Post by hoya01 on Jul 10, 2005 8:19:29 GMT -5
sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2104660
Former Kansas guard J.R. Giddens will transfer to New Mexico, a source close to the Lobos' program told ESPN.com on Saturday night.
Giddens was on his recruiting visit in Albuquerque on Friday and Saturday and told New Mexico coach Ritchie McKay of his intentions. Giddens would have to sit out next season and be eligible to play in 2006-07.
Giddens was essentially pushed out of Kansas after his involvement in a Lawrence brawl on May 19. An announcement came from the school on July 1. Giddens suffered a severed artery in his right calf during the fight and needed surgery to close the wound. Giddens isn't expected to be cleared to play basketball until September.
Giddens would have been Kansas' top returning scorer, averaging 10 points a game last season. Kansas coach Bill Self had penciled in Giddens to be the go-to scorer before the brawl. The 6-5 Giddens was signed by former Kansas coach Roy Williams.
Giddens had a tentative recruiting visit set up for Tennessee next week and possibly Florida. Arizona State, UTEP and Pittsburgh had shown initial interest in the Oklahoma City native.
McKay came off the road from recruiting high school players to meet Giddens in Albuquerque. McKay spent the first day of the evaluation period in Oklahoma City watching Giddens work out, albeit light shooting, on July 6.
The Lobos sold Giddens on trying to do what Danny Granger did, which was lead the Lobos to the NCAA Tournament in his second season and become a first-round NBA draft pick. Giddens will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. The Lobos, who won the Mountain West tournament last March, also picked up Penn State forward Aaron Johnson, who will sit out next season.