The San Antonio (TX) Express-News had an article on August 15, 2002 about his return to the University of Texas on scholarship to finish up his college degree.

In February, 2003, a "Luke Astell" joined the Eurobasket League (Superleague A) on the CSKA team in Moscow, Russia. It's probably not our Luke. You can check out the Eurobasket-Russia website.

The University of Kansas replica Axtell basketball jerseys are discounted to $35 at the KU Store website as of March 2003.

Luke's nettlesome college basketball career ended March 4, 2001 with worsening back problems even before the University of  Kansas got to the playoffs. That Senior Day was a swan song for Luke: it was the first and last time he started for the Jayhawks. He played three minutes, scored nothing, and then sat out for the rest of the season. His Senior Day speech pretty well sums it all up.

In a World Magazine article, Luke is remarkably optimistic and finds strength in his new-found faith. (World examines "current events and issues from a perspective committed to the Bible as the inerrant Word of God.")

At least now his country music CD, A River Runs Dry, can go on sale. The NCAA banned its sale in August, 2000 because players are not allowed to promote any product, even one they created. On it, he sings his own songs. His sister, Brooke, also has a CD, Paper Doll.

You can find out more about Luke and the Jayhawks the Men's Basketball link at the official Jayhawk Athletics site.

You can buy a replica #33 Luke Axtell basketball jersey for $55 delivered overnight from the KU Store website. That's right, the University can charge $55 for a Luke Axtell shirt that doesn't even have sleeves, but Luke couldn't sell his own songs.

Luke transferred from the University of Texas to the University of Kansas in 1998 after a contentious freshman year. He had to sit out a year because of a strange NCAA rule about "redshirting" a year and losing a year of eligibility if you transfer between colleges within a conference.  (Maybe "strange NCAA rule" is redundant.) Some expected him to be Kansas's top scorer, but injuries and illness dragged him down. Luke was popular with the fans. Whenever he came in or made a good play, you could hear what sounds like "Boooo". It was actually "Luuuuuuke".

A more enduring problem is the fact that his Axtell lineage is a missing link! His father and grandfather are both A. Calvin Axtell and they were both outstanding college athletes. His great grandfather was William Baker Axtell, born in Scurry, Kaufman Co., Texas in 1896 or 1898. But William's parentage is a mystery.

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