Hinrich says he'll play at Kansas
Posted: Friday October 09, 1998 05:47 PM
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Kirk Hinrich of Sioux City West has orally committed to play basketball at Kansas, choosing coach Roy Williams' program over Oklahoma.
"I want to give a crack at playing for the best school I can," said Hinrich, who withdrew an oral commitment to Iowa State last summer after Cyclones coach Tim Floyd left to take a job with the Chicago Bulls. "I'm sure some people have their doubts; people say I can't play at Kansas.
"I'm determined to go down there and give it all I've got. It's an awesome basketball school."
Hinrich becomes the second top prospect that Williams has lured out of Iowa this year. Nick Collison, who led Iowa Falls to the 1997-98 Class 2A state championship, announced last month that he planned to attend Kansas.
Collison, a 6-foot-9 senior post player, is the son of Briar Cliff College graduate Dave Collison and was a teammate of Hinrich's in various all-star competitions the last two summers.
"That played a role," Hinrich said. "It'll be nice to know somebody down there. Hopefully I'll be able to room with him."
The son of West High basketball coach Jim Hinrich attracted the attention of several major college coaches with his performance for the USA men's 17-under basketball team that won a gold medal in the World Youth Games in Russia last summer.
Major basketball powers including Duke and defending national champion Kentucky were among those pursuing Hinrich after he withdrew his oral commitment to Iowa State.
Hinrich, who took his official visit to the Jayhawks' Lawrence, Kansas, campus last weekend, told Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson of his choice late Thursday night.
"That was the toughest part," said the West senior. "I really like Coach Sampson."
The proximity of Kansas, where Hinrich's sister is a junior, also influenced the decision.
West High has qualified for the state basketball tournament in all three of Hinrich's previous prep seasons.
The 6-3 guard had a team-high 18.1 points a game last winter while leading the Wolverines to a 20-2 record. He averaged 12 points a game as a sophomore when West finished as the Class 4A state runner-up.
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