How close did Kansas come to losing not one, but three juniors to the NBA this spring?

Closer than you might think.

“People I don’t think realized how seriously me and Kirk both were looking at it,” KU junior power forward Nick Collison said of he and junior shooting guard Kirk Hinrich pondering joining fellow junior Drew Gooden in the 2002 NBA Draft.

“I think both of us considered it a lot. There are so many things involved, but I think in the end we both decided we could get better from another year and improve our chances next year to move up quite a bit with all the guys leaving this year.

“Plus we are having such a good time here in school. Another year here a senior year is something you can’t replace, either. But we were both definitely seriously considering it.”

Speaking on Tuesday before packing up and heading to his hometown of Iowa Falls, Iowa, for a couple weeks before the start of summer school, Collison said he and Hinrich gave the NBA serious consideration when KU coach Roy Williams told the duo he’d learned from NBA personnel they, like Gooden, both were considered certain first-round picks.

Collison averaged 15.6 points and 8.3 boards a game for the Jayhawks (33-4) last season, while Hinrich added an average of 14.8 points, 5.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds an outing.

“It’s tough as a 21-year-old man to turn down being a guaranteed millionaire, doing something you like to do,” Collison said of the decision. “But also you look at the opportunity will probably be there in the future and it’ll probably be a better one hopefully. I’m counting on having a better year. I don’t think there’s any doubt in my mind I’ll have a better year than this past year.

“The only real issue then is getting injured. My parents told me, ‘You have never done anything in your life based on whether you are going to get injured.’ You can’t take anything like that into account. You have to take risks sometimes. I felt like business-wise I’ll be in a better situation next year,” Collison added.

Business wasn’t the only factor to consider in making the decision.

“The biggest part of it was I didn’t want to give up my senior year of school,” Collison said. “I’ve had so much fun here. The way coach Williams treats us with respect everyone in our program is genuinely happy to be here. My teammates and coach Williams we have so much fun on and off the court. My senior year will be so much fun I didn’t want to give it up.

“I’d definitely rather be at Kansas next year than probably sitting on the bench somewhere in the NBA, going city to city, things like that. I felt there was just too much to give up.”

Collison did say he most certainly would have bolted KU had Hinrich he, like Collison, was considered a Nos. 15-29 pick in Round One decided to enter the draft.

“We made the decisions on our own, but I think if one of us had decided to come out that would have played a role in the other’s decision,” Collison said. “If Kirk would have decided to go I probably would have been more likely to come out myself because of a lot of things, like the team we had coming back.

“I still think we can do it. I think we’ll be a very good team. You lose two great players (like Gooden and Hinrich) I don’t know. I had so much fun this year, I don’t know if I could handle going 24-10 again.

“Those were all things I had to look at. It would have definitely affected us but we each made the decision on our own because it’s each a different situation in terms of position and guys in the draft.”

Hinrich added: “I decided I wanted an opportunity to finish the season on a better note than we did this year (Final Four semifinal loss to Maryland), and to better myself as a player under coach Williams’ guidance. I think the idea of coming back was also very attractive since I would have the opportunity to just be a kid again for another year and enjoy all the great moments which come with being a Kansas basketball player.”

Summer school: Collison and Hinrich will not be playing for any USA Basketball teams this summer. They and all their returning teammates will be attending the first session of summer school at KU.

This is the year the Big 12 is scheduled to send a men’s all-star team overseas. Yet the league has not yet finalized plans to do so. If a team is sent, at least one Jayhawk likely would be selected to play for a team led by Baylor coach Dave Bliss.

“I plan to take summer school both terms,” Hinrich said. “I am trying to graduate next May. Hopefully, I can do that.”

Collison said: “I will stay here for summer school, lift weights and work on my game. I will be here most of the summer.”

Thomas tribute: The Kansas Cagerz on Friday retired former Jayhawk guard Billy Thomas’ No. 12 jersey during a halftime ceremony.

Thomas was the first player to sign with the Kansas Cagerz after the USBL franchise moved to Salina from Columbus, Ohio, four years ago. Thomas played three seasons for the Cagerz. He was MVP of the National Basketball Developmental League this past season and has a shot at making an NBA roster next season.