There has been great interest in Kansas University Continuing Education’s “KU For Lawrence” class involving KU basketball.

So far, 150 community members have signed up for the non-credit course, “KU Men’s Basketball: Legends, Traditions and the Sixth Man,” set for Sept. 17, 24 and Oct. 2 and 8 at Horejsi Center behind Allen Fieldhouse.

Speakers/teachers will include KU coach Roy Williams, announcers Bob Davis and Max Falkenstien, KU prof Norman Yetman and former Jayhawk coach and player Jerry Waugh.

“We’ll cut it off at 500 (students),” says Heather Hoy of Continuing Ed. “We didn’t want to have a ‘presentation in the round’ at Horejsi, so we think 500 is the right number.”

About 500 will sit in the main bleachers right in front of the speaker.

Fee is $48. One can sign up at kuce.org or by calling 785-864-5823. A Continuing Ed tabloid will be featured in the Journal-World on Aug. 25. A KU football class also is being planned by KU Continuing Ed, perhaps for spring 2003.

Gardner to visit MU: Thomas Gardner, a 6-foot-4 guard from Portland, Ore., tells rivalshoops.com he will visit Missouri on Sept. 6. He’s also considering Kansas, Virginia and UConn. The prep teammate of KU’s Aaron Miles and Michael Lee has yet to set a visit date to KU.

Padgetts like Haase: The presence of Jerod Haase on KU’s basketball staff could help the Jayhawks in pursuit of Reno, Nev., recruit David Padgett.

Haase, who hails from Tahoe, is a hero in Nevada. Now an administrative assistant on KU’s staff, Haase met with the parents of the 6-11 Padgett during their trip to Lawrence last weekend.

“Jerod played against some of my teams in the past,” Pete Padgett, David’s father and prep coach, told analyst Shay Wildeboor of rivalshoops.com. David is considering KU, Arizona, Stanford, North Carolina, Oregon and Cal. “He is one of the best players that ever played in the state. It was really nice seeing him again and he is a real great person. He will be a great coach one day.”