Perris High Graduates Make Their Mark With Kansas in NCAA Tournaments

Photo / Lawrence Journal World
Kevin Young (40) and Kansas will play North Carolina next.

March Madness has been a real success story for the University of Kansas basketball teams, with help from two local products.

Kevin Young, a 6-foot-8 junior forward out of Perris High School, will join his Jayhawks teammates for Sunday's Elite Eight game against North Carolina in the NCAA Div. I men's tournament. The West Regional final begins at 2 p.m. and will be televised on TBS.

Aishah Sutherland, a 6-foot-2 senior forward also from Perris High, finished her college career on Saturday with 19 points and eight rebounds in the Kansas women's 84-73 loss to Tennessee in a Sweet Sixteen game.

Young is averaging 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds for the Kansas men's team, which has a 30-6 record and is seeded No. 2 heading into Sunday's game against top-seeded North Carolina (32-5). He came off the bench Friday night to score five points, including two baskets in a key stretch of the first half in which the Jayhawks outscored North Carolina State 20-4 en route to a 60-57 victory.

Although he is not a starter, Young has played a key role off the bench for Kansas. His value to the team has increased steadily ever since a Dec. 11 game in which he scored 14 points with four rebounds to lead the Jayhawks to a 78-67 victory over Ohio State, then ranked No. 2 in the nation.

"Kevin Young was just fabulous," Kansas coach Bill Self said after that game. "He really bailed us out. That's the Kevin Young we thought we recruited."

This is Young's first year with Kansas. He played two years at Loyola Marymount before sitting out last season.

At Perris High, Young led his team to a 25-7 record and into the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 finals.

On the women's side, Sutherland was a starter all season for Kansas. She averaged 13.9 points and 8.9 rebounds this season. She has been a standout all four years for the Jayhawks since graduating from Perris High, where she led her team to back-to-back Sunbelt League titles and won All-CIF honors.

Sutherland's role increased after teammate Carolyn Davis went down with an injury earlier in the season.

"When she did go down, everyone had to step up," Sutherland said at the time.

Photo / Lawrence Journal World