4B THI
6B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2004
BASKETBALL: Players sign commitment
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"He is about as fun to watch as any player out there because he just knows how to play." Self said. "He's tall. He's skilled. He can block shots, can rebound."
"With all of the great players and winning tradition, they're always in the tournament," Downs said. "It is just a great place to play college basketball."
Downs said it was Kansas' tradition that lured him to the school.
Downs said he was well aware that Self wanted him to have an immediate impact next season.
"Kansas is losing four seniors, and if J.R. leaves, I have a great chance to get valuable minutes next season." Downs said.
He said he committed in May because he didn't want to have to worry about choosing a school during his senior season.
He averaged 19.7 points, almost 12 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a junior at Juanita High School in Kirkland, Wash. He is the fourth-ranked shooting guard in the nation according to Rivals.com
He chose Kansas over Duke, Gonzaga and Washington.
Mario Chalmers
A 6-1 point guard from
A 6-1 poi Anchorage, Alaska, Chalmers is the top-rated player at his position by Rivals.com.
Chalmers' father, Ronnie Chalmers, is the coach of
his son's high school team and said Mario had been a fan of Self since Self coached at Illinois.
CHALMERS
He added that Self was one of the biggest reasons that his son chose Kansas.
"Coach Self just made him feel like one of the guys," Chalmers said. "He loved the family atmosphere at Kansas."
Self said Mario Chalmers had a physique similar to current Kansas freshman guard Russell Robinson, with long arms and good athleticism.
"He is a guy that you can throw lobs to." Self said. "He can play with the ball in his hands and score off of the catch."
Like Downs, Ronnie Chalmers said Mario committed in May because the recruiting process was getting crazy.
"He had many choices, and he didn't want to go through the '04-'05 season with this on his mind," Ronnie Chalmers said.
Mario Chalmers and his father both attended Late Night in the Phog, when five jerseys with prospective recruits' names were waved around the court.
"He doesn't get worked up about a lot of things, but you could see it in his eyes that night," his father said. "If he had any doubts, they were erased that night."
Self said next year, he would play both Chalmers and Robinson at the same time. But he said they could both handle the ball and play point.
Chalmers averaged 23.2 points, six assists and almost six
rebounds a game in his junior season at Bartlett High School. He chose Kansas over Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia Tech.
Iulian Wright
always wanted Wright, but after Self had stomach surgery last spring, he could not travel to Wright's hometown of Chicago to see him play.
Self said the Jayhawks had
WRIGHT
Self said Kansas had to compete with other schools for Wright all summer, but when the Wrights allowed Self's staff into their home, it helped seal the deal.
Self said it was the best home visit he ever had, because he had talked to Wright only one time before he went to his house for a visit.
"Not very often do you go into home visits not expecting much and come away with everything," Self said.
Self and assistant coach Curtis Townsend treated the visit like a normal one.
When the coaches initially left Wright's house, neither thought the recruit would commit.
But then about 15 minutes later, the Wrights phoned Self and told him to come back over. Self remembers going back over to the house and finding a happy family.
"He (Julian) said 'I'm coming,' and I said 'That's great, where are we going.' Self said. "And he said I'm coming to Kansas,' and I basically said Julian, I know you are coming to Kansas, you already told me that you are coming to visit." And he said 'I am committing.'
Wright is a 6-8 forward from Chicago Heights, Ill. Self said he was one of the best all-around players that he had ever signed. Wright has ball handling and post skills, but more importantly, he is a good passer, Self said. He could play four of the five positions for Kansas.
"His shot is getting more consistent, but the thing about him is that he doesn't care about scoring." Self said. "He could dominate a game without shooting the basketball, and there aren't too many players out there like that."
Downs, Chalmers and Wright met this summer at an NBA Players Association basketball camp. Downs said he and Chalmers were roommates and became friends.
The three also got to see each other during Late Night at the Phog.
With one scholarship left, Self said he was not in a hurry to sign anyone.
"The one positive about having a scholarship is that you know what your team's needs are more than if you would have given it away back in September." Self said.
— Edited by Jon Ralston
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