KU Media Relations

A collection of some of the best Kansas basketball players of the last 20 years will participate in the third annual Rock Chalk Roundball Classic, which will be held at Lawrence Free State High School, Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m.

The Classic is being held to help raise money for the Souter family of Lawrence, who recently lost their five-year old daughter, Jayden “Baby Jay” Souter, to cancer.

Some of the featured players and coaches include Bill Self, Wayne Simien, Cole Aldrich, Scot Pollard, Darnell Jackson, Keith Langford, Russell Robinson, Bud Stallworth, Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar. In all, there will be more than 20 former Kansas players participating in this year’s event and there will be free autograph and photo opportunities immediately following the game.

Also participating is WBC Welterweight Champion of the World, “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, the boxer who wears Jayhawks on his trunks.

In addition, Briggs Auto is sponsoring a Half-Court Shot to Win a Car contest during halftime of this year’s event. There will also be a silent auction, raffle for game-used, autographed jerseys, and several other fan contests.

Tickets are on sale now at the Great Plains Media Radio Stations (3125 W. 6th Street), the 23rd Street Brewery and J & S Coffee in Lawrence.  In Topeka, tickets can be purchased at AAA of Kansas on Wanamaker.

Walk-up tickets can be purchased on the day of the game at Free State High School beginning at 5:30 p.m. For more information, check out the Rock Chalk Roundball Classic Facebook page. Please contact Brian Hanni at 785-843-1320, with any additional questions.

 

by KU Sports Information

Kansas head football coach Turner Gill announced Friday that assistant coach Robert Wimberly has been promoted to Pass Coordinator of the Jayhawk defense. Wimberly, who is entering his second year with the KU program, will continue serving as the safeties coach in addition to his new duties.

“Robert is a dynamic teacher of the game of football,” said Gill, who is beginning his second season at the helm of the Jayhawk program. “He possesses outstanding organizational skills and is a phenomenal recruiter. Robert has a great presence about him and I definitely consider him to be one of top young coaches in the nation.”

Wimberly is in his second season coaching the safeties at Kansas after spending the 2009 season on Gill’s staff at Buffalo, where he worked with the linebackers. While at Buffalo Wimberly worked with a defense which ranked 42nd in the NCAA allowing just 342.67 yards per game in 2009.

Prior to his time with the Bulls, Wimberly spent five seasons at Liberty (2004-08) working with the linebackers, as well as serving as the program’s director of high school relations. He started his coaching career as a defensive quality control assistant at Wisconsin under Barry Alvarez in 2002. He was a graduate assistant for the Badgers in 2003 before earning a full-time job at Liberty.

Wimberly was a four-year letterwinner at Alabama A&M, suffering a season-ending neck injury his senior season. He graduated from Alabama A&M with a degree in science and hospitality management in 2002. He then earned a master’s degree in educational policy and administration from Wisconsin in 2005.

by KU Sports Information

Kansas men’s basketball season tickets are now on sale for the 2011-12 season.

To order tickets fans must be active members of the Williams Educational Fund, which can be done by making a minimum gift pledge of just $100. Season ticket orders are subject to availability. However, Kansas Athletics expects to accommodate every season ticket application for the 2011-12 season.

“We’re lucky to play in the most prestigious building and in front of the greatest fans in all of college basketball,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “We are proud and so appreciative of our fans’ loyal attendance over the years. Our players love playing in a soldout Fieldhouse every game. ”

Season ticket prices will remain the same for 2011-12 and handling fees have been decreased. The season ticket package includes 19 home games: all 18 games in Allen Fieldhouse and the December 19 M&I Bank Kansas City Shootout against Davidson at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

The 2011-12 non-conference schedule features 10 home games, including defending Big Ten Conference champion Ohio State, Big East opponent South Florida and Big West champion Long Beach State. With a newly structured nine-game Big 12 conference home schedule, Jayhawk fans can once again expect Allen Fieldhouse to be one of the greatest environments in all of college basketball.

The Jayhawks have led its conference in home attendance each of the last 25 seasons and KU has sold out 164 games in Allen Fieldhouse dating back to the 2001-02 season.

Deadline to order season tickets is July 15. Seat locations will be allocated at the annual Select-A-Seat event, which begins August 15. Fans will receive a time to select their seats after all ticket applications have been processed.

For more information or to order tickets fans can visit kuathletics.com or call 800-34-HAWKS.

Three Kansas pitchers, Colton Murray (Philadelphia, 13th round), T.J. Walz (Oakland, 15th round) and Tanner Poppe (Tampa Bay, 37th round), were taken during the three-day Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, which concluded Wednesday afternoon.

Players have until Aug. 15 to agree to terms with the organization which drafted them or they must re-enter the draft the following season.

Murray, a right-handed pitcher from Overland Park, Kan., was taken with the 421st overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies. The junior appeared in 20 games for the Jayhawks in 2011, 18 of which were appearances from the bullpen. He posted a team-best seven saves and recorded a 3.79 ERA with a 3-4 record. Murray recorded 33 strikeouts in only 40.1 innings pitched, and allowed a .242 opponents batting average.

In his career, Murray went 6-9 with a 3.89 ERA in 80 games, and all but two were out of the bullpen. He recorded 11 saves and 108 strikeouts in 111 innings. His 11 saves are fourth all-time in the KU record books, while his 80 appearances are good for fourth all-time.

Walz, a senior right-handed pitcher out of Omaha, Neb., was taken by the Oakland Athletics with the 466th overall selection. He 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.

Poppe, a right-handed pitcher from Girard, Kan., was taken by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 1,140th overall pick. The sophomore righty started 13 games for KU this year, and appeared in one game out of the bullpen. He finished the season with a 3-6 record, with an ERA of 3.66, and was second on the team in both innings pitched (71 1/3) and strikeouts (47). Despite the 3-6 record, Poppe recorded quality starts against then-No. 1 TCU on Feb. 22 and No. 4 Texas on April 23, which was KU’s last Big 12 win of the season.

In his career, the sophomore pitcher appeared in 34 games, starting 22 with a 6-10 record, and an ERA of 4.40 and 78 strikeouts in 133 innings pitched. He is draft-eligible as a sophomore because he has already celebrated his 21st birthday.

In addition to the three current players drafted by Major League organizations, KU had three of its signees selected. Pitcher Cody Kukuk was taken by the Boston Red Sox in the seventh round (232 overall), outfielder Connor McKay was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 24th round (738 overall) and pitcher Robert Kahana was drafted by the Rockies in the 44th round (1,338 overall). All three players have until Aug. 15 to sign with their respective organizations.

Kansas’ football game at Georgia Tech scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 17, will be televised regionally it was announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference Wednesday afternoon. The game, which will be the Jayhawks’ first road game of the 2011 season, will be played at 11:30 (CT) at Bobby Dodd Stadium and will be broadcast by the ACC’s Regional Sports Network.

Kansas will open the 2011 football season with a home game versus McNeese State on Saturday, Sept. 3. The Jayhawks, under second-year head coach Turner Gill, will also host Northern Illinois (Sept. 10), Texas Tech (Oct. 1), Oklahoma (Oct. 15), Kansas State (Oct. 22) and Baylor (Nov. 12) at Memorial Stadium. KU will face Border Showdown rival Missouri on Saturday, Nov. 26 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.