Devonte' Graham ranks as one of KU's all-time greats

Devonte' Graham's story is well known by now. After originally signing with Appalachian State in high school, he went to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and was eventually released from his letter of intent and signed with Kansas.

After coming off the bench his freshman season and learning the ropes from starting point guard Frank Mason, Graham started all but two games the rest of his career and became one of the all-time KU greats. He was a consensus first-team All-American as a senior in 2017-18, leading KU to the Final Four and averaging 17.3 points, 7.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 37.6 minutes per game.

A Raleigh, N.C., native, Graham left an indelible mark at Kansas. He ranks No. 1 all time in minutes (1,474), No. 13 in scoring (1,750 points), No. 5 in assists (632), No. 7 in steals (197), No. 2 in three-point field goals (296), No. 12 in three-point field goal percentage (40.9), No. 13 in starts (111), and tied for No. 7 in games (142).

The 6-2 guard, one of the best and charismatic leaders in school history, was part of four Big 12 championships, two Big 12 Tournament titles, two Elite Eights and one Final Four.

Graham, the 2018 Big 12 Player of the Year who will have his jersey retired in the hallowed Allen Fieldhouse rafters someday, was selected with the 34th pick of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, who traded him to the Charlotte Hornets. Graham has played in 39 games (three starts) this season while averaging 4.8 points, 2.6 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game.

I wrote two feature stories on him for Kansas City Sports Magazine, one during his sophomore season and one during his senior year in the January 2017 issue, where I wrote about his tremendous leadership skills and how he was proudly raised by his mom, who had him when she was just 14 years old. Like my article on Jamari Traylor, this feature on Graham was one of the most inspirational stories I ever wrote on a KU hoops player.

Graham was a very popular figure with the media and one of my all-time favorite Jayhawks to interview. Here is that January 2017 story.

Graham is undeniably Jayhawks' leader

By David Garfield

Devonte’ Graham is pushing hard and he can’t stop. Not now, not after three years of living his dream of playing for powerhouse Kansas basketball and working tirelessly to become one of the best players in the country and lead KU to the Final Four.

After playing somewhat in the shadow of star players like Perry Ellis early in his career and National Player of the Year Frank Mason III last season, this is finally Graham’s time to shine, to fully embrace being the go-to guy and and true leader for KU — both on and off the court.

And the 6-2 guard is primed for the challenge.

“I definitely think it’s my team,” said Graham, the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year. “I’m a senior, senior leader, senior guard, been starting three years. It’s definitely my team. You got to take ownership with the ups and down. If we win, it’s on me. If we lose, it’s on me. I believe it’s my team.”

KU coach Bill Self completely agrees.

“Devonte' is the face of our program,” Self said at Big 12 Media Day in October. “There is no question about it, probably as much right now as anybody we've had. Devonte' has been a pretty consistent performer for three years. But in order for us to be really, really good he has to play at an All-American type level for us, and we think he's very capable of doing that and certainly he's got the personality that will draw people to him by watching him play.”

Graham has indeed been playing like an All-American this early season for No. 11 KU (10-2). At press time entering January, he ranks fifth in the Big 12 in scoring at 16.8 points per game, second in assists at 7.6 (No. 6 nationally), third in steals (2.0), tied for fifth in free throw percentage (86.8), tied for fourth in three-point field goals made (3.2) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.9).

After struggling at first to find his shot and averaging just 12.0 points per game, Graham was never better offensively when exploding for 35 points in consecutive games against Toledo at Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 28 and Syracuse in Miami on Dec. 2. Graham, who was named Big 12 Player of the Week and National Player of the Week by numerous outlets, became the first Jayhawk to score 35 or more in back-to-back games since Dave Robisch in 1970.

This performance left coaches, teammates, fans, and even Miami Heat team president Pat Riley gushing. After Graham lit up the Orange for his 35 points with 7 threes on 13 attempts, including several bombs from NBA three-point range, Riley told Self afterward at AmericanAirlines Arena that the senior put on a “show.”

Self certainly thought so, and for the second straight game.

“I don't know if we've had anybody ever score the ball that well when the game was still in balance, so to speak,” Self said about Graham’s exploits versus Toledo and Syracuse.

KU teammate Clay Young was also awestruck.

“He shot lights out,” Young said two days after KU’s 76-60 victory over SU. “It was impressive to watch. Him just rising up and shooting over people and hitting tough shots was pretty impressive. He had 35 (against Syracuse) with like seven or eight minutes left in the game. If he had been more aggressive the last couple of minutes. He only shoots when he has to. He never forces anything that he doesn’t need to. He does what he has to do. We needed him to score and he did. That’s the sign of a leader.

“The last two games we’ve really needed someone to step up scoring wise,” Young added. “He really took charge. His shot wasn’t falling at the beginning of the year, but these last two games, he’s been great for us. Him out there taking so much charge and initiative to get our offense going, he’s shown great leadership.”

Whether it’s scoring when the team needs offense, feeding the open man to get him going, lifting a teammate up with encouraging words when he’s down, flashing that constant, contagious smile and pounding his chest after a big play that gets everybody’s spirits jacked, Graham is arguably the best and most charismatic leader in the Self era and one of the top leaders in Jayhawk history.

“I do think we have a more natural leader than we’ve had in a long time, maybe ever since I’ve been here as far as by example and verbally in Devonte’,” Self said.

Graham is clearly KU’s best player, just like Mason was last year. But Mason was never a verbal leader.

"I'm not sure we pass the torch from Frank to Devonte' from a leadership standpoint. I think we passed the keys to him,” Self said. “But I think that Devonte' has always been a great leader. I think potentially he's as good a leader as we've had because people respect his talent, they respect his work ethic. He's got personality, and he can talk. If you go back and look at Frank, everybody respected his talent, everybody respected his toughness, but that dude never said anything. So I really think Devonte' has the potential to be as good a leader as we've had.”

Graham talked about his growing leadership role.

“Just coming every day in practice with a positive attitude trying to have that energy and get us going,” Graham said. “Off the court, I just be myself, talking and having fun with (everyone). I just feel like we really do get along with each other and really like being with each other. This team, we love each other. It just reflects on the court. I don’t try to go overboard with being a leader, it’s just something that comes.”

The Raleigh, N.C., native said he gets his natural leadership from his beloved mom, Dewanna King, whom he calls his “hero.” Dewanna had Devonte’ when she was just 14 years old and didn’t even know she was pregnant until the seventh month. It was a fearful and unknown time for the teenager, but her mother Doris told her daughter she would definitely have the baby and make the most of motherhood.

Dewanna tirelessly worked two jobs while graduating from high school with 4-year-old Devonte’ proudly walking across the stage with her holding her hand as she received her diploma. With help raising Devonte’ from her mother, Dewanna continued to work and graduated college, all the while trying to make a better life for her young son. Seven years after Devonte’ was born on Feb. 21, 1995, Dewanna welcomed a daughter Shamaria and the family was now complete.

While the three weren’t blessed with much money, they had a house and plenty of real and unconditional love. Dewanna was an extremely strong, determined and inspirational woman who shaped Devonte’s upbringing.

“She’s a single mom,” Devonte’ said. “She’s a real good leader in my life, and my grandmother. Just being around them and seeing how they lead me and my little sister and just in the family, I think it stuck with me.”

Dewanna King taught her son about responsibility, to do his chores, to always be grateful for all his blessings in life. It was a hard lesson at first for young Devonte,’ but he ultimately grew to appreciate his mom’s priceless teachings. So much so that he has a tattoo across his chest that reads: “Forever Grateful.” It is a daily reminder of the profound influence and impact his mom has made in his life.

“She means the world to me,” Graham said. “We talk every single day — facetime. She just raised us (he and Shamaria), her and my grandmother. All three of them mean the world to me. I just go out and play every game for them. Just love them to death.”

Now, as a new year beckons in January, this proud son, grandson and older brother is embracing all it means to be a true student-athlete. Self simply calls Graham the most popular student on campus, something he said even as early as Graham’s first months during his freshman season. In this one-and-done era, Graham truly enjoys college, taking pictures and signing autographs for fans and students, faithfully attending KU volleyball games, participating in class discussion, and heck, even in his down time, this communications major can be found in the student union sitting and talking to his fellow classmates.

“You don’t see many college athletes doing stuff like that,” Self marveled.

In the closing months of his senior year, his swan song, his last shining moment, Graham is seizing every opportunity to make this the best season ever.

“It is kind of surreal, like man, it’s my last year, it went by so fast,” Graham said. “You just got to enjoy every moment, every day, because once you’re gone, you’re gone and you can’t play here again. So every practice, every workout, every game, every road game, you just got to enjoy it and remember it’s really your last one.”

The “last one” and Graham’s final chance to give the KU program and his mom and family the greatest gift of all this March— a trip to the Final Four. Self would rather have no one directing the team’s journey to San Antonio than Graham.

“I trust Devonte' as much as I've trusted any guard that we've had here,” Self said.

This senior, one of the best point guards in KU history who ranks No. 33 all time in school annals in scoring, No. 13 in assists, No. 5 in three-point field goals made and No. 19 in steals, is ready to lead the Jayhawks there after two consecutive setbacks in the Elite Eight. Those losses to Villanova and Oregon ached at Graham. They hurt immensely. The pain lingered. After pushing so hard for so long, he knows no other way to finish his magical career than to be one of the last four teams standing.

“It’s really important to me,” Graham said. “I’ve been right there two years in a row. I feel like it’s right there in arm’s reach and you just got to go get it. I think it would mean a lot to to a lot of people, especially for us. It’s a lifelong dream to be in a Final Four.”

Jamari Traylor goes from homeless in Chicago to earning KU degree

Jamari Traylor was one the best success stories in KU basketball history. He spent time homeless growing up in Chicago and in juvenile detention facilities, but earned a scholarship to Kansas and graduated with a liberal arts degree. One of KU coach Bill Self's all-time favorite players, Self shed some tears during Traylor's emotional senior speech in 2016 at Allen Fieldhouse.

An invaluable high-energy role player off the bench, Traylor's game transcended pure stats. He dived on the floor for loose balls, set mean picks, drew charges, boxed out his man and fought for rebounds, and stole extra possessions. Above all, he was a winner. He was part of four Big 12 championships, two Big 12 Tournament titles, a Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight berth. Traylor's teams went 116-30 during his career.

The 6-8 forward started 27 of 143 games, averaging 3.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 14.8 minutes per game, while shooting an impressive 53.2 percent from the field and 63.2 percent at the free throw line. He ranks No. 14 all time at KU with 126 career blocks.

He also ranks among the Big 12 leaders in multiple career categories. He is No. 6 with 143 career games, No. 25 in career block percentage (6.2), No. 23 in career defensive rating (94.7), No. 6 in  career Defensive Box Plus/Minus (7.3) and No. 24 in career Box Plus/Minus (8.2).

After going undrafted in 2016, Traylor has since played in Austria (he was the top rebounder and led the league in blocks), Greece, and most recently in Japan.

Here is the story I wrote on Traylor for the 2016 February issue of Kansas City Sports & Fitness Magazine during his senior season. It was one of the most inspirational stories I've ever written on a KU basketball player during my 20 years of covering the program.

By David Garfield

Jamari Traylor is about survival, perseverance, hope, and triumph of the human spirit.

The 6-8 Kansas senior forward grew up in the South Side of Chicago, where his father, Jesse, was ultimately taken from his home and imprisoned for life on federal drug trafficking charges. Traylor, who was very close to his dad, became an angry and defiant teenager, finding time in juvenile detention centers and even enduring the harsh realities of life in the bitter Windy City cold as a homeless person living in cars and stealing food.

In his darkest moment painfully trying to sleep one night, Traylor wondered if he’d ever survive.

He clung to hope, though, and finally found salvation with basketball and meeting a caring and supportive coach and mentor named Loren Jackson at Fenger High School. Traylor followed Jackson to Julian High and then IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where he blossomed as a player and averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks per game in 2010-11.

Traylor credits Jackson for changing his life.

“My dad was in jail and I didn’t really have a father figure,” Traylor said. “He was my coach and was just around all the time. He kept me in the gym, kept me off the streets, kept me from staying in trouble. He made sure I did my homework -- everything. There were times if I didn’t do my homework, he wouldn’t let me practice so stuff like that helped helped me out a lot because I wanted to play basketball so much.”

An unheralded recruit, Traylor signed with Kansas yet had to sit out the 2011-12 season as an NCAA partial qualifier. He was able to practice after the fall semester, but did not suit up for games or travel with the team.

Four years later, this former homeless kid with the hardened past overcame the odds and graduated recently with a liberal arts degree in December. For Traylor, it was arguably the greatest accomplishment of his life.

“(It’s) definitely (great),” he said with a smile. “I never had a graduation ceremony actually, so this will be my first one in the spring, so I'm excited about that.

“... I ended up getting a degree because of (Jackson’s support in high school),” Traylor added. “I appreciate him. He’s always there for me.”

You can bet Jackson, the KU coaches, friends, family and teammates with be there that magical spring day in Lawrence to see Traylor -- donning cap and gown -- proudly walk down Campanile Hill with his fellow graduates. 

KU coach Bill Self marvels at how far Traylor has come during his time at Kansas.

“There's a lot of success stories, but the ones that you probably hold truest to your heart are the ones that the deck is stacked against them a little bit, and his deck was stacked against him,” Self said. “The first time that we saw Jamari was by accident. We go down to IMG to look at somebody else, and Kurtis (Townsend, assistant coach) says, 'Hey, check him out, he looks pretty athletic.' He wasn't a highly-recruited kid by any means. Texas Tech messed with him for a bit and there were a few other schools, but he really didn't have much of a résumé because he really didn't play in high school. I think he played one semester maybe, or one year, because he was never really eligible because of his home situations with him being homeless for a while.

“Certainly, that put him behind the 8-ball. But he just kind of fought through it. He went down there (IMG) and did everything he was asked to do to get eligible, and come to find out what he was asked to do did not meet NCAA qualifications. It was not because he got bad information, I just think the person that helped him had no idea that everything he did wouldn't count because they couldn't give him those extra two semesters because he was homeless for a year, and I think everybody assumed that would probably be the case.”

KU “lost the appeal for him to be eligible” as a freshman.

“But he's hung in there, and he's been great since,” Self said. “To think that he came in a situation where the NCAA obviously didn't let him play because of a rule, and basically to see him stay after it and finish up (his degree), I think speaks volumes of his character and his want-to. He's a terrific young man.”

Traylor, who ranks tied for 16th in Kansas history with 107 blocks and was 11th in the Big 12 last season with 1.1 blocks per game, has grown into a “terrific young man” who’s worked hard in the classroom and on the court, where he’s made his name during his career as an invaluable high-motor energy player primarily off the bench.

Last season in Austin on Jan. 24, 2015 during KU’s 75-62 victory over Texas, Traylor was involved in a 31-second sequence of non-stop, inspiring hustle plays that had Self gushing, especially over the last one. With Kansas leading 23-21 in the first half, Traylor had his shot blocked before sprinting downcourt and blocking a Longhorn's shot at the goal. He fell down and then raced the floor while crashing into a cameraman after trying for an offensive rebound. Traylor got up and then fearlessly dived at midcourt for a loose ball, which he tapped to teammate Frank Mason III, who picked it up and made a layup while getting fouled.

“I thought that was the best play I’ve seen since I’ve been at Kansas,” Self said about Taylor’s dive. “I don’t think there’s ever been a better hustle play than that one.”

Then last month in No. 1 KU’s thrilling 109-106 triple overtime victory over No. 2 Oklahoma on Jan. 4 in Allen Fieldhouse, Traylor made two game-changing blocks early in the second half which sparked KU’s rally and had the crowd roaring. First, he soared and grabbed Jordan Woodard’s missed layup with both hands before crashing hard on his back.

A few minutes later at the 16:12 mark and OU leading 54-44, Traylor sprinted downcourt and swatted Khadeem Lattin’s attempted dunk off the backboard from behind while falling down in what many basketball observers called the block of the year.

Just another day in the office of Jamari Rishard Traylor.

“I’m a kid from Chicago, and that’s how we play,” he said. “We just play hard.”

This blue-collar work ethic and endless energy has endeared himself to his coaches, teammates, fans and the college basketball elite like ESPN’s Dick Vitale, who broadcasted that KU-OU game for the ages.

“He’s giving it everything he has,” Vitale said about Traylor’s blocks. “I love kids that give everything they have, play with passion, play with pride, play with feeling, play with intensity, play with emotion.”

Entering February, Traylor was averaging 2.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and a career-high 79.2 percent at the free throw line. But his game transcends pure points in what he gives the team. Whether it’s blocking shots, setting mean screens, boxing his man out and crashing the glass, diving for loose balls, drawing charges, or stopping his man in the low post, Traylor makes winning plays.

“I just go out there and do what I need to help the team win,” said Traylor, who patterns his game after relentless Denver Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried. “I know on this team, I’m probably not going to be the guy that scores a lot of baskets because we got some guys there, but when I get my chance, I do what I do and trying to do my best to limit my man scoring and rebound and just go hard.”

KU sophomore guard Devonte’ Graham certainly appreciates Traylor’s passion and love for the game.

“He makes plays that other guys couldn’t or wouldn’t think about making,” Graham said. “Like making the block on Lattin’s dunk, pinning the shot on the goal and falling straight on his back, those are things that win games. We need it and he’s our guy to do it.”

“It’s tremendous,” senior teammate Perry Ellis said about Traylor’ motor. “The plays he makes, we notice them and coach notices them. They’re just big-time plays and they really get us going. He brings energy and effort every possession and it makes us all better.”

With six big men on the roster, Traylor’s playing time has dipped this season after averaging 20.4 minutes per game last year. However, he’s never been happier in being a team player and leader while wanting to do everything he can to support the Jayhawks.

"I feel like I've been here a long time,” Traylor said. “I know what coach expects of me. I want to help the younger guys out. There's a lot thrown at you when you first come in. I remember my first practice I didn't know a thing. Thomas (Robinson, former KU All-American) helped me out and I want to do that for these guys."

Self has certainly loved coaching the selfless Traylor the last five years.

“He's not the most skilled player that we've ever had, and certainly not the biggest. He's kind of at an in-between size, 6-7, and having to play against big guys,” Self said. “But he always gives us great effort; he's very, very bright; he understands how to play; and other guys really enjoy playing with him, so he makes the game easier for others.”

From stays at juvenile detention facilities and being homeless in Chicago, to bouncing back and earning a college scholarship, to sitting out his first season, to now earning his degree and contributing for one of the top teams in college basketball, Traylor has certainly persevered through extreme adversity and shown true triumph of the human spirit.

Graham is amazed over Traylor’s journey.

“His story is just unbelievable,” Graham said. “Coach explained it to everybody early in the season just the things he’s been through and and how he’s just overcome so much and how hard he works and just how good of a spirit he is and how positive he always is. He’s just an unbelievable person and for him to overcome all of that to graduate from here and just the things he’s doing with his life, is just (wonderful).”

As Traylor chases national championship dreams, he knows the cheers in Allen Fieldhouse will echo in his mind forever. Traylor remains grateful to be at Kansas and have so many people love and care about him during what’s been a life-changing experience. 

“It’s definitely been great,” he said. “Growing up, I really didn’t know where I’d be and everything so to be here in a great university like this and being able to play (at KU) with great coaches and with great fans and everybody embracing me with open arms, I just feel this is a second home for me.”

Traylor paused and smiled.

“I’m happy,” he said. “This is going to be a great year for me.”

"Downtown" Terry Brown made his mark at KU

Former KU coach Roy Williams called Terry Brown one of the best shooters he’s ever coached. And for good reason. “Downtown” Terry Brown, the former Jayhawk standout, ended his career in 1991 shattering the school record for most career three-point field goals made with 200, despite playing only two years. He currently ranks No. 8 all time at KU in three-point field goals made. His 111 three-point field goals in 1990-91 were a single-season record, which stood for 27 years before Svi Mykhailiuk broke the mark with 115 threes in 20017-18.

Moreover, Brown’s 11 threes (career-high 42 points) against North Carolina State on Jan. 5, 1991 is a KU single-game record. Brown also made seven three-pointers in three other games.

Brown’s 41.2 career three-point field goal percentage ranks No. 10 all time at KU.

After coming off the bench his first season in 1989-90 and averaging 11.0 points per game (he set the single-season three-point field goals made mark at KU with 89) in 16.1 minutes per contest, Brown earned a starting role his senior season and averaged 16.0 points in 25.2 minutes per game.

During the 1991 NCAA Tournament, Brown scored a game-high 22 points in KU’s second-round win over Pittsburgh before following that up with a game-high tying 23 points in KU’s victory over Indiana in the Sweet 16.

Then, the deadly sharpshooter ended his memorable career in the NCAA title game against Duke (KU lost 72-65) with 16 points, six more than future Hall of Famer Grant Hill of Duke.

Brown’s road to KU began at Clyde-Savannah High School in Clyde, N.Y., where he was an All-American and all-state selection in football. He averaged a whopping 35.0 points per game as a senior, while his team went 71-6 in Brown’s three-year career. He then attended Erie Community Community College in Erie, Pa., before transferring to Northeastern A&M in Miami, Okla. 

Brown was a first-team National Junior College Athletic Association All-American in 1989-89, averaging a team-high 22.1 points per game, while second on the team in rebounding at 5.6 boards per contest. He shot a scorching 55.2 percent from the field, 43.0 percent beyond the arc, and 92.0 percent at the free throw line. Brown was selected Most Valuable Player of the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson as his team won the championship. He scored 26 points in the title game.

Brown lit up the nets that season for a season-high 47 points and seven three-pointers in a 106-90 victory over Eastern (Okla.) State. Led by Brown, Northeastern went 36-4 and won its conference and region titles.

I had a wonderful Where Are They Now? interview with Terry in 2003 for Jayhawk Insider, where he talked to me from his home in Minneapolis about honing his hoop skills in New York while practicing all day and night on his unorthodox jump shot. He also fondly remembered his 42-point explosion against N.C. State and the unforgettable experience of playing in the 1991 Final Four in Indianapolis.

Here is that story.

By David Garfield

For Terry Brown, his true makings of greatness began as a seventh grader in Clyde, N.Y. Brown dreamed of being like his brother, Sonny Barnes, who was four years older and turning heads with his own basketball prowess in the New York area.

So Brown went to the playground near his home daily and worked endlessly on his unorthodox shooting form from long range, releasing the ball far back over his head like a slingshot. 

“I told myself I wanted to develop a shot that’s hard to block,” Brown said. “I started shooting like that every day, just shooting around until I got it to the perfect shooting form. That’s pretty much where I came up with that shot. It’s hard to block. The only way you can block it is from behind  Probably like 80 percent of the time you block it from behind, they’re going to call a foul.”

This was his time alone, his little world.

“I used to practice six hours a day in the rain, in the snow, and after football practice,” the former Kansas basketball standout recalled recently from his home in Minneapolis, Minn. “I’d run home and get my ball and go out there and practice until the sun went down.”

And the practice paid off. Brown blossomed into a superstar at Clyde-Savannah High School, averaging a whopping 35 points per game as a senior and earning All-American honors. A versatile athlete, Brown was also an All-American football wide receiver. Due to academics, Brown attended Erie Community College in Pennsylvania for a semester before transferring to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. He became a first team National Junior College All-American and was named MVP of the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., in 1989.

Brown, 35, eventually chose Kansas over Pittsburgh, UNLV, Penn State, and Southwest Missouri State.

“I decided to go to KU because it was close to my junior college, and I felt like I would play a lot my first year,” Brown said. “I liked the campus. They liked to run and shoot, and I felt like I could step in the first year and help them out.”

It certainly didn’t take Brown long to make a name for himself at Mount Oread. Backing up senior Jeff Gueldner at shooting guard, Brown erupted for 31 points (7-10 from 3-point range) in 19 minutes against Kentucky in just his ninth college game. Despite playing only 16.1 minutes per game, Brown (11.0 ppg) finished the season breaking the school record for 3-pointers with 89, which was just two shy of the Big Eight conference mark of 91 set by Oklahoma’s Mookie Blaylock.

The man they called “Downtown” Terry Brown relished shooting the long ball. 

“I loved shooting (outside) because anytime you make a 3-pointer, that’s more than a two-pointer,” Brown said. “I always tried to shoot 3’s. If my game was off, I pretty much tried to get fouled and go to the free throw line. Other than that, I loved shooting the basketball. I looked forward to every game and tried to go out there and make as many 3’s as possible.”

He also loved playing with a winner. Unranked Kansas began the 1989-90 season shocking the basketball world by beating No. 2 LSU, No. 1 UNLV, and No. 25 St. Johns in winning the Preseason NIT title in New York. KU won 19 straight games before concluding the season at 30-5.

“We had a lot of people kind of doubting our team and our talent,” Brown said, “so we set out to prove a point that year, and to prove to people that we can play with those type of teams like LSU and UNLV, the teams that were ranked No. 1, No. 2. That was petty much our mission that year. I think we pretty much proved that by beating the No. 1, No. 2 (teams) on down the line.”

Brown’s own mission took on greater purpose his senior season. Now a starter, KU’s one-man scoring machine opened the 1990-91 campaign with 24 points against Arizona State. And then, nine games later against North Carolina State, the unconscious Brown bombed a career-high 42 points at home versus North Carolina State (KU won, 105-94). He tied a Big 8 record with 11 3-point field goals. It was simply one of the greatest shooting performances in KU history, and indelibly etched 

Brown’s name in Jayhawk lore.

“You feel like you just can’t miss,” Brown said about being in the “zone.” “Every shot you take, you feel like it’s going to go in. That’s something I tried to practice every day, tried to get that type of feeling when I practiced or when I shot around by myself, so when you’re playing in the game, you pretty much get that feeling. It’s a great  feeling. You don’t get it every game. You would like to.  Once you do get in the zone, it’s hard to stop that person. It’s hard to miss. I tried to feel like that every game.”

Brown continued to score and lead the way for the unheralded Jayhawks, who after losing to Nebraska in the Big 8 Tournament, went on a magical five-game winning streak before losing to Duke in the NCAA finals.  

“We came together as team,” Brown said. “We pretty much went out and played hard every night and didn’t leave anything left on the floor. The pressure wasn’t on us. The pressure was on the other teams. We didn’t have anything to lose, so why not just go out and play our hardest and see what happens, and that’s pretty much what we did.”

 

Brown, who led the team in scoring in 1990-91(16.0 ppg), wound up his scintillating career as the all-time 3-point shooter in KU history. Not bad for playing just two seasons. His record has since been broken by four-year players Billy Thomas and Jeff Boschee.

“I feel honored to be up there with those guys,” Brown said.

After leaving his mark in KU history, Brown played a couple months of professional basketball just across the Texas border before returning to Lawrence. He went to school, put on art shows, and worked summer basketball camps until moving to Minneapolis in 1996. Brown began coaching at a youth organization (Minnesota Development Basketball) for two years before accepting a head coaching job of an eighth grade junior high team. He’s been doing that for the past four years, along with running his own basketball program for youth in the summer.  

Brown gets a huge thrill from coaching.

 

“Sometimes you get frustrated,” Brown said. “Other than that, you’re happy to see the kids who love the game and want to learn and move on to the next level. I have a blast. There’s nothing else that I’d rather do than work with kids.”

Brown uses the lessons and values that KU coach Roy Williams instilled in him, and passes them down to the next generation of heroes.

“Just don’t give up,” Brown said. “If you believe in something, just keep working hard and giving 100 percent. Just carry yourself with class and be a gentleman. Pretty much just like on the court. Just work hard.”

In addition to his coaching duties, Brown has worked as a sales rep for a water softener company for the past two years, and is set to begin his second year playing semi-pro football. Brown plays for two teams from March through December.

“I love it,” he said. “I’ve always loved it. I just hate playing in the cold weather. Playing in New York, you play in the snow, so that kind of pushed me into playing basketball because I got tired of playing in the cold weather.” 

Brown said he’s enjoying life 12 years after donning the crimson and blue. He savors his college experience.

“I think I had two great years there,” Brown said. “I loved playing for coach Williams. He’s a great coach, and I loved playing with the guys I played with. I had a great time. You can’t ask for anything better than that. I played in the championship game, one of the biggest games in the country. I played against some great players.”

And so, how would “Downtown” Terry Brown like to be remembered?

"As a great guy and a great shooter,” Brown answered.

There were few ever better. 

A Closer Look at Terry Brown:

Years at KU: 1989-91

Career Notables: Member of 1990-91 Final Four team...UPI Big Eight All-Bench selection in 1989-90...UPI All-Big 8 second team in 1990-91...Career-high 42 points versus North Carolina State on Jan. 5, 1991...11 3-pointers against N.C. State most ever at KU in single game...111 3-point FGs in 1990-91 most in single season...No. 3 all-time career 3-pointers (200)...Led 1990-91 team in scoring (16.0 ppg).

Family: Brown is single.

Education: Majored in Art.

Since Leaving KU: Brown played a couple months of pro ball just across the Texas border before returning to Lawrence. He took classes at KU, put on art shows, and worked summer basketball camps before moving to Minneapolis in 1996. Brown coached at a youth organization (Minnesota Development Basketball) for two years before becoming an eighth grade basketball coach. He’s also ran his own summer basketball program for youth the last five years, worked as a sales rep for a water softener company for the past two and a half years, and is beginning his second year playing semi-pro football.

Currently: Brown is an eighth grade basketball coach in Minnesota, where he also runs his own basketball program in the summer. In addition, Brown works as a sales rep for a water softener company and plays semi-pro football.

Hobbies:Working out, fishing, volunteering with Boys and Girls Club, drawing and painting baby murals (trying to start his own side business).  

Favorite Memories: Scoring 42 points against N.C. State on Jan. 5, 1991. “That whole week before the game, I had some of my teammates and friends kind of teasing me that Rodney Monroe was a better shooter than me,” Brown said. “That kind of got me fired up. I really wanted to prove to them and other people who was the better shooter. That game pretty much set everything straight who was the better shooter. I was hot that game, and felt like I couldn’t miss anything. Actually I had 12 (3-pointers), but they called a moving pick on Alonzo Jamison.”...Playing in the 1991 Final Four. “It was great. My first time being there, I had never practiced in front of 30,000 people. It was unreal. It think every kid should have that experience to get the opportunity to play in a Final Four. It was like a dream come true. ... I was very excited to play in the championship game against Duke, even though we didn’t win it. We got there, so not too many teams can say they got there that year.”...”Playing against some of the great players, such as Grant Hill, Shaq O’ Neal, Chris Jackson, Malik Sealy, Jamal Mashburn.”

On the Jayhawks Today: “I think they got a great team.  They seem like the type of team when I played. They’re always fighting to win and never giving up to the end.”

Patrick Richey was the consummate team player and winner who helped lead the Jayhawks to the 1991 and 1993 Final Four

Patrick Richey was the consummate role and team player at KU from 1990-94, persevering through severe back pain to make his mark. He was an impressive three-point shooter who led KU in three-point field goal percentage as a freshman (41.5) and sophomore (45.2). 

After coming off the bench his first three seasons, Richey started his senior year in 1993-94, averaging career highs with 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Above all, this Lee’s Summit, Mo., native was a winner. He helped lead KU to two Final Fours in 1991 and 1993 and a Sweet 16 in 1994.

A heavily recruited high school player, Richey chose KU over Missouri and Kentucky. The versatile 6-8 forward averaged 18.1 points, seven rebounds and five assists as a senior. He also had a single-game high of 37 points that season. Richey was first-team all-state as a senior and second team all-state selection as a junior. Lee’s Summit won district titles in 1987, 1988 and 1990.

Richey’s brother Brian graduated from KU in 1988, the Jayhawks’ national championship season. His cousin Bob Atha played basketball at Ohio State. And Richey’s most admired athlete is Jayhawk legend Danny Manning. Richey patterned his game after Manning growing up. "Danny was probably my favorite player when I was in high school," Richey told me. "I played point guard, I was the starting point guard. I was able to dribble down and pass it off, go post up type of deal. Depending on who was guarding me, determined what position I was playing. I always felt I had the versatility say of a Danny Manning, who could step out and shoot and play down low as well. My career never turned out as good as his did, but I always tried to mimic my game after his."... In the 1990-91 KU Media Guide (Richey's frosh season), it was reported that Richey "should blend in well with the Jayhawks' unselfish style of offense...Handles the ball well and is an excellent passer...Became Kansas' second player to sign during the early signing period, even though the Jayhawks were not allowed paid on -campus visits until the spring semester...Signed with the Jayhawks on the final day of the early signing period...A versatile player who can play either guard position or the small forward position."

Here, Richey talks about his recruitment to Kansas and how much Roy Williams meant to him. I also included my Where Are They Now? story I wrote on him for Jayhawk Insider in 2003.

"I remember KU, MU, and Kentucky as being the three that were real heavily recruiting me at the time. I had to narrow it down because the process had become so hectic. When you came home from school, there were so many phone calls every night that you didn’t have time to do anything but talk on the phone, eat dinner, and go to bed.  

"Of course, me being from Lee’s Summit, Mo, it was kind of expected that I would go to the University of Missouri being that I’m from the state of Missouri. But coach Williams came in and began recruited me as a junior, I really had a lot of trust in him, and just felt that he was the guy I wanted to play for. I had an older brother, that was at the University of Kansas at the time. He (Brian) kind of sold me on (the) school as well. I  grew up liking KU. I liked Missouri a little bit. I had the experiences (that) my brother went to KU, I was able to go to some KU games. I had a little more exposure to the University of Kansas than I did Missouri. I think I grew up more of a KU fan, but it wasn’t a big difference. I liked both schools.

”One of the things coach Williams taught me when I went to school there is the golden rule, treat people the way you want to be treated. I feel like he does that. When you leave high school and go to college, I guess you’re looking for a father figure so to speak. He certainly fills that role and makes everybody feel very comfortable. If you have any problems or basketball doesn’t always go well for you through the ups and downs, he’s always there to support you. I just believed in him. I thought he was real truthful and genuine. I think that’s one of the reasons I decided to go to KU.

“He did come came into (our) house a couple of times. I just remember him stating (to my parents) that if your kid comes to KU, I’m going to treat him like my own son. That’s basically what he did. They felt very comfortable with me going to KU, that he would treat me like his own son. I took visits to all three schools--KU, Missouri and Kentucky. I wanted to stay close to home. That’s one of the reasons I decided to go to either KU or MU. I really liked coach Williams. I really liked the tradition at KU. I always liked them. It’s a great university and a good academic program. All those things mixed into one; Missouri was a solid school as well. But I just felt more comfortable going with coach Williams. I’m only 50 minutes always. I’d been going going to games since I was a junior in high school, so I pretty much saw what I needed to see. Them not being able to pay for a visit (KU was on probation by violations under former head coach Larry Brown) really wasn't a factor with me because I was so close.”

By David Garfield (Jayhawk Insider)

Patrick Richey admits he felt some inherent pressure to attend Missouri. As a high school basketball sensation from Lee’s Summit, Mo., “it was kind of expected that I would go to the University of Missouri being that I’m from the state of Missouri.” However, Richey followed his heart instead and wound up choosing Kansas and Roy Williams.

Richey will never forget what Williams told his parents during his home recruiting visit.

“I just remember him stating that ‘if your kid comes to Kansas, I’m going to treat him like my own son,’” Richey said. “That’s basically what he did. They felt very comfortable with me going to KU, that he would treat me like his own son. … When you leave high school and go to college, I guess you’re looking for a father figure so to speak. He certainly fills that role and makes everybody feel comfortable.  If you have any problems or basketball doesn’t always go well for you, he’s always there to support you. I just believed in him. I thought he was real truthful and genuine. I think that’s one of the reasons I decided to come to KU.”

And Jayhawk fans are glad he did. A deadly 3-point shooter and versatile 6-8 forward, Richey was part of two Final Fours in 1991 and 1993. KU beat North Carolina before bowing to Duke in the ‘91 title game, while the Tar Heels defeated Kansas in the NCAA semifinals in 1993.

“Obviously, the two Final Fours will stick with me forever,” Richey said recently from his home in Lee’s Summit. “I feel real lucky and fortunate. If you look at some of the teams they’ve had the last six, five years, they’ve had more talent than we ever had, but they haven’t been able to catch some of the breaks we caught. I feel real fortunate to not only go to one, but to go to two.”

Richey had a great freshman season in 1991, but then hurt his back at the beginning of his sophomore campaign. Diagnosed with a degenerative disk, Richey was never the same athlete. He persevered through daily back pain and became a valuable complementary player off the bench during his sophomore and junior seasons. 

“My game was somewhat limited as far as my quickness and just being able to get up and down the court,” Richey said. “I just never got back to that high level as a freshman. I was never able to build each year and continue to get better. What I did do is become a smarter player, understand my limitations and realize my role on that team. I always tried to do the little things, whether it was set the screens or dive for a loose ball. I was kind of a blue collar type of player.”

Despite not being 100 percent, Richey earned a starting position and averaged 6.8 ppg in 24 minutes his senior year (1993-94). KU advanced to the Sweet 16.

“The best thing about starting is when you get tired, you get to take yourself out of the game and when you go out of the game, you get to put yourself in when you want  to,” Richey said. “You kind of come and go as you please, unless you’re screwing up.”

However, Richey maintains that starting and scoring a bunch of points never really mattered to him. All he cared about was winning games.

“I think if you asked coach Williams, he’d tell you I was one of the most competitive guys he’s ever coached,” Richey said.

After graduating with a journalism degree in 1995, Richey worked the next four years as a sales representative in Lawrence for a liquor distributor (Premier Beverage) based out of Lenexa. In 1999, he accepted a similar position with Burndy electrical manufacturing company. Richey sells connectors and grounding systems — “anything that connects power.”

“I enjoy the people I get to deal with on a daily basis,” Richey said. “Everybody is very professional. I get to deal with engineers, contractors, and distributors so I’m seeing new people every day. It doesn’t seem to get old. It’s a challenge every day learning the electrical industry. It’s a lot of fun to see how electricity works.”

As a former Jayhawk, Richey believes he has a leg up on his competition.

“In sales, you got something to talk about,” Richey said. “People like talking about basketball. There’s a lot of KU fans in the Kansas City area. It’s just a good ice breaker. People are extremely interested in coach Williams and the team, so they like to ask questions and I enjoy talking about it as well. I think sometimes it gives me a step up on other people in sales.”

Ever the father figure, Williams actually played a pivotal role in Richey landing his first job out of college with Premier Beverage.

“When I graduated from KU, coach Williams had called the president of the company I was interviewing for,” Richey said.  I didn’t even know he did this until after I already got the job and this gentleman told me that coach Williams had called and was saying a lot of good things about me and helping me get the job. That shows you right there that not only when you’re done playing, he doesn’t forget about you. He supports you no matter what. He just wants to see his players be successful, whether it’s in basketball or the working world.”

Richey, the Lee’s Summit native who spurned Missouri and the Antlers 12 years ago, accumulated 148 assists during his KU career. He’s forever grateful to Williams for the big assist his former coach gave him in 1995.

“When you’re trying to get your first job out of college, it’s difficult for everybody,” Richey said. “Obviously when a gentleman of that stature calls and says something good about you, that’s going to mean something to your employer. It’s important that someone would take time out of their day and do that. I’ve always appreciated that.”

A Closer Look at Patrick Richey:

Years at KU: 1991-94

Career Notables: Member of 1991 and ‘93 Final Four Teams...Led KU in 3-point field goal percentage in ‘91 and ‘92...Named to the UPI’s All-Big Eight Freshmen team and All-Big 8 Bench Team in 1990-91.

Family: Wife, Mary Ann.

Education: 1995, B.S. in Journalism.

Since Leaving KU: Richey worked as a sales representative for a liquor distributor for four years before accepting a similar position with Burndy electrical manufacturing company.

Currently: Richey lives in native Lee’s Summit, Mo., and works as a sales rep for Burndy.

Hobbies: Exercising and watching sports.

Favorite Memories: 1991 and 1993 Final Fours. “One of the things I remember is all the chaos. You go to the Final Four and everyone treats you very well. I remember getting an escort to a practice from our hotel. A cop was escorting our bus, and everybody on the highway was pulling over to let us through and all we were doing was going to practice. It was like the president was in the bus or something.”…Advancing to the NCAA title game in ‘91 after losing three out of the last six games.  “Mark Randall and Mike Maddox got up in the locker room (after KU lost to Nebraska in the Big Eight Tournament) and basically said, ‘Guys it doesn’t matter what’s happened throughout the season. We’re starting a whole new season now in the NCAA Tournament.’ One of the things Mark was saying, ‘Hey guys, if we execute our plays and do what coach has been telling us all year long, this stuff is going to work.' We just refocused and came together at the right time. … That’s one of the most unbelievable runs you can have.”

On the Jayhawks Today: “I’m extremely excited about this year’s team. I really like the three guards that coach Williams is playing. I like the quickness. I like the additions of the new guys. They all seem to have really positive attitudes, which I think is the big part of the success we’ve had so far.”

Jayhawk Hoops Players Childhood Heroes Part 2

After first looking at four former KU standouts' childhood hoop heroes, we now examine five more ex-Jayhawks and who they idolized growing up.

GREG GURLEY (1991-95)

A tremendous athlete at Shawnee Mission South who once scored 49 points in a game, Gurley was a top-100 recruit by analyst Bob Gibbons. Gurley, who chose KU over Notre Dame, USC, Syracuse and six Big Eight Conference schools, persevered at Kansas through severe back pain, which limited his athletic skills. Still, the 6-5 guard was a consummate team player and impressive three-point shooter who competed on the 1993 Final Four squad.

“I was a huge Magic Johnson fan,” said Gurley in a 2003 interview, who admitted he also loved the North Carolina Tar Heels growing up and attended a UNC camp in Chapel Hill in sixth or seventh grade when Roy Williams was an unknown assistant.

“I was a huge Laker fan — most of my friends were big Larry Bird fans, I kind of went the other way. Growing up, I was always bigger than everyone else and I was a guard. That’s the way Magic was, and I just liked to watch him play and tried to emulate him. My dad was a coach. I scored a lot of points, but I also passed the ball a lot. I tried to keep everyone involved, just like Magic did. He scored a lot, but yet he kept everyone involved. He was just the ultimate floor leader. I obviously didn’t have the flair that he did. That’s the guy I really tried to copy.”

PAT RICHEY (1990-94)

A versatile 6-8 forward and tireless worker from Lee’s Summit, Mo., who could pass, dribble and shoot, Richey chose the Jayhawks over Missouri and Kentucky. Richey, who was rated the 62nd best senior prospect nationally by Gibbons, played on two Final Four teams in 1991 and 1993.

Like Gurley, back problems hindered Richey at KU.

“Danny (Manning) was probably my favorite player when I was in high school,” Richey said in a 2003 interview. “In high school, I played point guard. I was the starting point guard; I was able to dribble down and pass it off, go post up type of deal. Depending on who was guarding me determined what position I was playing. I always felt I had the versatility say of a Danny Manning, who could step out and shoot and play down low as well. My career never turned out as good as his did, but I always tried to kind of mimic my game after his.” 

SEAN PEARSON (1992-96)

A former high school star from LaGrange, Ill., Pearson chose the Jayhawks over Michigan. Pearson, who appeared in the acclaimed documentary, “Hoop Dreams,” was rated the 58th best prospect nationally as a senior by Gibbons while considered one of the top-five prospects in the Chicagoland area.

The 6-5 small forward averaged 24.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game his senior year while shooting 57 percent from the field for Nazareth Academy. He led Nazareth to a 28-1 record, including 27 straight wins.

Pearson, who was a member of the Big Eight All-Improved Team in 1994-95 and a member of the Big 8 All-Bench Team in 1993-94, was a long-distance bomber who made 117-of-371 three-point attempts during his career. A member of the 1993 Final Four team, Pearson’s best season came as a junior in 1994-95 when he averaged 9.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

Pearson ranks with some of the best in KU history when he made six three-point field goals in a conference game against Colorado on Jan. 21, 1995, and when he went 5-of-5 from downtown against Oklahoma State on Jan. 26, 1994. Only Ben McLemore and Rex Walters made more threes (six) in a game without a miss.

A defining moment in Pearson’s life happened when he was age 13 and attending the prestigious Five-Star Camp. He will never forget what guest speaker Rick Pitino told the campers.

“There were probably 1,700 kids in there, and he had us all stand up, and then made everyone sit down except for one kid,” Pearson said in a 2000 interview. “He told us out of all us in here, only one person is going to make it to the NBA. ... At that moment, I realized that basketball wasn’t meant for everyone to play professionally. Everyone can play the game, only a select few can play professionally.”

This well-rounded person idolized George Gervin and later Magic Johnson growing up.

“He was my favorite,” Pearson said of Gervin, the former scoring machine known as ‘Ice Man.’ “I tell people Michael Jordan did a lot of things, but George Gervin did the same things without dunking the basketball.”

BRIAN MARTIN (1981-84)

A Wichita native, Martin played for Northwest High School and was Honorable Mention All-State who averaged 13.6 points and 9.5 rebounds his senior year. Recruited heavily out of high school, Martin next played at Hutchinson Community College.

The 6-9 center and late bloomer transferred to KU and had a solid three-year career who posted career averages of 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. A great shot blocker, Martin swatted 83 shots in 84 games. Martin was drafted in the ninth round of the 1984 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers before starring in the CBA.

He played three games for the Seattle SuperSonics and five games for the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985-86 season, recording six points, four rebounds, and one block for his career.

“I used to always pretend to be Jack Sikma in high school,” Martin said in a 2000 interview. “A teammate of mine in high school loved Seattle, so we’d always be Seattle. It was kind of neat. When I was on Seattle’s team (in the NBA), my high school teammate called. He wanted me to get Jack Sikma’s autograph for him.”

And playing with the Sonics got Martin a fleeting taste of being an NBA celebrity.

“We were at an exhibition game,” Martin recalled. “We were playing Portland somewhere in Oregon. I don’t remember where. It was a high school gym or small college gym. I always put my warm-up pants and my jersey on to go out and shoot an hour before the game or half hour before the game. As I was walking out, all these little kids were coming around wanting my autograph. There were about 30 kids around me and I was signing autographs.

“All of a sudden, I was in a middle of an autograph, this kid just ripped it out of my hand and the whole crowd just left. I turned around and Jack Sikma had walked into the gym. They all wanted his autograph. They didn’t know who I was. He just ripped it (autograph) right out of my hand. I think I got like the first three letters of my first name in. Here I was felling pretty special, like I was a stud, and here (Sikma) walks in and puts me in my place.”

RODGER BOHNENSTIEHL (1965-68)

This 6-6 scoring machine from Collinsville, Ill., had a superlative high school career, leading his team to a 75-14 record. Bohnenstiehl had his heart set on attending Missouri and staying close to home when new KU assistant and fellow Collinsville native Sam Miranda called him after resigning from his assistant job at New Mexico.

Miranda, who recruited Bohnenstiehl when he was at New Mexico, knew he couldn’t let his big prize slip away.

“He said, ‘I’m leaving New Mexico and going to Kansas,” Bohnenstiehl said in a 2001 interview. “I said, ‘Well, that's great Sam, because I’m not going to New Mexico either because my dad is very, very ill, and my mother wants me to stay close. I’m going to call Bob Vanatta (head coach at Missouri) and see if he’s still got a scholarship.’ 

“He said, ‘No you’re not. You come out to Kansas. I want you to see that before you do anything,’ so I flew out and fell in love with the place. This was like early June when I went out there, and there were a bunch of guys around there-- Riney Lochmann, Wesley Unseld (he never played at KU) and guys like that. I hung around with them. They were great guys, people I wanted to be with and a part of.”

So Bohnenstiehl signed with KU and became a star. After playing behind Walt Wesley at center his sophomore year in 1965-66, he started at forward the rest of his career. Bohnenstiehl was All-Big Eight as a junior (16.4 ppg), a captain his senior year in 1968, and finished his career as the No. 9 leading scorer in school annals with 1,006 points. He set a Big Eight field goal percentage record at 56.6 percent that stood for many years.

Possessing an uncanny quick turnaround jump shot, Bohnenstiehl was nicknamed “The Machine” by Voice of the Jayhawks Tom Hedrick. Hedrick said he was “quick as a hiccup.”

“That (turnaround jumper) was the only way I could score because I played against people that were a lot bigger than I was,” Bohnenstiehl said. “You had to do something to get your shot off. ... I just tried to be as quick as I could. I wasn’t fast, but I was quick.”

Above all, this former KU standout was a winner who played for the love of the game.

“I wasn’t much for stats or watching how many points I scored,” he said. “I just loved the game and tried to play it my hardest.”

Bohnenstiehl, who developed that turnaround jump shot in high school after endless hours of practice, talked about his idol growing up.

“We had a guy when I was in high school named Bogey Redmond,” Bohnenstiehl said. “My freshman year in high school, they won the state. They were 32-0. I kind of idolized him as a player. He was 6-6 and 220, and I was about 6-6 and 180. He was kind of my idol. I always wanted to be like him, but better. I think in order to be a player, I think you got to have somebody that you kind of idolize. You got to kind of mimic after him. I didn’t like the pros. At that time, there wasn’t any college basketball on TV, but it was on the radio. I used to listen to the Cincinnati Bearcats.”

Jayhawk Hoops Players Childhood Heroes

Part of this blog originally appeared in Jayhawk Illustrated.

Bernard Malamud wrote in “The Natural” that “without heroes, we are all plain people, and don’t know how far we can go.”

Heroes show us the way, the unlimited possibilities we find in our heart, mind and soul. I certainly had heroes growing up in Lawrence, including those KU basketball players whom loomed larger than life for me as a bright-eyed kid whose life revolved around Jayhawk hoops 365 days per year.

I can vividly remember those magical fall afternoons at Park Hill Park on the asphalt court practicing basketball with my friend Lance in eighth grade and learning how to transform from a set shooter into a jump shooter as I’d sling my 10-foot jumper to the goal in front of the free throw line while pretending to be John Douglas. “The Franchise,” who once scored 46 points against Iowa State, had the perfect shot, a release so effortlessly and so smooth. After a while of practice, I finally got the strength to find the net.

I was so thrilled to see my shot tickle the twine and hoped my hero would be proud.

I also idolized Darnell Valentine and emulated him in every way. I wore my socks high like D.V., I shot free throws using his distinctive style, and tried to play relentless basketball just like him while competing against my taller friend Phillip in one-on-one battles. As Valentine entered the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers, I bought my beloved dog Snoopy Trail Blazer dog food and used to jog in place at home while looking at Valentine’s framed picture of leading a fast break. I jogged a little faster, raised my legs a little higher, my heart raced a little faster, as I drew inspiration and inner strength from my hero.

I put Douglas and Valentine on a pedestal. To me, they could do no wrong.

But what about the Kansas basketball players over the years like D.V. and “The Franchise.” Who were their heroes growing up? Who did they pretend to be while honing their game? I've always enjoyed asking former Jayhawks who they idolized in their childhood wonder years, who they pretended to be while hooping on the playground.

In this two-part series, we'll look at nine former Jayhawk standouts as they talk about their childhood heroes.

DARNELL VALENTINE (1977-81)

A four-time first-team All-Conference selection (only Jayhawk to accomplish that feat), a three-time Academic All-American and a 1981 All-American, Valentine was a legendary point guard who led KU to the Sweet 16 his senior year in ‘81. “The Penetrator” ranks first all time at Kansas in career steals and free throws made. He was arguably the best defensive guard to ever play for Kansas.

Valentine, who grew up in Wichita, idolized star NBA guards like Jo Jo White and spent many hours watching professional games on the tube with Goose Doughty, a mentor for many kids in the city.

“To this day, I can remember sitting in his house, watching NBA games on television,” Valentine told Jeff Bollig and Doug Vance in their 2008 book, “What it Means to be a Jayhawk.”

“He would always comment on the play, pointing out mistakes and bad coaching decisions. His favorite comment was, ‘That was a rookie move.’ He’d be all fired up, and we would just sit and laugh. ... I liked watching the NBA to see how the best players did it. I go back to the days of Hal Greer, Archie Clark, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Nate Archibald, and Jo Jo White.”

White, the former KU star and Boston Celtics Hall of Famer, was Valentine’s favorite.

“I loved Jo Jo’s game,” Valentine said. “He was so smooth. He would come back to KU in the summer and play with us. He was amazing. Here he was, a person who had been in the league for 10 years, and he was coming back and playing with us every day. He kept in such good shape. He looks like he could play today. He was a person I emulated. What I appreciated is he was so committed to helping us develop as players and people. I never got a chance to play against him because he retired just as I was entering the league.”

MARK TURGEON (1983-87)

This confident 5-10 point guard with braces from Hayden High School in Topeka, Kan., convinced KU coach Larry Brown to offer him a scholarship after a standout prep career, where he guided Hayden to a 41-1 record his junior and senior seasons, including a 25-0 record during his senior year.

Turgeon, who was an all-league, all-city and all-state selection at Hayden, was named MVP of the Kansas Basketball Classic and Pizza Hut Classic.

Entering his freshman season, the KU basketball media guide wrote that he was “considered by Brown to have all the tools to become a great point guard.”

Turgeon was co-captain his junior and senior seasons and part of the rebirth of Kansas basketball under Brown, helping the Jayhawks drive to the 1986 Final Four. Turgeon, now the head coach at Maryland who led the team in assists his freshman season with 138 (No. 3 on single-season freshman list), currently ranks No. 12 at Kansas in career helpers with 437 while tied with several players for most games played in a season (39 in 1986).

John Hendel, in his 1991 book, “Kansas Jayhawks: History-Making Basketball,” wrote that Turgeon “used to play mock games pitting Kansas against Notre Dame and took time to imitate the Jayhawks of the time such as Paul Mokeski, Ken Koenigs, and Clint Johnson. He idolized Darnell Valentine."

“I used to be Darnell,” Turgeon said. “I used to try to shoot free throws like Darnell and do everything like Darnell. We had a puppy and we named it D.V.”

TERRY BROWN (1989-91)

Brown could light up the nets in a hurry as very few Jayahwks ever have. A phenomenal three-point shooter and high school All-American from Clyde, N.Y., the 6-2 guard exploded for a career-high 42 points against North Carolina State on Jan. 5, 1991, when he made the most three-pointers (11) ever in a game by a Jayhawk. Brown’s 111 threes in 1990-91 was also a school record for a single season, which stood for 27 years before Svi Mykhailiuk broke the mark with 115 threes in 2017-18. Former KU coach Roy Williams once said Brown, who played on the 1991 Final Four team, was one of the best shooters he’d ever coached.

Brown idolized his older brother growing up.

“My brother played. He was like the big basketball star up in the New York area,” Brown said in a 2003 interview. “That’s kind of what got me into playing basketball because I wanted to be a big star like him playing. Sonny Barnes was his name. He was four years older than me.

“Up in New York, I used to practice on my own for like six or seven hours (a day) sometime. I was probably in seventh grade. I used to practice in the rain, in the snow, and after football practice. I told myself I wanted to develop a shot that’s hard to block. I started shooting like that (behind my head) every day, just shooting around until I got it to the perfect shooting form. That’s pretty much where I came up with that shot because it’s hard to block. The only way you can block it is from behind, probably like 80 percent of the time you block it from behind, they’re going to call a foul. 

“That’s pretty much all I shot when I practiced, like three-point shots or far from the basket. I’d run home and get my ball and go out there and practice until the sun went down. There was a playground near my home.”

BOOTY NEAL (1977-81)

A great long-range bomber from Oxon Hill, Md., Neal got the attention of the Kansas coaching staff 

after an impressive showing in the preliminary game of the Capital Classic his senior year of high school. The 6-5 guard became a huge fan favorite in Allen Fieldhouse with his deep shot.

Neal’s heroes growing up were sharpshooters Rick Mount and Pete Maravich.

“(They) were sort of the two guys I’d sit at home and watch when I was in junior high school,” Neal said in a 2001 interview. “I used to love watching them. They shot the jump shot.”

Neal admits he “had the deep shot in boys club” at age 12.

“You just keep putting it up,” Neal said. “I don’t know how many shots a day, it was just constantly in practice. You just do the same things. You take the same shot. You take your favorite shot. My favorite shot was shooting from outside. l loved the wings, but when I was in boys club, I was able to kind of shoot from anywhere — top of the key, off the side, deep corner. Then when I got to junior high school (and emulated Mount and Maravich), it got ridiculous.

“Then when I got to high school, it got totally ridiculous. I had 50 points in one game, I had 30 at halftime. The freedom to know you’re going to play and you’re that team leader, that puts a lot on your shoulders. Michael Sweetney (former Georgetown star) graduated from my high school. He came along and broke a lot of my scoring records.

“In the neighborhood, they still talk about who was the best player. They tend to get my name out sometimes.”

Roger Morningstar helped lead KU to magical 1974 Final Four

You never forget your first love, the one that took your breath away and captured your imagination forever. Roger Morningstar was one of my first “loves” and I cherish the memories of him playing in Allen Fieldhouse as a bright-eyed 7 and 8-year old kid growing up in Lawrence who had season tickets with my dad since 1973. Roger was an instrumental part of the dream 1974 KU Final Four team, which was nicknamed the “Comeback Kids.” That team stole my heart and I’m forever grateful for my childhood heroes like Roger, Dale Greenlee, Tom Kivisto, Norm Cook, Rick Suttle and Danny Knight for giving me such pure joy and brightening my childhood.

That team had a magical run to the Final Four, going 23-7 after an 8-18 finish the previous season, one of the greatest comebacks in college basketball history. KU won the Big Eight Championship before winning thrilling games against Creighton (55-54) and Oral Roberts (93-90 OT) in the Midwest Regional to advance to the Final Four in Greensboro, N.C., where they fell to head coach Al McGuire and Marquette, 64-51.

And I cried after that loss, a familiar refrain for me whenever KU’s loss ended the season for me growing up. That 1974 Final Four team had superb team chemistry and everybody knew their role. These guys have kept in close contact with each other over the years, and sadly, Knight and Cook have since died. Knight died at such a young age at 24, while Cook passed at 53. Assistant coaches Sam Miranda and Duncan Reid have also passed, while team manager Chuck Purdy died at age 58.

Since I was so young, my memories of Roger are kind of vague. But I remember him as a great long-range shooter, along with Greenlee. He would have been tailor made for the three-point shot, if it had been in effect back then. And Roger also played with great emotion and passion. With the junior college transfer Morningstar and freshman sensation Cook joining the team, KU was able to rebound after a dismal season in 1972-73 and advance to college basketball’s pinnacle --the Final Four.

With a last name like Morningstar and his fabulous play, how could I not fall in “love” with him.

Here is what longtime Lawrence Journal-World columnist Bill Mayer wrote about Morningstar on Dec. 3, 1973 after he played his first college game at KU, a 103-71 rout over Murray State on Dec. 1.

“Morningstar gives the Jayhawks something they’ve needed badly for a long time, a shaker, a guy who sizzles around like the Tazmanian Devil in pursuit of Yosemite Sam. He moves all the time, with the ball or without, on defense, at both ends of the court. He and Cook make things happen.”

I used to live out my Jayhawk childhood hoop dreams playing mock Nerf basketball games in my bedroom with KU vs. Kentucky, KU vs. Marquette, KU vs. UCLA, KU vs. Notre Dame, and so on. I’d entertain myself giving the play by play as I passed the Nerf ball to myself. "Kivisto to Greenlee to Suttle, over to Morningstar." Then, I’d fling my nerf to the hoop.

Swish!

I’d then mark two points by Morningstar’s name on a sheet of paper and continue the game. More times than not, KU would win the games against these powerhouse teams. It was my mock Nerf basketball games, after all, and I had all the power in the outcome.

Roger indeed made things happen on the court. And so did his son Brady, who played from KU from 2006-11. It was a great thrill to me to cover Brady for four years (he redshirted his sophomore season) and write stories about him. He is such a nice guy and true gentleman, and I could tell he was raised great by his parents, Roger and Linda. I’ll never forget when I first met Brady before he began his freshman season. I smiled, said hello, and told him I remembered watching his dad play at Kansas.

Brady was a true glue guy and make all his teammates better. He had “happy feet,” as coach Bill Self said, and was one of the best defenders of the Self era. I’ll never forget when Brady first checked in to the game during his first exhibition contest in 2006. I immediately got chills with an instant flashback of his dad playing in the Phog. It was a surreal experience for me. Brady hit a three-pointer that game, and I was overjoyed for him and his family. I interviewed him for a couple of minutes after that game and asked him how he was adjusting to KU and helping fellow freshmen Darrell Arthur and Sherron Collins get acclimated to KU. Brady was very kind and pleasant to me.

I was lucky and fortunate enough to interview Roger in 2001 for a Where Are They Now? interview for Jayhawk Insider. It was one of the most enjoyable Where Are They Now? interviews I ever did, having the chance to interview my childhood hero. We met at his Sport 2 Sport complex, which he owned at the time. It was a wonderful and memorable interview, as Roger told me about his high school and junior college days, his fond memories of Kansas, his kids, and what he’s been up to since leaving KU. 

A sixth-round draft pick by the Boston Celtics, Roger told me he "wanted nothing more in the world than to play in the NBA." While that didn’t work out, he’s had a very successful business career and currently owns Morningstar’s New York Pizza in Lawrence.

I’m always happy and delighted when I see Roger in Allen Fieldhouse and always enjoy his emails throughout the years. He will always have a special place in my heart, as will all his former teammates that I’ve just grown to love more dearly as I’ve gotten older.

You just never forget your first love.

In this blog post, I recall Roger’s recollections of his early high school and junior college career and his recruitment to KU, as well as re-publish my Where Are They Now? story in 2001. I even write about Roger’s childhood heroes.

...

“I wasn’t highly recruited at all. I was from the Chicago area. Of course, high school basketball in Illinois and especially in the Chicago area, is pretty tough--very competitive. I was one of those kids that developed late physically. I grew almost four inches after I got out of high school. My senior year, the fact we were 4 and 20, and the fact that I was a skinny little 6-2, 160 pound kid that was on a bad team didn’t fit well with what college recruiters were looking for. I still had this burning desire to play basketball in college. One of the other coaches in the conference that we played in in Chicago, had a friend, or an ex-player actually, who was an assistant junior college coach. He had called and said something about me. The next thing I know, I got a call from this Olney Central College, which was about four and a half hours south of Chicago. I went down there and just hooked up with a bunch of kids who I had never knew of before. We had a good team, no real great players, just a really good team. We were all freshmen except for one kid. We had a really good season and played in the finals of the state tournament, which enables you to go to to Hutch out there for the national tournament. Actually, not the state, but the regional, which more or less boiled down to a state tournament for the junior colleges in Illinois. We played really well, but didn’t make it. 

"The next year we came back and were all sophomores. We did make it that time. By the time my freshman year was over, I was 6-6 and weighed about 190 points or so. That changed the outlook on my basketball career. Again, we went to the regional tournament (sophomore year) and this time we won the thing and came out to Hutch to play. By that time, I had a few more opportunities to take a look at and decided that Kansas was the right place for me. Coach (Sam, KU assistant) Miranda was instrumental in recruiting (me). He was from Illinois. He recruited Illinois. Our whole team (at KU), we had one kid from Kansas --Danny Knight. The rest of the team was all from Illinois, which was pretty interesting.  

“There wasn’t a whole lot of recruiting. I’m a little bit old school in that I’m big on tradition and just the fact you come out to play in Allen Fieldhouse in front of 17,000 people. Wilt Chamberlain, Jo Jo White. Dave Robisch, Bud Stallworth, on and on. Phog Allen, James Naismith, the whole deal. It didn’t take much to convince me that this would be a great opportunity. ... Olney Central College, (Olney is a) town famous for white squirrels. It has albino squirrels all over the place.

“It was funny. I had a real strong run late (in high school). Like our last five games, I scored a lot of points and played well. I don’t know what happened. It just kind of fell that way. I had a coach by the name of Rex Hughes, who was an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska for Joe Cipriano. They called late. Of course, I was goo goo over the whole thing. (They said), ‘We want you to fly out and take a visit and all that stuff.’ I had nobody wanting me to visit anywhere, except this little junior college so I thought, ‘Man that would be great.’ He said, ‘We’ll  have a ticket in the mail to you in the next couple of days. You ought to have it and we’ll see you.’  Every day, I was blown out of high school. The mail came to our house about 11:00, and at 10:45, I had a study hall or something. I was blown out of high school  going home checking the mailbox. It didn’t come. It didn’t come. It didn’t come. It didn’t come. Seven or eight days later, I still don’t have  it, and I’m wondering  what the heck is going on. So the next day I go to the mailbox, and there’s a letter--a big Cornhusker logo on the envelope. And I’m jacked up. I ripped the thing open and instead of a ticket, it was a letter explaining why they didn’t have any interest anymore. A couple of the other kids that they were looking at, they didn’t think they were going to get, had committed and therefore there wasn’t a need for me at that time. It’s your typical basic kick in the gut for a young kid.

“It served me as great motivation that at least somebody had taken notice. ... At least I got a nibble at the major college level. Now can I turn that into actually doing it? I didn’t come here (KU) for any revenge factor or anything. It was kind of fun. Coach Cipriano was a fiery, the two years I was here, I never saw him finish a game in Allen Fieldhouse. He was thrown out all the time. He was a great, great guy, really fiery. I had a little fun jabbing him from time to time because I always seemed to have decent games against Nebraska. That was just about it as far as opportunities. Nebraska, again, that faded quickly. That was kind of a late deal. If I’m thinking right, timing wise, that was probably in late April, which is real late when it gets down to recruiting purposes. In fact, this is really funny. He (Miranda) watched a game that I played in. I happened to be a junior at that time. We played a team that was extremely good in Illinois, Aurora East High School. On that team was a future teammate of mine here at the University of Kansas, a kid named Tom Kivisto. Tom was one of the absolute best high school player I had ever seen. His dad was his coach. The Kivisto family in basketball circles in Illinois was legendary. So, Aurora East beat us 110-58, I believe. They just crushed us. Coach Miranda watched that game, but he had no idea who I was. Of course, that was the year earlier. I was even scrawnier at that point as I was as a senior. He was very familiar with Dundee. The town I’m from, had years ago had pretty steep tradition in high school basketball in that area. At the time period which I went to school there in the late 60s and early 70s, we were kind of downtrodden.

“We (Olney Central Community College) had a team very similar to what I ended up on here at the University of Kansas. We had about seven kids who knew their role and played hard. We were successful from a won loss standpoint. That’s what helped. The other thing from a personal standpoint that helped me a lot, by being a late developer, when I was younger, I had to play guard and handle the ball a lot. When you grow from 6-1 to 6-6, you don’t forget those ballhandling skills. So now all of a sudden, I was a little bit more of an asset because I was a big guard in college as opposed to a little tiny kid. I think that had some bearing on their recruiting and the fact that Kansas had just come off a weak season. They were 8-18, so what I was looking forward, of course, was an opportunity to play. At that time, the good teams around the country bring in maybe one junior college player every few years. You had to almost pick your spots to  make sure you would go to a school that was the type of school you wanted to go to because you’d fit in and you were going to play because you had two years left. Kansas just seemed to be a really good fit at the time, just with the personnel that they had and what they had coming back, and at my size and my position. Plus, I always wanted to play with Kivisto, and that was going to give me an opportunity to do that also. I had a very very strict junior college coach, and thank goodness for that. I had a bagful of  letters and opportunities. He told me you’ll pick four places to visit and that’ll be it. So I went to the University of Maryland on a visit because my dad lived out there at that time, and they had really good teams at that point, too. I went to Wake Forest, another team in the ACC. I went to Texas A&M because I’d never been to Texas before, and I came to Kansas. The one trip I had that I was trying to talk coach into taking, I ended up once I was out here and decided to come here, there was no sense in taking any more trips. I canceled a trip to the University of Minnesota, which I thought was a good basketball school at the time. That’s where I ended up taking a look at. Kentucky really didn’t take junior college players. I’d say they were looking at the best players in the country from a high school standpoint year in and year out. I’m a role player. I’m the type of player who needs to find his role and fit into a spot and do a few things. I was not certainly the type to carry a team. Maryland was a top-10 team at that time. John Lucas, Tom Roy, Owen Brown---they had Mo Howard. They had some good players, and that’s when Lefty Dreisel was kind of trying to build Maryland into the UCLA of the East.

“I was blown away (first impression of Lawrence). The only time I had ever been to Kansas was when we drove from Olney straight across I70 to Hutch. We came through at night. We left in the afternoon after class. By the time we got over here to Lawrence, it was dark. Everyone’s sacked up. You got eight kids to a station wagon, bags packed and all that stuff. So when I wake up, we were in Hutch. The next day, I ‘d get up, there was wind blowing, there was sand blowing. Everything was flat. It just looks like a typical midwestern town, and I didn’t think much of it. I had a wonderful experience at Hutch--the fans and the attendance at the tournament and the way we were treated and all that stuff was unbelievable. It was my first taste of some sort of national type tournament. When we left, we were on such a high after we finished third. We were so excited. When we left, we drove from Hutch back through here. I didn’t really notice anything. It was during the day but we didn’t stop in Lawrence. You can see, well, there’s the University.  It’s on the Hill. I didn’t think much of it. Then, a few weeks later, I came out to visit and I was blown away by the beauty of the campus, by the rolling hills, the whole thing. It was just a very cool visit."

Roger also talked to me about his childhood heroes growing up.

“I had three guys who I felt really impacted me mentally from a basketball standpoint. They all came kind of at different times. John Havlicek was one. I just absolutely loved the way he played. Everything. Nothing fancy. He just got it done  Of course, I’m a longtime Bulls fan, not because of their six championships, but because of basically Jerry Sloan. I just loved Jerry Sloan.  He was the toughest, nastiest guy that I had ever seen play. He was very good. And then, a guy that I didn’t see much because the media attention wasn’t there early but has the most astonishing record I think in all of college sports, and that’s Pete Maravich. What he did with the basketball, he started all the kids doing those ballhandling drills, all that stuff today that we all do in our camps, clinics, and programs, just par for the course. He invented. Of course, scoring 44 points a game for three years is just the most remarkable thing. That and John Wooden winning 10, 12 NCAA championships just is mind-boggling.”

By David Garfield (Jayhawk Insider, 2001)

Roger Morningstar wasn’t exactly destined for stardom after finishing his high school basketball career on a 4-20 squad in Dundee, Ill. As Morningstar says, “being a skinny little 6-2, 160 pound kid on a bad team didn’t fit well with what college recruiters were looking for.”

Heck, Morningstar was just recruited by two colleges — Nebraska and Olney Central Junior College in Illinois. After Nebraska lost interest, Morningstar settled in at Olney, where he grew four inches his freshman year.

“That changed the outlook on my basketball career,” Morningstar said.

Suddenly, major colleges throughout the country began recruiting the sweet shooting 6-6 swingman. After narrowing his choices to four schools (Maryland, Wake Forest, Texas A&M, Kansas), Morningstar decided to become a Jayhawk. He admits he was an easy recruit and “blown away” by the campus beauty during his recruiting visit.

“I’m a little bit old school in that I’m big on tradition and just the fact you come out to play in Allen Fieldhouse in front of 17,000 people,” Morningstar said. “Wilt Chamberlain, Jo Jo White, Dave Robisch, Bud Stallworth, on and on. It didn’t take much to convince me that this would be a great opportunity.”

With Morningstar and freshman Norman Cook joining a talented Kansas team, the Jayhawks made one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college basketball history. KU, which went 8-18 in 1972-73, improved to 23-7 the following season and won the conference championship and earned a berth in the Final Four. Morningstar said the team chemistry was superb.

“Rick Suttle might have been our best player, but he came of the bench,” Morningstar said. “He did that willingly. He just said, ‘Hey, if I’m more effective coming off the bench, that’s what we’ll do.’ It was that kind of attitude that everybody had.”

And Morningstar won’t soon forget KU’s journey to the Final Four. KU won two thrilling games against Creighton (55-54) and Oral Roberts (93-90 in OT) in the Midwest Regional to advance to Greensboro, NC. KU, which trailed ORU by nine points with just under five minutes remaining and by seven with 3:19 left, rallied and and eventually won the game in overtime.

“It’s one of those typical things where you just never give up,” Morningstar said.  

While Kansas bowed to Marquette (64-51) in the Final Four, Morningstar savors the memories.

“It was a big deal to us,” he said. “We knew we were talking about a national championship, but it wasn’t near the big media deal it is today. We stayed at a little Holiday Inn in Greensboro, NC. There was a little sign out front: ‘Welcome, Kansas Jayhawks.’   

A lethal long-range marksman and fiery battler, Morningstar finished the season second on the team in scoring (12.3) and probably first in floor burns.

“I kind of was more of an emotional type player,” he said. “I never really had a problem shooting it. I don’t know if I ever saw a shot I didn’t like. Tom Kivisto had a very nice ability to get you the ball where you were open and where you could shoot.”

After concluding his college career in 1975 (KU won the Big 8 again, but lost to Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament), Morningstar was eventually drafted by the Boston Celtics in the sixth round. 

“I wanted nothing more in the world than to play in the NBA,” Morningstar said. 

However, his dream ended when he was released by Boston. Morningstar then opted to play one season overseas in Holland before returning to Lawrence in 1976. Morningstar, who soon accepted a job with Converse, worked 20 years with the organization in Denver, Chicago, and Boston. Morningstar advanced his way up from sales rep to vice president of sports marketing, where he handled sponsorship opportunities and contract endorsements for pro players in all sports.

Longing for Lawrence, Morningstar decided to return to his college home in 1994. After commuting to Boston for 18 months, Morningstar quit Converse and opened up Sport 2 Sport in Lawrence in 1996.

“We (he and his wife, Linda) both always said the place we want to retire is in Lawrence,” Morningstar said. “We just decided to turn the timetable up a little bit. It’s a kind of town where you want to raise a family. ... There’s a lot of great friends.”

Morningstar loves owning Sport 2 Sport, a multi-purpose recreational facility which has club sports and programs for pre-schoolers to high school age. He spends his time coaching youth and developing sports programs that help kids become better athletes.

 

“It’s seeing a kid start in our Roy Williams basketball club when he’s a kindergartner and watching him develop into a very good player on one of our club teams three or four years down the road,” Morningstar said. “I think the fact this does allow kids an opportunity to focus a little bit more and become as good as they really want to become has been very meaningful.”

When he’s not working at Sport 2 Sport, Morningstar stays busy operating his own radio show and watching his kids participate in sports. He is at peace with himself after coming full circle in life since first arriving at Mount Oread 28 years ago.

“For me to see my kids doing some of the same things that I did here is very cool,” Morningstar said. “I feel extremely fortunate to have been associated with this school and the town of Lawrence.”

A Closer Look at Roger Morningstar:

Years at KU: 1973-75

Career Notables: Member of 1974 Final Four team...Finished second on team in scoring in ‘74 (12.3) and ‘75 (11.1)...Career-high 28 points vs. Nebraska on Dec. 29, 1973.

Family: Wife, Linda, and “three great kids” — Jamie, 20, Linsey, 16, and Brady, 15.

Education: 1975, B.G.S. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Since Leaving KU: Morningstar played one season in Holland before embarking on a 20-year career with Converse. He then opened Sport 2 Sport in Lawrence in 1996.

Currently: Morningstar is the owner of Sport 2 Sport.

Hobbies:  Watching his kids participate in sports. 

Favorite Memories: “Probably the overall thing that I cherish the most is the group of guys I played with. Just about all us stay in touch and we get together for Roy Williams’ reunions.”...Winning two conference championships and going to the Final Four. “If you didn’t win the conference, you didn’t go to the tournament. We were excited and that was a big thrill. That’s still something we look back on as a team and think, ‘Hey, a Final Four and two conference championships isn’t a bad deal.’”... First KU-K-State game in Lawrence on March 6, 1974. “Man, I was just blown away. I had never heard noise like that.”

On the Jayhawks Today: “I absolutely love them. I’m definitely more of a fan than a critic. Whatever he (Roy Williams) feels needs to be done, ought to be done in my opinion. ... Obviously, he’s done an extremely good job. I think every year, they’re within a break or two of going all the way.”