’Hawks in the NBA expected at fieldhouse Saturday

Sacramento Kings' Ben McLemore (16) shoots in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, in Miami. The Heat defeated the Kings 122-103. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Lubbock, Texas ? Kansas University usually has some special guests in the Allen Fieldhouse stands for games on the Saturday of NBA All-Star weekend.

It will be no different this Saturday when KU plays host to Baylor in a noon tip.

So far, Nick Collison of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Ben McLemore of the Sacramento Kings have asked for tickets, KU officials indicated. Of course, there could, and likely will be, more Jayhawks in the NBA requesting seats as the week progresses.

KANSAS 73, TEXAS TECH 51

• Box score

Mock drafts: Draftexpress.com’s latest mock draft has KU’s Kelly Oubre Jr. being selected No. 9 and Cliff Alexander No. 17 in the first round of the June NBA Draft. NBAdraft.net has Oubre going No. 10 and Alexander No. 20 of the first round. NBAdraft.net lists Perry Ellis as No. 17 pick in Round Two.

Pollard over Duncan?: San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters Monday in Indiana that he considered drafting KU’s Scot Pollard instead of Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan in the 1997 NBA Draft. Duncan went No. 1 and Pollard No. 19.

“It’s a true story. I loved the way Scot played. Timmy was really smooth and all that, so (you wonder) ‘is that going to translate? Is he going to be tough?’ He was long and lanky and thin and Scot Pollard was out there kicking you-know-what and taking names,” Popovich told NBA.com’s Mark Montieth.

“It was actually a conversation. I also have to say that notion didn’t last real long. But it did come up.”

Popovich insisted he wasn’t joking, in spite of the fact Pollard, an Indiana Pacers broadcaster, was within earshot of the interview.

The story is available here: Pollard over Duncan? Well, maybe

Yahoo.com’s Ball Don’t Lie take is available here: Gregg Popovich swears he briefly considered drafting Scot Pollard over Tim Duncan

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