Hard-nosed Kirk Hinrich hit the deck hard and suffered a hip pointer while playing in a pick-up basketball game last Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.

Since it’s not the regular season, the 6-foot-3 combo guard is questionable for tonight’s Late Night With Roy Williams intrasquad scrimmage at Allen Fieldhouse.

Doors for Late Night open at 6 p.m. with skits to start at 10 p.m.

“Kirk  I may not let him participate. My guess is he would want to go and probably could go,” Kansas coach Williams said. “As much as I like Late Night, I like watching the guys dance and like to sit back and laugh at ’em more than anything.”

Hinrich  the “best guard in the country,” according to his coach  does indeed want to scrimmage tonight.

“I banged it. It’s a hip pointer. It’s feeling better,” Hinrich said. “I want to be out there. I think it’ll be all right as long as I don’t get hit there again. I might need to wear a pad.”

As far as his final Late Night festivities, Hinrich said, “It’s fun once the clock strikes 12. I don’t like making a fool of myself as much anymore.”

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Thumb is healing: Bryant Nash, who broke his right thumb on Sept. 19, today will be checked by doctors to see if he can begin practicing.

“I’d like to play at Late Night, but we have to see how it’s doing,” Nash said of the thumb. “It’s funny because when it happened I thought I just jammed it.”

He went up to block a driving layup by Aaron Miles, slamming his hand on Miles’ knee.

“I kept playing. The next day I woke up and it was swollen so I went to the trainer,” Nash said.

He’s hoping for a big junior year.

“Hopefully I can fill that role coming in off the bench,” Nash said. “I’m definitely confident and ready to play like everybody else.”

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Hawkins improved: Jeff Hawkins, a 5-11 freshman guard from Kansas City, is eligible to play after red-shirting his first year at KU.

“Last year, there were a lot of things I didn’t like (about Hawkins). He really turned over a new leaf in the offseason,” Williams said. “He worked extremely hard in class (in summer) and as an individual in the weight room. The old guys  guys like Steve Woodberry, Rex Walters, Drew (Gooden) who play pick-up  tell me Jeff has improved more maybe than anybody on our team.”

Hawkins gave Williams some additional gray hairs a year ago.

“We had a couple pretty good heart-to-hearts, so I’m hopeful he’ll be able to help us,” Williams said.

Hawkins admits that he was in the coach’s doghouse at times a year ago.

“A lot of minor things like missing class, not being prepared for shootaround. I’d forget my shorts,” Hawkins said with a smile. “I had a talk with coach before the end of the school year and I made an improvement in my attitude.”

Hawkins said he missed two classes a year ago and had to report for punishment in the form of 7 a.m. running.

“I missed two classes and was late a minute for tutoring. If you are late one minute or an hour, it’s the same,” Hawkins said. “The 7 a.m.’s kill you. I had two of them.

“Freshmen have seven hours of tutoring. I had 13. This year I have no tutoring so you see how I’m doing better. Last year coach wouldn’t say much to me. He’d say something, but I’d think he wasn’t really all that happy with me. This year he’ll stop and talk and I can hold a nice conversation with him, so yes, I think he’s happy with me. I am more mature, definitely.”

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Wooden award: Williams will receive the John R. Wooden “Legends of Coaching” honor, the award’s chairman and founder Richard “Duke” Llewellyn announced Thursday. Williams joins an impressive list of previous winners, including North Carolina’s Dean Smith, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Arizona’s Lute Olson and last year’s honoree, Louisville’s Denny Crum.

“We’re proud to associate our award with a coach and a man of Roy’s caliber,” said Llewellyn. “His record on the court speaks for itself. He’s achieved success by preaching fundamentals and teamwork, and he has created a family atmosphere at Kansas that turns out respectful and well-mannered young men.”

Responded Williams, “I was stunned to receive anything with the word ‘legend’ on it. I am honored to receive something with coach Wooden’s name on it. That is extremely important to me. Coach Wooden stands for the highest principles as a basketball coach. Coach Wooden and coach Smith  those are people I try to emulate every day.” He’ll receive the award next spring in Los Angeles.

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Cover story: Seniors traditionally grace the cover of the KU men’s basketball media guide and the 2002-03 edition is no exception. Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich, the Jayhawks’ two seniors, are pictured in a low-angle shot taken in front of Allen Fieldhouse.

What’s unusual is that both Collison and Hinrich are pictured wearing identical tan-colored dress suits.

“I had a couple of suits at the cleaners,” Collison said, smiling. “We knew it would look funny, but  and mine’s a little wrinkled, too. You’ll have to cover that up.”