) Chuck (Long), we decided at this time to announce that Jordan Webb will be our starter at that position,” said Gill, who is entering his second season at the helm of the KU program. “Jordan has shown great leadership and consistency all throughout Fall Camp. His improved quarterbacking skills put him in the position to lead our team.”

Webb earned his first career start in the second game of the 2010 season and led the Jayhawks to a win over No. 15 Georgia Tech as he was 18-of-29 for 179 yards and three TDs. He went on to start the next five games on the season before being injured in the Texas A&M game and missing three contests. Webb came off the bench against Oklahoma State and then returned to the starting lineup in the season finale against Missouri.

The Union, Mo., native, was 121-of-214 for 1,195 yards and seven TDs on the season. His 1,195 passing yards were the second most by a freshman in KU history. Webb’s best passing game of the season came in a win over New Mexico State as he threw for 249 yards. He also threw for over 200 yards as he had 228 yards passing versus Kansas State.

Additionally, Gill announced that Longview, Texas, native Brandon Olson has joined the Kansas football program. Olson, a 6-foot-4 tight end, arrives at KU from Longview High School where he helped lead the Lobos to an appearance in the 2010 Texas Class 5A State semifinals and the finals in both 2008 and 2009. He will count as a member of the 2011 recruiting class.

Gill and the KU football team have several events lined up in the coming days. The sixth annual KU KickOff At Corinth Square in Prairie Village on Friday will get things started and will be followed by Saturday’s Family Fun Fest, which will be held at Memorial Stadium.

Kansas Athletics and the KU Alumni Association will join forces to host the KU KickOff at Corinth Square, now an end-of-summer tradition. Starting at 6 p.m., Kansas football head coach Turner Gill, men’s basketball coach Bill Self, Athletics Director Sheahon Zenger and Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little will each address the crowd in Prairie Village, while inflatable games, multiple vendors and various KU giveaways will be also be available.

Live music will be provided by the KC All Stars from 8-10 p.m. Additionally card-carrying members of the KU Alumni Association or the KU Medical Center Alumni Association in attendance will receive a number of deals, including a $5 coupon to Johnny’s Tavern and a $5 coupon to BRGR Kitchen + Bar.

The event will be held in the Corinth Square parking lot which is located at 83rd & Mission Road in Prairie Village, Kan.

Family Fun Fest will begin at 9:30 a.m., Saturday morning with the Fun Zone opening on the practice fields adjacent to Memorial Stadium. The Gates to Memorial Stadium will open at 11 a.m., with KU holding an open scrimmage for fans to attend at 11:30 a.m.

All fans in attendance will receive a free Jayhawk license plate. In addition, the first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free hot dog and popcorn.

Following KU’s scrimmage, players and coaches will sign autographs on Kivisto Field inside Memorial Stadium. Fans should note video cameras will be prohibited from being taken into Memorial Stadium for Saturday’s open scrimmage.

— KU Sports Information —

Kansas’ home football game versus Northern Illinois scheduled for Sept. 10 has been picked up by Fox College Sports, it was announced Thursday. Kick off will remain at 6 p.m., at Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium.

The Jayhawks appeared on Fox College Sports twice during the 2010 season, both home games versus North Dakota State and New Mexico State.

Kansas and Northern Illinois will be meeting for the second time in program history with NIU owning a 1-0 lead in the all-time series. The two teams have not met since Northern Illinois claimed at 37-34 win over KU in Lawrence in 1983.

The Jayhawks will open the season Saturday, Sept. 3, when they play host to McNeese State. KU-MSU will kick-off at 6 p.m., at Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium.

— KU Sports Information —

Kansas’ men’s basketball regular season schedule is now complete with the release of Big 12 schedule and the release of the bracket for the EA Sports Maui Invitational, which were both announced Thursday. The season’s highlights include two games on CBS as well as 21 games on the ESPN family of networks, which include four Big Monday appearances and two ESPN Saturday primetime games.

The Jayhawks’ schedule will feature at least 11 games against teams that played in last year’s NCAA tournament, and at least 19 games against schools that were in the top-100 of last season’s RPI rankings.

“I believe this is the hardest schedule we have played since I’ve been here,” explained ninth year head coach Bill Self. “Our strength of schedule and RPI have been in the top 10 almost yearly, but this will be the hardest schedule not only because of Kentucky, the three games in Maui, South Florida, Ohio State, Long Beach State, Davidson and USC, but on top of that you play everyone in the Big 12 twice, which makes the league that much harder.”

November looks to be a challenging month for the Jayhawks. On Nov. 15 they will travel to New York for a contest against the Kentucky Wildcats in Madison Square Garden. Six days later the team will make the trip to Maui, Hawaii for what is sure to be an entertaining EA Sports Maui Invitational. Kansas will go up against the Georgetown Hoyas in the first game and could face the likes of UCLA, Duke, Memphis, Tennessee or Michigan in the later rounds.

“The Maui field is good every year but this year it’s exceptional,” said Self. “We play Georgetown. Their style is totally different. The rest of the field – with UCLA and Chaminade on our side and, with Duke, Tennessee, Michigan and Memphis – certainly makes for the best field any tournament will have this year.”

Besides the network and national cable telecasts, four KU games will air on the Big 12 Network, while three contests will be shown on the in-state Jayhawk Television Network (JTV). The Big 12 Network and JTV contests will be available nationally on ESPN’s Full Court package. Additionally, KU’s two exhibition contests will also air on JTV but will not be shown nationally.

Kansas TV Notables

·         For the sixth-straight season and 12th time in the 16-year history of the Big 12 conference, the Jayhawks will play in four ESPN Big Monday games. KU’s ESPN Big Monday contests will be Jan. 16 against Baylor, Jan. 23 against Texas A&M, Feb. 13 at Kansas State and Feb. 27 at Oklahoma State. Kansas is 41-16 all-time on Big Monday (23-1 at home, 18-15 on the road), including 22-8 under head coach Bill Self.

·         Kansas will make multiple regular season appearances on CBS for the 11th-straight year, dating back to the 2000-01 season. Under Self, the Jayhawks have appeared on CBS 45 times, amassing a 33-12 record (8-1 home, 7-5 away, 18-6 neutral).

·         The Jayhawks will appear on Fox Sports Net (FSN) for the fifth-consecutive season as a part of the Big 12/Pac 12 Challenge against USC on Dec. 22. KU is 3-1 in contests televised by FSN.

Other Kansas 2011-12 Schedule Notables

·         Kansas will play a total of 24 games against schools from BCS conferences – two from the Big East, one from the Big Ten, one from the SEC, one from the Pac 12, one yet to be determined in the Maui Classic and 18 from the Big 12.

·         Kansas will play four non-conference opponents that won their respective league titles in 2011 – Kentucky (SEC), Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt), Long Beach State (Big West) and Ohio State (Big Ten).

·         Two of the most storied programs in college basketball history will meet in one of the world’s most historic arenas on Nov. 15 when Kansas takes on the Kentucky Wildcats in Madison Square Garden as part of the Champions Classic. Kentucky leads the all-time series 19-6, however, the Jayhawks have claimed victories in the last three meetings. KU also boasts a 21-13 all-time record in New York.

·         The Jayhawks will play one of the toughest fields ever assembled at the 2011 Maui Classic. Duke, Georgetown, Memphis, Michigan, Tennessee, UCLA and Kansas, all of which played in the NCAA tournament last season, will highlight the three day tournament set to take place in Hawaii Nov. 21-23.

·         When the Jayhawks face Davidson Dec. 19, it will be for the first time since the thrilling 2008 regional final victory that propelled KU to an eventual national championship. The rematch will be played in Kansas City’s Sprint Center, making this the fourth-consecutive season Kansas will host a game in the venue. KU has garnered a 13-2 record at the Sprint Center, including wins in the last eight contests.

·         Kansas is the only school in the Big 12 to have a winning series record against every conference team in men’s basketball.

·         The Big 12 is coming off another outstanding season in which it ranked No. 3 in the RPI rankings, had six teams with 23 or more victories and had five teams advance to the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Kansas won the 2011 Big 12 regular-season championship with a 14-2 record.

·         Kansas and Texas, the two winningest programs in Big 12 history, will square off twice in the regular season for the first time ever. The Longhorns will host the first match-up at 3 p.m., Jan. 21 on CBS. The series will then move to Lawrence on the last day of the regular season (March 3) at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Kansas is first in the conference with a combined 232-46 record against Big 12 competition (regular-season and league tourney play), while Texas is next at 187-88. Kansas has won the last seven Big 12 regular-season titles, yet Texas tied KU for two of those in (2006 and 2008) and the two teams met in four of the last six Big 12 Championship title games, all won by the Jayhawks.

The 2011-12 Jayhawks will be a team filled with much youth but great potential as they welcome eight newcomers (six of which are freshmen) and return just one starter – Tyshawn Taylor – and eight additional letterwinners from last year’s 35-3 team that won the Big 12 regular-season title with a 14-2 record, the postseason Big 12 Championship and was a No. 1 seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

“We know that this is going to be a young team, much like that team was the year after we won the national championship,” said Self. “We know we’re going to have to grow up fast but this should be a great way to force us to do so.”

Along with Taylor, another leading contributor returning from the 2010 campaign is junior forward Thomas Robinson, who was the Jayhawks leading scorer and rebounder off the bench last season. The Washington, D.C., native saw action in 33 games and averaged 14.6 mpg.

Kansas has won five of the last six Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships, including the 2011 title. This year’s event will be held at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., March 7-10 and NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday will be Sunday, March 11.

Kansas Men’s Basketball 2011-12 Schedule

(Home games in CAPS; times are Central; *Big 12 Conference game)

Date (Day) – Opponent, Site, TV, Time

Nov. 1 (Tuesday) – PITTSBURGH STATE (Exhibition), Lawrence, Kan., JTV, 7 p.m.

Nov. 8 (Tuesday) – FORT HAYS STATE (Exhibition), Lawrence, Kan., JTV, 7 p.m.

Nov. 11 (Friday) – TOWSON (EA Sports Maui Invitational), Lawrence, Kan., JTV, 7 p.m.

Nov. 15 (Tuesday) – Kentucky (Champions Classic), New York, N.Y., ESPN, TBA

Nov. 21 (Monday) – Georgetown (EA Sports Maui Invitational), Maui, Hawaii, ESPN2, TBA

Nov. 22 (Tuesday) – UCLA/Chaminade (EA Sports Maui Invitational) Maui, Hawaii, ESPN/ESPNU, TBA

Nov. 23 (Wednesday) – Final/Consolations (EA Sports Maui Invitational), Maui, Hawaii ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU, TBA

Nov. 30 (Wednesday) – FLORIDA ATLANTIC, Lawrence, Kan., JTV, 7 p.m.

Dec. 3 (Saturday) – SOUTH FLORIDA, Lawrence, Kan., ESPN2, 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 6 (Tuesday) – LONG BEACH STATE, Lawrence, Kan., ESPNU, TBA

Dec. 10 (Saturday) – OHIO STATE, Lawrence, Kan., ESPN, 2:15 p.m.

Dec. 19 (Monday) – DAVIDSON (M&I Bank Kansas City Shootout), Kansas City, Mo., ESPNU, 8 p.m.

Dec. 22 (Thursday) – at USC (Big 12/Pac 12 Hardwood Series), Los Angeles, Calif., FSN, TBA

Dec. 29 (Thursday) – HOWARD, Lawrence, Kan., JTV, 7 p.m.

Dec. 31 (Saturday) – NORTH DAKOTA, Lawrence, Kan., ESPNU, TBA

Jan. 4 (Wednesday) – *KANSAS STATE, Lawrence, Kan., Big 12, 7 p.m.

Jan. 7 (Saturday) – *at Oklahoma, Norman, Okla., ESPNU, 1 p.m.

Jan. 11 (Wednesday) – *at Texas Tech, Lubbock, Texas, ESPNU, 8 p.m.

Jan. 14 (Saturday) – *IOWA STATE, Lawrence, Kan., Big 12, 3 p.m.

Jan. 16 (Monday) – *BAYLOR, Lawrence, Kan., ESPN, 8:30 p.m.

Jan. 21 (Saturday) – *at Texas, Austin, Texas, CBS, 3 p.m.

Jan. 23 (Monday) – *TEXAS A&M, Lawrence, Kan., ESPN, 8 p.m.

Jan. 28 (Saturday) – *at Iowa State, Ames, Iowa, ESPN/ESPN2, 1 p.m.

Feb. 1 (Wednesday) – *OKLAHOMA, Lawrence, Kan., ESPNU, 8 p.m.

Feb. 4 (Saturday) – *at Missouri, Columbia, Mo., ESPN, 8 p.m.

Feb. 8 (Wednesday) – *at Baylor, Waco, Texas, ESPN/ESPN2, 6 p.m.

Feb. 11 (Saturday) – *OKLAHOMA STATE, Lawrence, Kan., Big 12, 3 p.m.

Feb. 13 (Monday) – *at Kansas State, Manhattan, Kan., ESPN, 8 p.m.

Feb. 18 (Saturday) – *TEXAS TECH, Lawrence, Kan., Big 12, 7 p.m.

Feb. 22 (Wednesday) – *at Texas A&M, College Station, Texas, ESPN2, 8 p.m.

Feb. 25 (Saturday) – *MISSOURI, Lawrence, Kan., CBS, 3 p.m.

Feb. 27 (Monday) – *at Oklahoma State, Stillwater, Okla., ESPN, 8 p.m.

March 3 (Saturday) – *TEXAS, Lawrence, Kan., ESPN, 8 p.m.

March 7-10 (Wed.-Sat.) – Big 12 Championship, (Sprint Center) Kansas City, Mo.

— KU Sports Information —

Three members of last year’s Kansas football team have signed free agent contracts with teams in the National Football League this week and will be competing for roster spots in August. Defensive back Chris Harris (Denver), defensive end Jake Laptad (Chicago) and offensive lineman Brad Thorson (Arizona) have all signed contracts with their respective teams over the past few days.

Harris, a 5-foot-10 defensive back from Bixby, Okla., has said he will play both corner and safety with the Denver Broncos. Harris was a four-year starter at KU, making 42-consecutive starts from 2007-10. He was third on the Jayhawks with 82 tackles last season, including 5 ½ for a loss and two sacks. His 288 career tackles were the third-most by a defensive back in Kansas history. Harris served a team captain in 2010.

Laptad, a 6-foot-4 defensive end from Tulsa, Okla., signed with the Chicago Bears Thursday afternoon. Laptad was a three-year starter at defensive end for the Jayhawks and recorded 21 sacks in his career, which ranks as the second-most in KU history. Laptad finished the 2010 season with 38 tackles and 4 ½ sacks, with all of them coming in conference play. He was a three-time All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in his career at KU and was named to the Conference’s All-Freshman team in 2007.

Thorson, a 6-foot-5 offensive tackle from Mequon, Wis., signed with the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday. Thorson played two years at Wisconsin before transferring to KU prior to the 2008 season. He started 24 consecutive games for the Jayhawks from 2009-10, including all 12 contests last year. He was named the team’s Offensive Lineman of the Year in both 2009 and 2010 and was a two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection. Thorson also was a member of the Big 12 Good Works team, which honors student-athletes for work within the community.

Harris, Laptad and Thorson will be three of 11 former Jayhawks who will be involved in NFL training camps this summer.

All three players have reported to their teams and started camp. They will likely be fighting for roster spots throughout the preseason. NFL teams will trim their rosters down to 75 players on Aug. 31 and to 53 players on Sept. 4.

— KU Sports Information —

The Rimington Trophy committee has released its 2011 Fall Watch List with Kansas senior Jeremiah Hatch as one of 43 players from across the nation to be recognized.

Hatch has started 23 games at center for the Jayhawks in his career after playing tackle as a freshman. The Dallas, Texas, native earned Rivals.com Freshman All-America Second Team honors in 2008, while helping lead the Jayhawks to a victory at the Insight Bowl.

The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football. Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $2 million for its benefactor, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The 12-year old award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised $86 million for CF Research.

Dave Rimington, the award’s namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the John Outland Trophy’s only double winner as the nation’s finest college interior lineman.

Hatch is one of three players from the Big 12 to find his name on the list, which includes 13 returning players from the 2010 Watch List.

The winner will be honored at Rimington Trophy Presentation banquet at the Rococo Theater in Lincoln, Neb. on January 14, 2012.

— KU Sports Information —

Former Kansas center Krysten Boogaard has signed a professional contract to play basketball in Nice, France. The 6-foot-5 post player will depart the U.S. in early August to suit up for Cavigal Nice for the 2011-12 season.

Boogaard, a Regina, Saskatchewan native who played at KU from 2008-11, finished her four-year career with 1,051 total points as she became only the 22nd player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. She also played in 132 games during her time in Lawrence, which is the second most among any other Jayhawk. For her career, Boogaard averaged 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and hit 54 percent of her shots from the field.

“It’s important to me to continue the goals I set for myself when I was younger,” Boogaard said. “This is something I have always wanted to achieve because of the opportunities on the court and the cultural experiences off of it.”

“I am really excited for Krysten and her opportunity to play at the next level,” said KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson. “In one of the first conversations I ever had with Krysten, she said she wanted to play professionally overseas one day. I am so proud of her that she is getting the opportunity she has always wanted.”

Cavigal Nice is one of 14 teams that play in the Ligue Feminine De Basketball (LFB), which began play during the 1998-99 season. Boogaard will suit up for her first game with her new club as they open their season on Sept. 24 versus Bourges.

— KU Sports Information —

KU Sports Information

Kansas senior tight end Tim Biere has been named to the John Mackey Award Watch List. The list, which is comprised of the 34 top returning tight ends at the Division I Bowl Subdivision level, was released to the media Wednesday by the selection committee.

This marks the second-straight season that Biere has been named to the Mackey Award Preseason Watch List.

A 6-foot-4 senior from Omaha, Neb., Biere started 11 of 12 games last season. He caught 19 passes for 228 yards and led the Jayhawks with four touchdown receptions. The Kansas tight end caught at least one pass in 11 of KU’s 12 games and recorded touchdowns against No. 15 Georgia Tech, New Mexico State, Texas A&M and No. 12 Oklahoma State. Biere earned Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors for the second-straight season in 2010.

Biere is one of just two Big 12 tight ends on the preseason watch list, along with Missouri senior Michael Egnew.

The Watch List will be cut down eight semi-finalists on Nov. 14 and three finalists by Nov. 21 with the winner being named at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on Dec. 8. The award recipient is determined by confidential balloting of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee, which is comprised of respected members of the media and former NFL players.

Biere and the Jayhawks will open the 2011 season Sept. 3 when they host McNeese State at Memorial Stadium at 6 p.m.

KU Sports Information

Former Kansas pitcher Shaeffer Hall was promoted to Triple-A in the New York Yankees’ organization and made his first start for the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees Monday night against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at PNC Field.

Hall, who was drafted in the 25th round by the Yankees in 2009, went 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts to earn his first win at the Triple-A level. The Yankees defeated the IronPigs, 5-3.

The Lee’s Summit, Mo., native was called up from the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, Trenton, where he was 6-4 with a 3.97 ERA in 14 starts. Hall had recorded 60 strikeouts in 90 2/3 innings and allowed just 19 walks.

Hall, a 6-foot-1 left-handed pitcher from Lee’s Summit, Mo., pitched at KU during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors during his junior season at KU after tossing a pair of complete game shutouts, including a no-hitter against Air Force on Feb. 20, 2009. The KU southpaw made 25 starts at Kansas and posted a 9-8 record with a 4.55 ERA in 125 1/3 innings.

Hall is looking to become the third former Jayhawk to pitch in the major leagues this season, joining fellow left-handed pitchers Tom Gorzelanny (Washington) and Mike Zagurski (Philadelphia).