MP3 clip: Coach Williams' expectations for Kirk this year (10-10-02) play Hinrich honored by Big 12 (12-24-02) Woodling: Hinrich lives up to billing (12-22-02) 6Sports video reports: Hinrich expects to be emotional leader (12-10-02) Hinrich snags another honor (11-13-02) Hinrich eyed NBA seriously (11-4-02) Hinrich hobbled by hip pointer (10-11-02) 6Sports video reports: Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich are Playboy All-Americans (7-22-02)

Gary Bedore's thoughts: To think, Hinrich would have been playing for Iowa State all these years had Tim Floyd not bolted to the Chicago Bulls.

Yep, Hinrich had committed to Iowa State, but changed his mind and reopened his recruiting after former Cyclone coach Floyd bolted to the NBA during Hinrich's his senior year of high school.

Hinrich is hard nosed -- will anybody ever forget him playing against Stanford in the NCAA Tournament despite a severe ankle sprain? -- and quite frankly wants to win as badly as anybody who has ever worn a KU uniform.

He cares not about stats.

He can stick the three-pointer as well as take it to the hole.He's a good defender and won't back down against anybody. Analysts say he has a 10 to 15-year NBA career ahead of him. Maybe 20 years. Can you say John Stockton II?

As you can see, I am high on Hinrich, who is an overachiever who pretty much can do it all.

Highlights: Enters season ranked 32nd on KU's all-time scoring list (1,112), eighth on three-point field goal list (146), fifth on assists list (538) ... first-team all-Big 12 pick his junior year after averaging 14.8 ppg, 5.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds ... hit 54.1 percent of shots and 47.8 percent of threes ... hit for 17.5 ppg in conference play ... averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 32.7 minutes per game his soph season, dishing 229 assists. Hinrich, who hit 84.3 percent of his free throws soph season, led the team in scoring in four games and in assists 29 times. In high school, numerous individual honors including Co-Iowa Mr. Basketball (with Collison), all-metro, all-northwest Iowa and all-state tournament.

More on Kirk:

Full Name: Kirk James Hinrich. Favorite Food: Nachos. Favorite TV Show: Seinfeld, Martin, The Life. Favorite Musical Group: Jagged Edge. Nickname: Tuss, KRich. Most Interesting Thing I Did In Summer: Summer school.

Toughest Arena I Played In: Gallagher-Iba. After College I Plan On: NBA. Favorite Hobby Other Than Basketball: Golf. Favorite Actor/Actress: Halle Berry. I Try To Mold My Game After: Gary Payton. I Chose My Jersey Number Because: 12 wasn't available.

Favorite Vacation Spot: Maui. Favorite TV Sports Personality: Len Elmore. Favorite NBA Player: Gary Payton, Stephon Marbury. Thing I Like Most About KU: Tradition. Favorite Movie: Braveheart. Best Player I've Ever Faced: Alex Murphy. Favorite Non Basketball Pro Team: Washington Redskins. If I Could Have Dinner With Anyone: China (wrestler).