Current NBA players Ochai Agbaji, Devonté Graham, Svi Mykhailiuk and Jalen Wilson will participate in the 17th annual Rock Chalk Roundball Classic.
The showcase basketball game is set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 10 at Free State High School in Lawrence, game organizer Brian Hanni has announced.
All proceeds from the exhibition game provide financial support for area families of children battling cancer.
There’s still a chance a fifth NBA player, Christian Braun of the Denver Nuggets, will play in the game and/or attend the celebrity dinner on July 11 at Burge Union. Braun hit a halfcourt shot en route to a game-high 24 points in last year’s Roundball Classic.
Others who thus far have confirmed they will play or coach in the Classic, which will include an autograph session at the conclusion of the game: former Jayhawk basketball players Darnell Jackson, Michael Lee, Mitch Lightfoot, Greg Ostertag, Travis Releford, Tyshawn Taylor and Kevin Young. Participants are revealed on social media sites X and Facebook at noon Monday through Friday. Final rosters will be revealed on July 7.
The new Yvonne Adams Legacy Fund will provide $25,000 of support to a local family with a parent battling cancer. The fund is supported by a donation from KU graduates Kent and Missy McCarthy. It is named for Yvonne Adams, mother of former KU forward KJ Adams who died of cancer in November of 2023. KJ Adams and his dad, Kevin, will help choose the recipient.
“Yvonne was such an incredible fighter and amazing person throughout her life. Her talents on the basketball court were head-turning, her role as a loving mother and wife even more impressive and the grace and courage she displayed throughout her cancer fight were truly inspiring,” read a message on the Rock Chalk Roundball Classic Facebook page.
Tickets for the game may be purchased at the 23rd Street Brewery in Lawrence or at Johnny’s Tavern locations in Topeka, Olathe and Prairie Village. Information on the Classic is available at the event Website.