KU Sports Information

Kansas senior tight end Tim Biere and junior wide receiver/punt returner Daymond Patterson have been named to the 2011 College Football Performance Awards Watch List. Biere is one of 38 tight ends named to the list, while Patterson is one of 33 punt returners up for Performance Awards, which honor the top players at each position in the College Football Bowl Subdivision at the end of the season.

Biere, a 6-foot-4 senior from Omaha, Neb., started 11 of 12 games at tight end last season. He caught 19 passes for 228 yards and led the Jayhawks with four touchdown receptions. Biere was named to the John Mackey Award Watch List in 2010 and earned Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors for the second-straight season. He 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.

Patterson, a 5-foot-10 junior from Mesquite, Texas, returned 13 punts for a 3.8 yards per return average and also caught 60 passes for 487 yards and two touchdowns. The junior was named Academic All-Big 12 for the first time in his career and was tabbed KU’s Offensive Performer of the Week on three separate occasions. Patterson caught at least one pass in every game and had a season-best eight catches for 75 yards in the win over Colorado on Nov. 6.

The College Football Performance Awards are selected each year by a panel that uses a scientific ranking system which measures how an individual player increases the effectiveness of his team.

Kansas will open the 2011 season on Sept. 3 when it hosts McNeese State at Memorial Stadium.

KU Sports Information

Kansas women’s basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson announced the addition of Alaina Lee to her staff Friday. A former guard at Murray State University, Lee will serve as the Jayhawks’ assistant director of operations and video coordinator.

She replaces Katie Capps, who was promoted to KU’s director of operations.

“We’re very excited to bring someone of Alaina’s caliber to our program,” said Henrickson. “I first met her four years ago and her passion for young people and the sport of basketball is something that has always stood out to me. Her background in education and her experience coaching at many different levels will be extremely beneficial to the Jayhawk basketball program.”

A four-year letterwinner at Murray State University, Lee started for three seasons and was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship team in 2008 that advanced to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. Lee ended her career second in program history having appeared in 114 games and ranked 22nd with 861 career points.

Lee, a native of Houston, Texas, spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas from 2008-10. During her time with the Buccaneers, Lee was the team’s recruiting coordinator in addition to assisting players with skill development and weight training. She also worked with two-time all-region selection Brateicka Mock, while Blinn qualified for regionals both seasons.

Lee’s coaching resume also includes stints as a head coach and assistant coach in the Houston Elite AAU basketball program and as head basketball coach at the E.O. Smith Educational Center, where she also served as a physical education teacher.

A member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), Lee graduated from Murray State in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education.

KU Sports Information

Former South Dakota State head coach – and Jayhawk standout – Ritchie Price has been named an assistant coach for the Jayhawk baseball program. Price will work with the team’s offense, infielders, handle recruiting duties and also be the team’s third base coach.

Price has spent the last three seasons as the head coach at South Dakota State University. In his time at SDSU, Price has led the Jackrabbits to a 102-71 career record, with signature wins over Arkansas, Minnesota, Iowa and Creighton. He helped SDSU appear in the Summit League Championship game for a third consecutive year in 2011, falling to eventual NCAA Tournament participant Oral Roberts this season.

Price’s 2011 team become the first team in Summit League history, outside of Oral Roberts, to record 20 league victories. The Jackrabbits finished 15th in the country in team batting average (.315), 20th in runs per game (6.9) and had seven regulars finish with batting averages above .300.

Price’s 2010 team won the Summit League regular season title with a 39-21 overall record, which helped Price earn Coach of the Year honors. SDSU finished fourth in the country, scoring 9.67 runs per game and fifth with a .350 team batting average. In his first full season as head coach, Price’s team finished 17-10 in conference play, placing third in the Summit League.

“I’m fired up to have Ritchie back with the Jayhawk baseball program,” Associate Athletic Director Sean Lester said. “His accomplishments as a coach at South Dakota State and as a player at Kansas speak for themselves. We expect him to help us get our program back to where we need to be.”

Price came to SDSU as a graduate assistant in 2008, serving as the team’s infield coach and recruiting coordinator for one season. During his time as an assistant, he signed players from 11 different states and had two of them earn all-conference honors in their careers.

Ritchie Price was a four-year starter at shortstop, for his father, head coach Ritch Price, at the University of Kansas, where he eclipsed 24 school records and was named the best shortstop in the Big 12 by Baseball America in 2004. He served as the team’s captain in 2005 and 2006, helping the Jayhawks win the Big 12 Tournament title in 2006.

“I’m thrilled to have Ritchie returning to our program,” said Kansas head coach Ritch Price. “As the youngest Division I head coach in the country, his accomplishments at South Dakota State were amazing. I’m thrilled to have him return to the University of Kansas baseball program as an assistant coach.”

Following his senior season, he was selected by the New York Mets in the 18th round of the 2006 MLB First-Year Player Draft. He played one full season in the Mets organization, before joining the staff at SDSU.

“I’m excited to see Ritchie return to the Jayhawk baseball program,” former Kansas teammate and current Philadelphia Phillie Mike Zagurski said. “He is the finest young coach in the country with a proven track record for recruiting great players. I’m really excited about the future of Kansas baseball.”

Price will replace former Kansas assistant coach Jay Uhlman, who left to pursue other opportunities earlier this week.

KU Media Relations

Three former Kansas Jayhawks – Raef LaFrentz, Bob Frederick and Dick Harp – will be inducted into the state of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Oct. 2 it was announced Wednesday.

LaFrentz was an All-American basketball player at Kansas from 1995-98; Frederick, a longtime administrator and coach, served as KU’s AD from 1987-2001; and Harp was the school’s basketball coach from 1956-64.

The trio of former Jayhawks are part of a nine-person class, which marks the 50th Anniversary Class of the Hall of Fame.  The Hall, located in Wichita, Kan., will have 210 individuals enshrined all-time.

Other members of this year’s class include KSU basketball player Kendra Wecker, KSU football player Mark Simoneau, Emporia State track star John Camien, Wichita State baseball pitcher Don Heinkel, Wichita State football coach Willie Jeffries and Pittsburg State football player Ronnie West.

Raef LaFrentz

Raef LaFrentz, a two-time consensus basketball first-team All-American (1997-98) and two-time Big 12 Player of the Year (1997-98), is also the third-leading scorer in Kansas history.  He earned first-team all-conference honors three times from 1996-98.

LaFrentz, who played at Kansas from 1995-98, is one of three players in school history to score 2,000 points.  His 1,186 career rebounds placed him second all-time for the Jayhawks.

Ranked among the top 10 in Jayhawk history for career field goals, field goal attempts, free throws, free throw attempts, field goal percentage and blocked shots, LaFrentz is the Kansas leader for career double-doubles at 56.

He played an integral part in helping KU win 35 games during the 1997-98 season, as he averaged 19.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.

LaFrentz’s jersey was officially retired at Kansas on Feb. 16, 2003.

LaFrentz was the third pick in the 1998 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets and spent three and one-half seasons with the team.  He then played one and one-half years with Dallas, three years with Boston and two years with Portland, finishing his professional career in 2008.

LaFrentz averaged 10.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 563 games in his 10-year NBA career.

Born in Hampton, Iowa, May 29, 1976, LaFrentz was a McDonald’s All-American and a USA Today first-team selection in high school.

Bob Frederick

Bob Frederick served as athletics director at the University of Kansas longer than anyone except the legendary Forrest “Phog” Allen.

Frederick became KU’s 12th athletics director in June 1987 and served in that position until July 2001. His 14-year tenure is the second-longest for a Kansas A.D., behind Allen’s 19 years.  From 2001 until his death from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident in June of 2009, Frederick taught in KU’s Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science in the School of Education, and for two years served as department chair.  He specialized in sport management, sport law and sport facilities.

In 2001 Kansas Athletics named its Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards after Frederick.  The awards are presented annually to the top male and female senior scholar-athletes at KU.

Under the direction of Frederick, Kansas teams won 32 conference championships, a national title in men’s basketball in 1988 and produced 41 Academic All-Americans.  During the 1992-93 academic year, Kansas became the first school to win a football bowl game, reach the men’s basketball Final Four and advance to the baseball College World Series in the same school year.

While KU’s A.D., Frederick served as the chair of the prestigious NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee in 1995 and 1996.

Frederick oversaw more than $50 million in facilities upgrades in his final 10 years as athletics director, including a $35-million renovation of Memorial Stadium and Allen Fieldhouse.

A Jayhawk for most of his career, Frederick earned all three of his degrees from KU: a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1962, a master’s degree in secondary school administration in 1964 and his doctorate degree in educational administration in 1984.  He served as director of the Williams Education Fund at KU from 1981-85. Prior to becoming KU athletics director, Frederick served in the same position at Illinois State from 1985-87.

Frederick played basketball at Kansas in 1960-61 under head coach Dick Harp. He was a KU assistant basketball coach under Harp from 1963-64 and later under Ted Owens in 1971-72.

He coached basketball at Rich Central High School in Illinois from 1964-66, Russell High School in Kansas from 1966-70, Coffeyville Community College from 1970-71 and Lawrence High School from 1977-81. He was an assistant coach at Brigham Young University from 1972-75 and Stanford University from 1975-77.

In 2001 Frederick received the National Invitation Tournament Distinguished Service Award. In 1997 the National Association of Basketball Coaches presented him with the Cliff Wells Appreciation Award for outstanding contributions to college basketball. That same year he was honored with the Buford M. Watson Public Service Award by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. The NIT named him Man of the Year in 1996.

Frederick File

Basketball Coaching Career

1962-64 – Graduate assistant coach, Kansas
1964-66 – Assistant coach, Rich Central (Ill.) High School
1966-70 – Head coach Russell (Kan.) High School
1970-71 – Head coach Coffeyville (Kan.) Junior College
1971-72 – Assistant coach, Kansas
1972-75 – Assistant coach, Brigham Young
1977-81 – Head coach, Lawrence (Kan.) High School

Administration Career

1981-85 – Assistant AD – Williams Education Fund, Kansas
1985-87 – Athletics Director, Illinois State
1987-2001 – Athletics Director, Kansas
2001-09 – Assistant Professor, Health, Sport and Exercise Science

Professional Organizations

Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, 1991-96 (chair in 1995 and 1996)
USA Basketball Select Team Committee, 1992-96
National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics
NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics
American Football Coaches Association
National Association of Basketball Coaches Committee on Basketball Issues

Playing Career

1960-61 – Basketball walk-on at Kansas

Education

Bachelor’s in chemistry, Kansas, 1962
Masters in education, Kansas, 1964
Doctorate in education, Kansas, 1984

Personal

Born – March 4, 1940 in Kirkwood, Mo.
Died – June 12, 2009 in Lawrence, Kan. at the age of 69
Wife – Margey
Sons – Brian, Brad, Mark and Chris

Dick Harp

After gaining a wealth of knowledge as Phog Allen’s understudy, Harp became the Kansas basketball head coach from 1956-64. Harp compiled a 121-82 record in those eight seasons and led the Jay­hawks to two conference titles and two NCAA tournament berths. In 1957, the Jayhawks captured the Midwest Re­gional and made it to the finals, only to be stopped by North Carolina in a memorable 54-53 loss in triple overtime in Kansas City, Mo. Under Harp’s guidance, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Bridges achieved All-American status.

Harp had served as Phog Allen’s assistant for eight seasons before taking over for Allen in 1956. Prior to that, Harp was head coach for two seasons at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo. Harp played basketball at KU, lettering from 1938-40 and was one of the starting guards on the 1940 team that lost to Indiana in the NCAA finals.

Harp served as the director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for 13 years after leaving the Jayhawks. Harp is one of only five people to have played and coached in an NCAA title game. He served as an assistant coach at North Carolina for Dean Smith from 1986-89.

Harp died on March 18, 2000, at the age of 81.

Coaching Career

1947-49 – Head coach, William Jewell (Mo.) College
1949-56 – Assistant coach, Kansas
1956-64 – Head coach, Kansas
1986-89 – Assistant coach, North Carolina

KU Sports Information

Kansas basketball players Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris and Josh Selby were all selected in the 2011 NBA Draft on Thursday evening at the Prudential Center. Markieff was selected 13th overall to the Phoenix Suns, Marcus was selected 14th overall to the Houston Rockets and Selby was selected 49th overall to the Memphis Grizzlies.

For only the second time in Kansas basketball history, three or more players have been chosen in the first two rounds of the draft. The only previous year was 2008 when a record five Jayhawks were selected. In this year’s draft, Kansas was the only school with two players as lottery picks and was tied with Duke and Texas with 3 players selected in total.

For the second-straight year two Jayhawks went back-to-back in the lottery when Markieff and Marcus were selected with the 13th and 14th picks. The twins’ selection now means that Head Coach Bill Self has now coached six Jayhawks in the last five years that have gone on to be lottery picks. (The Morris brothers in 2011, Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry in 2010, Brandon Rush in 2008 and Julian Wright in 2001).

“I just told my brother that these are the two places we both wanted to end up at,” Marcus said following his selection. “If we weren’t going to be together I wanted to be a Houston Rocket. The first time I worked out for them I got a great vibe and they told me how much they wanted me.”

Thursday also marked the fourth time since 1998 the two Jayhawks were taken in the lottery (Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce in 1998, Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison in 2003, Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry in 2010, and the Morris twins in 2011), no other school has had two or more players selected in the lottery in the past 14 seasons more than Kansas.

“I was happy when I heard it because it fits my playing style and it’s a place I definitely want to be,” said Markieff of playing for the Phoenix Suns.

The Morris’ and Selby are the 72nd, 73rd and 74th players from Kansas to be selected in the NBA Draft. With the trio’s selection, the Jayhawks have now had at least one player picked in seven of the last 10 drafts.

Markieff, a 6-foot-9 forward from Philadelphia, Pa., was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 13th pick. Markieff is now the third Kansas player to be drafted with the 13th overall pick since 1990. Julian Wright was selected by the New Orleans Hornets at 13 in 2007 and Brandon Rush was taken  at 13 by the Indiana Pacers in 2008.

“It’s definitely going to be weird, but we’re growing up,” Marcus explained of playing on a different team than his brother for the first time. “We’re grown men. I just told him that I am proud of him and I’m happy he got to go where he wanted. He’s my best friend and I want him to do well.”

Selby, who played just one season at Kansas, is only the second freshman in Kansas history to be selected in the draft. Last year, Xavier Henry was the first when he was taken 12th overall, also by the Memphis Grizzlies.

KU Sports Information

Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self announced Wednesday that guard Mervyn Lindsay has signed a grant-in-aid agreement to attend Kansas and will be a freshman for the 2011-12 season.

Lindsay, 6-5, 180, averaged 15.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game last season for Canyon Springs High School in his hometown of Moreno Valley, Calif. Lindsay was named to the all-area basketball team following his senior year with the Cougars who finished the year with a 17-12 record.

“We are excited to have Merv join our team,” Self said. “He has great potential and has the ability to help us this season. He is a very athletic wing who is a good shooter. Like all the incoming freshmen we have, as Merv gets stronger, he will continue to develop.”

Lindsay plans on arriving in Lawrence in early July to attend the second summer bridge session at KU.

“It feels great (to be a Jayhawk). I am so anxious to get there and start working,” Lindsay said. “I was originally committed to Texas Tech but that ended up not working out. Once that door closed, some more opened and Kansas was one of them. I was shocked. When I was a freshman in high school, every kid dreamed of coming to Kansas. So when Kansas came, I thought that was really serious. I seized the moment, came on a visit and I gelled real well with the guys on and off the court. The visit was off the charts. It was amazing and that sealed the deal.”

In describing his game, Lindsay said, “I can stretch the defense with the three-point shot. I think that is what attracted me most to Coach Self, someone who can do that on a consistent basis. I also bring rebounding (ability), I run the floor and I’m athletic. I’m trying to get more versatile – develop the pull-up game and going off the dribble. That will come. I’m definitely someone who plays his heart out.”

Kansas Newcomers for 2011-12
Braeden Anderson, Fr., F, 6-8, 215, Okotoks, Alberta, Canada (Wilbraham and Monson Academy [Mass.])
Mervyn Lindsay, Fr., F, 6-5, 180, Moreno Valley, Calif. (Canyon Springs HS)
Ben McLemore, Fr., G, 6-5, 185, St. Louis, Mo. (Christian Life Center [Texas])
Naadir Tharpe, Fr., G, 6-0, 170, Worcester, Mass. (Brewster Academy [N.H.])
Jamari Traylor, Fr., F, 6-7, 212, Chicago, Ill. (IMG Academy [Fla.])
Kevin Young, Jr., F, 6-8, 200, Perris, Calif. (Loyola Marymount)

Kansas senior wide receiver/kick returner Daymond Patterson was named to the 2011 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Specials Teams Watch List Monday afternoon. Patterson, a senior from Mesquite, Texas, was listed as one of the top punt returners in college football.

The purpose of the College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.

Patterson has amassed 460 yards on 56 career punt returns through his first three seasons at KU. He has returned one punt for a touchdown, a 75-yard return versus Florida International in his first collegiate game. Patterson has led the Jayhawks in punt returns in each of three seasons in Lawrence.

In addition to his outstanding play on the punt return unit, Patterson also is one of KU’s top receivers. He has hauled in 74 career receptions for 641 yards and four TDs. He led the Kansas receiving corp in 2010 with 60 catches for 487 yards and two TDs.

The Philadelphia Phillies announced Monday that they have come to terms with former Kansas pitcher Colton Murray on a minor league contract after selecting the junior right-hander in the 13th round of this season’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Murray has been assigned to the Phillies’ Short-Season Class A affiliate – the Williamsport (Pa.) Crosscutters.

Williamsport opened its season in the New York-Penn League this past weekend and will play a three-game series against Jamestown beginning this evening.

“Our entire coaching staff is thrilled that Colton gets the opportunity to chase his dream of playing professional baseball,” Kansas head coach Ritch Price said. “We’ve had success in the past with other former players in the Phillies’ organization. Colton is a young man who has the talent to play this game for a long time.”

Murray is the third former Jayhawk to play in the Phillies’ organization since 2004, joining pitcher Mike Zagurski (2004) and outfielder Gus Milner (2006).

A junior right-handed pitcher from Overland Park, Kan., Murray went 3-4 for the Jayhawks in 2011 with seven saves and a 3.79 ERA in 20 appearances. The junior allowed just 15 walks to go with 33 strikeouts. In his first outing of the season, Murray tossed seven innings of relief against No. 1 TCU to earn the win as well as a “Primetime Performer” honor by CollegeBaseball360.com.

In his three-year career at Kansas, Murray appeared in 80 games and posted a 6-9 record with 11 saves and a 3.89 ERA. He recorded 108 strikeouts in 111 innings on the hill.

Murray is the second former Jayhawk to sign with a professional organization this summer, joining right-handed pitcher T.J. Walz, who signed with the Oakland Athletics last week.

KU Sports Information

Kansas coach Bill Self announced Friday that forward Kevin Young has joined the KU men’s basketball team. Young, who is eligible immediately, will be a junior at Kansas for the 2011-12 season.

“I thought we definitely needed a playmaker and we were able, at a late date, to fall into Kevin and we couldn’t be happier,” Self said. “He’s 6-8, thin and can play multiple positions. He reminds me a lot of Julian Wright – very bouncy, very athletic. He will most definitely be an impact player for us next season.”

Young, 6-8, 215, was a two-year letterwinner at Loyola Marymount University in 2008-09 and 2009-10 starting 62 of 65 games played for the Lions. The Perris, Calif., native averaged 9.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for LMU his freshman season and broke the school’s freshman records with 224 rebounds, 51 steals and 34 blocked shots. Included was a LMU freshman single-game record with 19 rebounds against New Mexico State.

Young averaged 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds his sophomore year at LMU. He recorded six double-doubles in his two seasons as a Lion. Young sat out as a player last year focusing completely on academics and completed his associate’s degree at San Bernardino Community College. Also during that time he was a volunteer assistant coach at Barstow Community College.

“Kevin played two years at Loyola Marymount, then transferred to a junior college last year to get his academics in order,” Self said. “He graduated from junior college and has two years left to play. We’re really happy. I know he wants to be here. It’s amazing how recruiting works. You work so hard for some guys and don’t get them and sometimes great opportunities just happen to come your way and this is certainly a great opportunity for us.”

“This is a great opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to playing at Kansas,” Young said. “They take a lot of pride in basketball and academics here and I’m ready for that challenge. I’m looking forward to working with my teammates and coaches and becoming a Jayhawk.”

“Last year my focus was on academics and working on my individual game,” Young continued. “I feel I have a lot to contribute to the university and the Kansas basketball program.”

In July 2009, Young, whose mother is Puerto Rican, played for Puerto Rico in the U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand. Young averaged 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in the event as Puerto Rico went 5-4. Kansas senior guard Tyshawn Taylor led the USA Men’s U19 Team to the gold medal at the 2009 U19 World Championship, including an 82-61 win against Young’s Puerto Rico squad during the competition.

Young was a prep standout at Perris High School in Perris, Calif. He averaged 16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shot per game his senior season and recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 17 rebounds and 12 blocked shots against Cajon.

KU Sports Information

The Oakland Athletics announced Tuesday that they have signed former Kansas pitcher T.J. Walz to a minor league contract after selecting the Jayhawk right-hander in the 15th round of last week’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Walz has been assigned to the team’s Class A Short-Season affiliate – the Vermont Lake Monsters.

Vermont Lake opens its New York-Penn League season on Monday, June 20 against the Lowell Spinners – a Boston Red Sox affiliate.

Walz, a senior right-handed pitcher out of Omaha, Neb., leaves the Jayhawk program as one of the best pitchers in school history. In 2011, he led the team in wins, going 6-5 in 14 starts with 85 strikeouts in 90 2/3 innings. Walz finished the season with 3.97 ERA, while holding the opposition to a .241 average. He was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention for the second time in his career.

In his illustrious career, Walz holds the school records in innings pitched (328 1/3), games started (50), strikeouts (307), and tied the record for career wins (26). He was a 2009 All-Big 12 second team selection and was named Preseason All-Big 12 in 2010. He was also a three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection and was twice named conference pitcher of the week in his career.

Two other Jayhawks were also selected in the 2011 draft – junior right-handed pitcher Colton Murray (13th round, Philadelphia Phillies) and Tanner Poppe (37th round, Tampa Bay Rays). Both players have until Aug. 15 to agree to terms with the organizations which drafted them or they would likely return to KU and re-enter the draft in 2012.