Prep players flocking for Late Night in Phog

One of the top young shooting guards from Lithuania will be making an official campus visit to Kansas University on Oct. 15-16.

Martynas Pocius, a 6-foot-5, 190–pound high school senior at the Holderness School in Plymouth, N.H., will attend Late Night in the Phog a week from Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse. Pocius will visit Duke on Oct. 22-23 and Arizona on Oct. 29-30.

“I am hoping that Martynas will be ready to make a decision after he is done taking all three visits, but if he feels that more visits need to take place, we will schedule more visits,” Holderness coach Jamie Gallagher told Shay Wildeboor of rivals.com.

Pocius also is considering Texas, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Utah.

Other blue-chip players who plan to attend Late Night are three seniors who orally have committed to KU — Mario Chalmers, 6-1, Anchorage; Micah Downs, 6-8, Bothell, Wash.; and Julian Wright, 6-8, Chicago Heights, Ill.

C.J. Henry, a 6-3 senior from Putnam City High in suburban Oklahoma City, also will attend, as will Jerry Smith, a 6-2 junior from Wauwatosa, Wis.

Matt Bouldin, a 6-5 junior guard from Denver, and Dale Vanwright, a 6-6 junior guard from Houston, are considering attending Late Night.

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Collison finally healthy: Former KU forward Nick Collison said at Monday’s Seattle SuperSonics Media Day he felt no pain in his surgically repaired shoulders. The 6-9, 255-pounder showed up for Seattle’s first workout with sweat bands on each wrist.

“I think I’m the only guy in the league who uses them for what they’re intended,” Collison told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “To keep my hands dry because I sweat a lot.”

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Gooden’s new number: Former Jayhawk forward Drew Gooden of the Cleveland Cavaliers is wearing jersey No. 90 this year. The 6-10, 242-pound third-year pro wore No. 0 at Kansas University and in Memphis his rookie season and No. 9 last year in Orlando.

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Jacque’s competition: Point guard Travis Best, who has played with Indiana, Chicago, Miami and Dallas in a nine-year NBA career, signed with New Jersey on Monday. According to New York media, Best immediately vaulted ahead of former Jayhawk Jacque Vaughn as the team’s No. 1 point guard.

Perennial all-star Jason Kidd is out for an undetermined period of time following offseason knee surgery.

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Pierce not jealous: Former KU forward Paul Pierce says there will be no clash of egos between himself and veteran guard Gary Payton.

“Gary is going to be great with us,” Pierce told the Boston Globe. “He’s going to solidify the point guard spot, really show us some leadership at that position, something we haven’t had there in a while. We both can definitely feed off one another. He has a great passion for the game along with myself. We’re just going to push each other every day and make each other better.”

Former Jayhawk Raef LaFrentz of the Celtics is limping at training camp as he recovers from offseason right knee surgery.

“I played 18 years with tendinitis in my knee,” Celtics’ GM Danny Ainge told the Boston Herald. “Is there pain (in LaFrentz’ knee)? Yeah. But it’s not like there is structural damage.”

Added LaFrentz: “As I keep playing, I’ll get my basketball legs under me and I’ll continue to get stronger and I don’t see any problems. Right now, I fully intend to have a 100 percent workload and do everything we’re doing as a team.”

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Pollard shrinks: Former Jayhawk Scot Pollard of the Indiana Pacers lost 10 pounds in the offseason and now is 6-11, 265.

“I think Pollard looks great,” Pacers’ coach Rick Carlisle said.

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Price ailing: A.J. Price, a freshman guard at UConn who has been listed in critical condition since Monday in the intensive care unit at Hartford Hospital, apparently is not suffering from meningitis.

Price visited KU last year as a senior at New York’s Amityville High, ultimately choosing UConn over KU.

“We got close to A.J. and his family. He’s a terrific kid, a great kid and great player,” KU coach Bill Self said Tuesday, expressing shock at the situation. “You never expect to hear of anybody being seriously ill, especially a well-conditioned athlete.”

UConn officials and players have declined to comment about Price’s condition, saying they were respecting the wishes of the Price family.