If Lagerald Vick makes strides in his third season at Kansas, he wouldn’t be the program’s first dramatic junior jump.
Brett Ballard witnessed one such instance first-hand.
Ballard, the former KU guard (2000-02), played alongside Kirk Hinrich during the latter’s explosive junior campaign. During the 2001-02 season, Hinrich averaged 14.8 points on 54.1-percent shooting, pitching in five assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Hinrich continued to raise his profile as a senior, guiding the Jayhawks to a national runner-up finish, and enjoyed the fruits of his labor when he was selected with the seventh pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.