Aldrich nets honor

Kansas University junior center Cole Aldrich has been named Blue Ribbon Yearbook’s preseason college basketball player of the year.

KU senior guard Sherron Collins joined Aldrich on the publication’s preseason All-America team.

Duke’s Kyle Singler, Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody and Ohio State’s Evan Turner joined the KU duo on the All-America team. The Jayhawks are Blue Ribbon’s preseason No. 1 pick.

KU, Minnesota may play soon

There’s a chance Kansas University and the University of Minnesota will schedule a men’s basketball series in the future.

The Gophers are trying to bring top-level nonconference opponents to their campus arena, but have had little luck in the past.

“No one will play us. Louisville just said no, Marquette no, Florida no, Iowa State no….. I’ll keep trying,” Minnesota director of basketball operations Joe Esposito said on his Twitter feed this week.

KU would be willing to play a home-and-home in the campus arena.

“It’s a possibility in the future,” KU senior associate athletic director Larry Keating told both the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and the Journal-World. “Bill (Self, KU) and Tubby (Smith, UM) have talked in the past. We’ve talked a couple times and have not been able to work it out. I’m sure at some point we’ll probably work something out, definitely not next year.”

Releford’s brother picks Alabama

Trevor Releford, the brother of Kansas University sophomore Travis Releford, on Friday night orally committed to play basketball at the University of Alabama.

Releford, 5-foot-10, from Bishop Miege in Roeland Park, chose the Crimson Tide over Oklahoma. Kansas University did not pursue Releford.