LAWRENCE — At this point, Brian Hanni explained recently, a lot of the planning for the Rock Chalk Roundball Classic has been taken care of.

Hanni, who founded the local charity event more than a decade ago, acknowledged there could be some curveballs because of all the moving parts. There are potential travel changes to stay ready for, too.

But, for the most part, those involved are down to hoping the roster of numerous former Kansas basketball players and more who will be in Lawrence will continue to generate fan interest as they strive to raise money for families dealing with pediatric cancer or other illnesses.

Just like past editions of the event there will be a basketball game, which this year is June 13 at Lawrence Free State High School, as well as a dinner on June 14 and bowling event June 15. But from Hanni’s perspective there’s also something else happening that he’s found invigorating. He sees a new generation of Kansas basketball players committing themselves to furthering this cause, with recent stars Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Jalen Wilson and Christian Braun all set to return.

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“I think I’m most excited to get a new wave of Jayhawk ambassadors involved with the Roundball Classic,” Hanni said ahead of the 16th edition of the event. “With every passing year, and every graduating class, you have that opportunity to get some new guys involved. And, for me as the event director, it’s most rewarding and fulfilling when you see the light kind of come on for some of these guys, of the impact that they can make through the platform they’ve been given.”

The success of the event has allowed it to increase its efforts from helping six children and their families last year to seven this year. That’s not even including what the benevolence fund sets out to do over the course of the year to aid more families. Over the years, more than $1,382,000 million has been raised.

This year, Dick will be one of the head coaches alongside Greg Ostertag. Dick represents the more recent stretch of the coach Bill Self era for Kansas, while Ostertag played for the Jayhawks in the 1990s for coach Roy Williams. Regardless of their eras, though, Hanni highlighted how intriguing having two personalities like Dick and Ostertag on the sidelines will be.

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Hanni said there’s nothing more rewarding than watching a player show up, connect with a child who’s a beneficiary and realize the magnitude of what the event is all about. It means a world to the organization former players like Dick, Agbaji, Wilson and Braun are all making the time for it. Hanni added one common denominator between those four is they all come from great families with parents who shaped them before they ever arrived at KU.

“It’s no surprise to me to see those types of guys now emerging as great leaders of their communities and their respective NBA towns they play in,” Hanni said, “but also still wanting to give back to a place that’s so near and dear to their hearts like Lawrence, Kansas, and KU basketball.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Rock Chalk Roundball Classic returns to Lawrence later this month