Kansas University senior basketball players Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich are starting to reap the benefits of staying in school.

Hinrich and Collison, who toyed with the idea of entering the NBA draft after their junior year, will head to Chicago this weekend to be photographed as Playboy Magazine Preseason All-Americans.

The Iowans will participate in a banquet, photo shoot and basketball clinic for youngsters with fellow honorees T.J. Ford (Texas), Hollis Price (Oklahoma), Michael Sweetney (Georgetown), David West (Xavier), Luke Walton (Arizona), Matt Bonner (Florida), Rick Rickert (Minnesota) and Brandin Knight (Pitt).

The NCAA allows Playboy to pay for the players’ expenses. The players, however, can’t do any promotional work for the magazine.

Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson, who was named Playboy Coach of the Year, has declined to pose for the shoot.

“For me it was (a morality issue),” Sampson told the Daily Oklahoman. “Plus, we took a family vote and (daughter) Lauren looked at me like she was going to kill me if I did it. Honestly, it’s more important to me that they chose me to get that honor. Being there (in the magazine) is not that important to me.”

KU coach Roy Williams one year also declined to have his picture taken by Playboy out of respect for Dean Smith’s wife, who was against Smith’s posing in the magazine when he was so honored. Eric Chenowith was KU’s last Playboy All-American, prior to his junior year (1999-00).

Hinrich and Collison, who will work Michael Jordan’s camp for youths Aug. 1-5 in Santa Barbara, Calif., likely will make several preseason All-America teams.

Frank Burlison of Fox Sports has made Hinrich his early pick to win the 2003 Wooden Award.

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Exempt tourneys dealt blow: A federal judge on Friday ruled in favor of the NCAA and denied a motion for a preliminary injunction on a rule that allows schools to play in just two “exempt” tournaments in a four-year span.

The 2-in-4 rule, which will remain in effect this school year, limits college teams to two appearances in four seasons in tourneys like the Maui Invitational, Rainbow Classic, Preseason NIT, Great Alaska Shootout, KC Guardian’s Classic, Coaches V. Cancer Classic and Puerto Rico Shootout.

In exempt tourneys, as many as three games count as just one game on the schedule. In the future, look for KU to play in just the Maui Invite and NIT.

“To me it is silly to do away with the kind of events that are educational tools and great educational experiences for the players,” Kansas coach Roy Williams said. “Also, it’s been a great help for schools like Hawaii and Alaska (Anchorage) who have a difficult time getting teams to come in. If you don’t have Maui and Alaska and Puerto Rico, you will not have those marquee matchups you have early in the season that you have now. I think it will hurt college basketball.

“A lot of money has been raised for charity. The argument given is everybody doesn’t have a chance to do it.

The argument is that schools like KU always are invited while smaller schools like, say, Western Illinois or UMKC, rarely get an invitation.

“So many do have a chance to do it. If you have a chance to do good for many people why cut it out just because it’s not enough (people),” KU’s coach said.

KU, which might have played in the Guardians Classic or Coaches V. Cancer Classic next year, won’t be in an exempt event. KU will be in the Preseason NIT this season.

“We’ll play in Maui four years from now and the NIT four years from this coming season,” KU senior athletic director Richard Konzem said. “It’s the cycle we’re on. I think our stance is we’d prefer to see an exempt event every year. We are a school attractive enough to get to play in one every year. It’s been very good experience for our players and very good experiences for our fans who like to attend those type of events.”

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Wedding bells: Former KU basketball player Jacque Vaughn married Lawrence High and KU grad Laura DePaolis last Saturday at Corpus Christi with a reception at Alvamar. All of KU’s coaches attended, plus ex-Jayhawks like Scot Pollard, Greg Ostertag, Rex Walters, Ryan Robertson, Steve Ransom, Greg Gurley, B.J. Williams, Sean Pearson and Scott Novosel. Ostertag recently had surgery to remove a kidney which he donated to his sister.

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This and that: Look for KU’s basketball schedule to be released next Monday or Tuesday at the latest. KU is still working to fill one date on the slate, and the Big 12 has many game times still undecided . Â Bryant Nash, who wore jersey No. 15 his first two years as a Jayhawk, has decided to switch to No. 33. Luke Axtell had No. 33 when Nash first arrived in Lawrence. Â Memphis Grizzlies forward Drew Gooden has missed two games at the Rocky Mountain Review in Utah because of tendinitis in his knee.