Richard Devinki / KANSAN
Kansas freshman guard Jacque Vaughn prepares to shoot during practice. Vaughn is one of the freshmen that Coach Roy Williams expects to play early in the season.
Jayhawks' recruiting class features talent and variety
By Mark Button
Kansan sportswriter
The future of Kansas basketball might have never looked so bright.
Kansas coach Roy Williams and his staff last season were responsible for bringing in, according to most recruiting experts, one of the five best recruiting classes in the nation.
The class of four freshmen is led by point guard Jacque Vaughn, 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. The Pasadena, Calif., native was selected as the Big Eight Conference's preseason freshman of the year.
He averaged 21 points and 16 assists a game for John Muir High School, the same school of former Jayhawk Kirk Wagner and NBA standout Stacey Augmon. Vaughn, a pre-law major at Kansas, led his high school team to the Los Angeles city championship with a 29-5 record, while earning a 3.97 grade point average in the classroom.
Vaughn will battle junior point guard Calvin Rayford for the starting position, but Williams said that both men would be plenty of playing time.
"Jacque is truly an outstanding youngman who happens to be a very good basketball player," Williams said. "He will be a joy to watch."
Senior guard Steve Woodberry said that Vaughn impressed him the most of the newcomers.
"He has great leadership qualities," Woodberry said. "He knows the game and will help us a bunch."
B. J. Williams, 6-8, 200 pounds and still growing, played high school ball at Woodberry's alma mater, Wichita South High School. He plays the forward spot, but has the ability to roam the perimeter and he can shoot the three-point shot. Williams said that in time, B.J. Williams could play at the small forward spot, which usually gets to take some perimeter shots. As for now, Williams is playing behind senior forward Richard Scott at the big forward position.
"B.J. may seem to be a little quiet, then he will do something to really shock you," Williams said.
Scot Pollard, 6-11 and 240 pounds, will be called on to contribute early this season. He is junior Greg Ostertag's backup at center.
Pollard played with Vaughn last summer on the North team that won the gold medal at the United States Olympic Festival games.
"Scot has the desire to be a great player, and I think he will be," Williams said. "His ability to rebound, run the floor and play defense can get him a lot of minutes this year."
The last of the freshmen is Australian native Nick Proud. Proud has suffered from immensely bad fortune during the past year. He injured his knee after only the third game of his high school senior year at Sandy Alta High School in Sandy, Utah. His knee still hasn't rehabilitated 100 percent from the injury and, upon arriving at Kansas, he was struck with mononucleosis, a condition which inflames one's spleen. His spleen was then agitated when, in the second practice of the year, Proud was elbowed in the stomach.
Williams said that he didn't expect Proud to be completely healthy until mid-December at the earliest.
"Nick is really a skilled, big man," Williams said. "I hope his knee will allow him to show the KU fans what he can do."
With Kansas playing in the preseason National Invitational Tournament, the team had only 14 practices in which to prepare for the season. The freshmen, who aren't familiar with the Kansas system, are under particular pressure to learn things quickly.
However, despite Proud's problems with injuries, Williams said that he was pleased with the freshmen's progress.
"Scot, Jacque and B.J. are progressing nicely — because they have to," he said. "They're going to have to step in and play some minutes for us quickly."
November 17, 1993 University Daily Kansan • COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW
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