Aldrich’s dad: Cole content at KU

All-Big 12 first-teamer Cole Aldrich, right, walks off the court with Big 12 Player of the Year Blake Griffin of Oklahoma.

Kansas University junior-to-be Cole Aldrich told the Journal-World before the NBA Draft he had no second thoughts about putting the pros on hold another year.

His dad, Walt, 51, of Bloomington, Minn., provided his take on his son’s skipping Thursday’s draft to the hometown St. Paul Pioneer Press.

“I was telling the guys at the firehouse the other day that it’s hard to believe someone turning down a million dollars to play basketball,” said Walt Aldrich, a volunteer fireman and unemployed sheet metal worker.

“But in the long run, he'll be better off,” Walt added. “Cole has no regrets about staying in school. Like he said, he might as well enjoy college and playing basketball because, next year, he'll be doing it as a job. And that’s true. It’s a job. The (NBA) probably would work him a lot more than in college — 80 games compared to 40.”

Walt’s son on Sunday will travel to work the Amare Stoudemire camp in Mesa, Ariz.

Cole’s dad, meanwhile, is hoping to find employment with a year to go before his son hits the big payday in the 2010 Draft.

“For too long,” Walter told the Pioneer Press, referring to being unemployed in this tough economy.

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overseashawk (anonymous) says...

Is it just me or does this picture of Blake Griffin make him look like a blind giant using Cole Aldrich as his guide dog?

June 26, 2009 at 3:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

lhohman3 (anonymous) says...

Wow. That was the worst NBA draft ever....(Jordan Hill goes 7th overall & Austin Daye is a top-20 pick???!!!! ) -- I really think if Cole had come out this year, he would've easily been taken 2nd overall, no doubt, after watching this terrible draft tonight....Thabeet is going to be horrible!!!! -- He's going to make Sam Bowie & Darko Milicic seem like a younger-in-shape Shaq.

Where would've Sherron have gone this year? - My guess, he would've gone to the Lakers at 29 (even though he hypothetically would've deserved to go higher) & they would've kept him to back up D. Fischer instead of trading the pick to NY) -- either way, he's absolutely going to inevitably be a much better pro point guard than B. Jennings, Jrue Holiday or Jonny Flynn...Wow. Just a dreadful draft...

June 26, 2009 at 4:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

njjayhawk (anonymous) says...

I think Santa Claus would have gone in the 1st round at #5 to Minnesota (Santa wanted to stay in a cold weather climate), and Easter Bunny would have gone at #8 to the NY Knicks, if both Santa and Bunny would have 'come out'. Woulda, coulda, shouda: who cares where Cole and Sherron would have been drafted and by whom last night - they didn't come out - they stayed with the Jayhawks to win another national championship; end of story. Enough of this NBA hypothetical nonsense and circus.

June 26, 2009 at 6:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Brock (anonymous) says...

Cole needs to get a lot stronger before facing The League. He made a good decision.

June 26, 2009 at 6:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Speakeasy (anonymous) says...

If Cole loves college so much (he says, "I'm having the time of my life"), why not stay for his senior season, too? No law that says you have to turn pro before your eligibility is up.

June 26, 2009 at 7:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

I hope Cole buys some insurance to offset the risk of losing his pro career to an injury in thug ball.

June 26, 2009 at 7:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

oljhwk (anonymous) says...

I'm glad he stayed too! He has a chance to be player of the year. I don't understand the draft. I watched it last night too. Why does the NBA require the "local" kids to be 21 to enter the draft (which I agree with) but the european kids don't have to meet that requirement? Ricky Rubio, picked 5th from Spain, is only 18 years old.

June 26, 2009 at 7:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

nash_hawk (anonymous) says...

Whichever KU players are drafted next year, let us hope that they are not reunited with Mario and Darrell at the 2010 NBA rookie orientation camp. Two attempts is quite enough Mario and Darrell...we are sure you learned your lesson and will show significantly more maturity this go around.

The 2009-'10 KU season is going to be so awesome!

RCJHKU

June 26, 2009 at 7:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

JayhawkCasey (anonymous) says...

Jaybate,
You are always saying thug ball. Do you really think that college ball is worse than pro? If you do you are crazy.

Oljhwk,
The NBA does not require local kids to be 21. They require them to be 19 or one year past their high school class graduation. Just trying to clarify.

June 26, 2009 at 8:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KEITHMILES05 (anonymous) says...

Why does the writer assume Cole is going to dole over his made money when he is in the NBA?

His Dad needs to take care of himself and not depend on Cole.

June 26, 2009 at 8:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

coloradojayhawk (anonymous) says...

I'm not wondering so much where Sherron and Cole would have gone. My wondering is where Chalmers and Arthur would have gone.

June 26, 2009 at 8:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

BabyJayBate (anonymous) says...

coloradojayhawk-
You would think that both Chalmers and Arthur would have been lottery picks in this draft. They would have at least been top 20.

June 26, 2009 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kcblackhawk19 (anonymous) says...

The number 6 overall pick of Minnesota's would have surely been the perfect fit for Cole. He would have had the opportunity to play along side another quality big in Al Jefferson and he would be playing for his hometown Timberwolves. He also would have the added benefit of playing with pass first point guard Ricky Rubio. The only thing the TWolves would have been missing is a scoring perimeter player, preferably one who was a shooter and could help space the floor.

Thats all wishful thinking though. Judging by the moves that were made by the Timberwolves their GM probably wouldn't have had the vision to add Cole anyway. Seems he has a fettish for undersized point gaurds.

June 26, 2009 at 8:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jayhawkinnc (anonymous) says...

As long as they are teammates, I hope B-Rush will relentlessly give Hansbrough constant crap about the '08 Final Four game and how KU made him look like a beeeotch!

June 26, 2009 at 9:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

NebraskaJayhawk (anonymous) says...

JayhawkCasey-

In defense of Jaybate (not that he needs anyone to)..... For you to say that there is not a difference between college and the NBA is rediculous. It's a huge jump in the physicalness (if that's not a word it should be) of the game. Everyone recognizes this...everyone.

June 26, 2009 at 9:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jpstrayer (anonymous) says...

Keithsmile...nice sentiment for a person who may have sacraficed more than we know for his son...."go take care of yourself"...typical "me first" mentality in our society now days...and people make fun of the old days when families took care of each other....good grief.

June 26, 2009 at 10:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

BabyJayBate (anonymous) says...

jaybate-
Could you give me a thorough explanation of what you mean by "thug ball"?

June 26, 2009 at 10:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KGphoto (anonymous) says...

overseashawk,

Yeah, I can't get past the picture. Blake is at least an inch taller than Cole. He's either wearing heels, tip toeing, or Cole is starting to fall from that vulcan neck thingy Blake is laying on him.

Cole looks like he's trying to say something, but it's too late. Something like, "I would like to enter my name in the NBA dra.... aauugh.. aaaaahhhg"

June 26, 2009 at 10:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

wrwlumpy (anonymous) says...

Mr. Carroll from MU in my opinion deserved his pick in the 1st round. Other than Bracken, no one gave the Jayhawks a tougher matchup, probably because Bake was injured both times he was suppose to play us.

June 26, 2009 at 11:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

odc213 (anonymous) says...

is cole a full 6'11" as he is listed??? Look at that photo!

June 26, 2009 at 11:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ralster (anonymous) says...

Ya, about that picture of BigBlake next to Cole: they really look the same height. Huge loss for OU, but whats to keep Blake at OU? Thing is, Blake may see some court time. Hansbrough may see very little. Brandon Rush has the last laugh on PsychoT--always will because of the 08 Final Four game...PsychoT personally was trying to give help defense, trying to stuff Rush, but Brandon literally outflew him to the basket, going higher and farther. And now, Rush is expected to be a starter, and I seriously doubt (will eat crow) if Hansbrough's limited athletic ability will allow him to become an NBA starter. Obviously different positions, refreshingly reassuring to know that once you look at true NBA 4s, psychoT cannot match up. He could play against that one girl, Jakim Noah (who last showed his hair at Florida)...who is on the Bulls roster, waiting to be displaced by the-next-better-player.

June 26, 2009 at 11:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )