Alonzo Jamison made his mark as one of best defensive players in KU history

Alonzo Jamison's road to Kansas first began at Valley High School in Santa Ana, Calif. He lettered in four sports (track, football, baseball and basketball) and admits baseball was his favorite sport.

“It was the first sport I ever played,” Jamison told me in 2002 during our Where are they Now? interview. “It will always be near and dear to my heart.”

However, he “adopted” basketball as a sophomore, when he played on the varsity.

Jamison’s thought about his new sport at the time?

“I can get something out of this.”

The 6-6 forward, who idolized Julius Erving, Darryl Dawkins and Magic Johnson, was named All-League and All-County as a senior and selected team MVP four straight years for the Falcons.

Jamison then went to Rancho Santiago Junior College in 1987-88, where he was co-player of the year in the California junior college system, averaging 19.5 points and 12 rebounds per game. He shot 58 percent from the field and named MVP of the Orange Empire Conference and was a third-team junior college All-American. He was his team’s MVP, leading them to a 25-8 record.

Jamison, who then signed with KU in May 1988 over San Diego State and Oregon State, was KU coach Larry Brown’s last recruit.

He talked about his recruiting visit.

“As soon as I went to KU, two weeks after they won it (national title), I saw the campus and met the people,” Jamison said. “Scooter Barry and Milt Newton were my hosts. I knew that was the place I wanted to be.”

After sitting out the 1988-89 season because he didn’t meet the Big Eight junior college transfer rule requiring 24 transferable credit hours in the previous fall and spring, he was then not eligible to play in the fall semester of 1989 based on NCAA eligibility requirements.

Jamison finally became eligible in the 19th game of the season, averaging 11 minutes per game and shooting a scorching 61.4 percent from the field.

Then this California native had his coming out party during the 1990-91 Final Four season, arguably KU’s most consistent performer throughout the season while developing into a leader on the court in the later part of season.

He elevated his game during the NCAA Tournament, posting a double-double  (14 points, 10 boards) against Indiana in the Sweet 16 before exploding for a career-high 26 points and nine rebounds versus Arkansas in the Elite Eight. Jamison shot a sizzling 72 percent from the floor in the first four games of the Big Dance, including 18 of 24 in the Southeast Regional (Most Outstanding Player).

Jamison recorded a team-high 80 steals that junior season and set a KU single-game record with eight steals against Marquette. Only Darnell Valentine and Danny Manning had posted more steals in one season. He averaged 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 59.5 percent from the field, one of the top 10 percentages in KU history.

Entering his senior season, Jamison was one of 20 players on the preseason list for the John Wooden Award, given to college basketball’s best player. Considered one of the top defenders in the country, Jamison had the skills to guard quick, smaller players as well as opposing big men.

KU coach Roy Williams called Jamison “the quickest learned I have ever coached.” The 225-pounder was also the strongest player on the team with a 455-pound back squat and 302-pound power clean.

After helping lead KU to the Final Four the previous season, Jamison concluded his senior season averaging 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds while recording a career-high 83 steals (2.59 spg) in 26.9 minutes per game. He shot 55.6 percent from the field and a career-best 67.6 percent at the charity stripe.

He told me he wanted to be “remembered for defense, tenacious defensive player.”

Indeed, he was.

Jamison also showed tenacity and perseverance after leaving KU in 1992 after majoring in communications. Fifteen years later, he received a bachelor’s degree.

He eventually developed type-2 diabetes and lost kidney function. By April 2015, Jamison was on dialysis eight to 10 hours daily. His life was eventually saved when Army veteran Shekinah Bailey donated his kidney to Jamison on Jan. 24, 2017. Just before he headed into transplant surgery, Jamison talked to KSHB about what Bailey’s gift meant to him.

"I think it's going to be gratefulness and I feel that now and I'm going to continue to feel that for that man over there," he said.

Bailey was also grateful to help Jamison.

“I saw the interview actually you did on Facebook," Bailey said. "It kind of dawned on me that it's like, if I'm willing to be a soldier and go out there and lay down my life what's a few months of inconvenience to give somebody a kidney?”

The surgery was successful and Jamison is feeling like a new person.

"You just don't know how it feels to have a gift like this,” he said. “This is just once in a lifetime type of situation and I can't put it into words.”

Jamison, a registered organ donor, is now giving back by being a Green Ribbon Champion for Midwest Transplant Network. His goal, as MTN reported on Nov. 1, 2018, “is to encourage more people in Kansas and Missouri to join the organ donor registry.”

Jan Finn, president and CEO of Midwest Transplant Network, greatly encourages more people like Jamison and Bailey to become organ donors and save lives.

“Nationwide, an average of 22 people die every day due to lack of available organs for transplants,” she said. “We have the power to change that. Alonzo and Shekinah are proof of it.”

Here is my 2002 Where are they Now? story on Jamison, where he talked about overcoming adversity to make his mark at KU and his fond relationship with Roy Williams. He called Williams “one of my closest friends.”

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Alonzo Jamison’s road to basketball glory at Kansas had a few bumps along the way. After signing with KU out of Rancho Santiago Junior College (Santa Ana, Calif.) in May, 1988, Jamison saw KU coach Larry Brown leave for the pros a month and half later. Then, Roy Williams was hired in July when Jamison learned he was academically ineligible and would have to sit out the 1988-89 season.

“Coach Williams had told me he would recruit me again if I wanted to go back to junior college another year,” Jamison said. “That’s when I knew he was genuine and really on a level that you don’t see that often in Division I. I decided it would be a lot better if I sat out a year and learned the system and try to help the team out the year after.”

After sitting out the season, Jamison was then sidelined an additional semester for failure to meet NCAA eligibility requirements. The year and a half layoff was a trying time for Jamison, who learned a great deal about perseverance and overcoming adversity. He said the struggles made him a better person.

“That’s when I finally knew (being declared academically ineligible the fall of 1989) I was going to have to buckle down and do my job,” Jamison said. “It sort of prepared me for life. Nobody really cares. After you play ball, you’re a has-been. You got to make your own way in life.  Nobody’s going to do it for you.”

A tenacious battler and unselfish player, Jamison (6-6, 225) eventually won over the hearts of the KU faithful and Williams with his work ethic and defense. Williams called Jamison the “quickest learner I’ve ever coached” and one of the top defensive players he’s had. Jamison, who ranks No. 6 all time at KU in career steals, possessed the strength and quickness to stop opponents both on the wing and in the post.

“He’s had a lot of good defensive players,” Jamison said. “He’s had a lot of good players, period. To even be mentioned in that type of context is kind of special. ... Anybody could score. At least that was my mentality. It was one of those things where it takes a very special person to go out and shut somebody down.”

Jamison was, indeed, a very special player. He’ll probably be most remembered by KU fans for leading the ‘Hawks into the 1991 Final Four with his career game against Arkansas in the 1991 Elite Eight. Jamison, who scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds, was masterful in keying a second half comeback win. He earned Most Outstanding Player of the Southeast Regional.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t remember a lot,” said Jamison about the victory. “I was more in a zone. People get in a zone and they don’t think about what you’re doing. You just react. I just felt the rim was a little bit bigger than what everybody else was looking at.”

Unfortunately, KU lost to Duke in the national title game. The following season, Jamison’s career ended on a sour note when Kansas was upset by UTEP in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. After concluding his collegiate career (10.0 ppg in 1991-92), Jamison tried his luck with professional basketball. He was released by Denver in rookie camp and then sliced by the Los Angeles Lakers in veterans camp. Jamison next played six months in Sweden and two months in France. A few months later upon returning home in 1993, Jamison ruptured his Achilles and had surgery. He then decided to give up the game.

“It was pretty difficult at the time,” Jamison said. “It was one of those things where my body was falling apart pretty good (Jamison also had knee surgery after being cut by Los Angeles) so there wasn’t a lot I could do about it. The mind was willing but the body wasn’t.”

Jamison admits there were other reasons he quit basketball.

“I was so instilled with the team atmosphere and team game in college, I couldn’t take myself out of that realm and put it towards the individual one-on-one game,” Jamison said. “I think that was my biggest downfall. ... The professional level is completely different than the college level. For college, you’re playing for pride of the school. Professionally, it’s a business.”

Jamison moved on with his life and became a manager for Applebees restaurant in 1994. After working there two years, he changed professions and entered the banking business. He was a branch manager for Commerce Bank in Kansas City for four years before switching to Bank of Blue Valley. Jamison works with commercial lending as the business development manager for the past year.

“I enjoy meeting people and getting to know people’s needs and try to fit our product with what their needs are,” he said.

When he’s not working, Jamison keeps busy spending time with his wife and three children. And, of course, he follows the Jayhawks. Jamison calls Williams about once a month, “just to see where his head his and give him a pat on the back and let him know he’s still the man.” The California native will never forget the statement Williams made at the awards banquet in 1992 — that Jamison meant so much to the program, he would give the shirt off his back to him.

“It’s one of those things that is still in my mind,” Jamison said. “He’s a very special person. For somebody to believe in me and my skills when he didn’t even know me to tell me he would recruit me again out of loyalty not only from him but the university, we can just say that coach is one of my closest friends.”

Jamison admits their relationship was rough at first.

"All friendships are going to have a rocky stage,” Jamison said. “Ours was at the beginning.  I’m just glad he saw something in me that he liked, and we just persevered. I’ve been through a lot with that man.”

A Closer Look at Alonzo Jamison:

Years at KU: 1988-1992

Career Notables: Member of the 1991 Final Four team...Most Outstanding Player of the Southeast Regional in ‘91...Tied with Nick Bradford for most steals in one game (Jamison had 8 steals twice)...No. 6 all time in career steals and No. 4 in career field goal percentage (58 percent).

Family: Wife, Jennifer, daughter Michaela, 6, and twins — Elise, 3, Olivia, 3.

Education: Jamison majored in communications. (He earned a bachelor's degree in 2007).

Since Leaving KU: After being cut by Denver and Los Angeles, Jamison played six months in Sweden and two months in France. He then quit basketball and worked as manager at Applebees for two years (1994 and ‘95). Next, Jamison switched professions and was branch manager for Commerce Bank for four years before becoming business development officer for Bank of Blue Valley.

Currently: Jamison is business development officer for Bank of Blue Valley in Overland Park, Kan.

Hobbies: Golf.

Favorite KU Memories: 1991 Final Four. “Having that 1991 team go to the Final Four when there’s only maybe four or five teams that actually did that in the history of KU basketball, that’s special in itself.”...Breaking the basketball support with a dunk during Midnight Madness in October, 1988. “I remember just the crowd going crazy. I was coming down after the dunk on two feet with the rim still in my hand. I didn’t feel any pain or anything, but I got a four or five inch gash on the top of my head. I still have it to this day.”  

Recalling former KU standout forward Alonzo Jamison

In my June 29, 2019 blog,  https://davidgarfieldshoopheaven.blogspot.com/search?q=Alonzo+Jamison, I wrote about former KU standout forward Alonzo Jamison and included my Where Are They Now? story I wrote on him in 2002 for Jayhawk Insider.

Now, I include some more information on “Zo” from our great interview, starting with his recruitment to Kansas.

After a standout high school career at Valley High School in Santa Ana, Calif., and junior college career at Rancho Santiago in Santa Ana, Jamison signed a scholarship with KU in May 1988 after originally signing with Oregon State.

Jamison, a quick and muscular 6-6. 225-pound forward, became one of the best defensive players in coach Roy Williams’ 15 years at KU and actually in KU history. A true defensive stopper, he posted career averages of 9.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.1 steals in 22.8 minutes per game. Jamison shot a scorching 58.0 percent from the field and 56.4 percent at the free throw line. He was the consummate team player, a fan favorite, and endeared himself to Williams and the coaching staff.

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“I signed with Oregon State, and they were one of the last universities in the nation to actually start school. I was under probation, actually. They were still going over my transcript, and making sure I had the requirements. I actually didn’t, and that’s why I went back to Rancho Santiago Junior College for a year. No, KU didn’t recruit me until the year later I was in junior college. Under Prop 48, I had passed, but just some of my core cirriculum courses didn’t transfer. I signed in ‘88, when they won it all. After a while, coach Williams had told me he would recruit me again if I wanted to go back to junior college another year. I decided it would be a lot better if I went in that one year and sat a year and learned the system and try to help the team out the year after.

“I was the last Larry Brown recruit. There’s no hard feelings there. It was just one of those things where I didn’t know what was the scenario. I had reporters telling me he was leaving without hearing from the school at all. I signed in May and he left a month and a half later (to become San Antonio Spurs head coach). Your mind runs the whole gamut. I had the chance to go back to junior college another year and be recruited again or go to different colleges. But it was one of those things, as soon as I came to KU, it was about two weeks after they won it (national title). I saw the campus and met the people. Actually, Scooter Barry and Milt Newton were my hosts. I knew that was the place I wanted to be. I didn’t know (I’d have to sit out a year until coach Williams told me and said he “would recruit him again”). That’s when I knew he was genuine and really on a level that you don’t see that often in Division I. I thought I was going to step in and play the next year; that was the last time when I sent the papers off, the former administration had told me they received the papers. That was the last thing I heard from them, until coach Williams came in and told me what was going on.”

“Actually, baseball was (my favorite sport). That was the first sport I ever played;  it will always be near and dear to my heart. I was playing (basketball) on the varsity when I was a sophomore. I sort of took that in stride and said, ‘Hey, I can get something out of this.’ Dr. J, Darryl Dawkins (were my heroes growing up). That’s about it. Magic (Johnson) was until--he was the one that came back in (after injury from the Lakers) and I was the one that got cut. You were (my hero) but you just took six digits out of my pocket.”

On his career game against Arkansas in the Elite Eight in 1991 in Charlotte, N.C., when he scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds while named the Southeast Regional Most Outstanding Player:

”To tell you the truth, I don’t remember a lot,” Jamison said. “I was more in a zone. People get in a zone and they don’t think about what you’re doing. You just react. I just felt the rim was a little big bigger that what everybody else was looking at. (We were) the underdog. (We were) down by 12 (at halftime), and we won by 12. (I remember) Sean Tunstall’s 3-pointer when Oliver Miller was laying on the floor. We went up by four or five, and never looked back after that.  It was a team game then.”

On being at the Final Four in Indianapolis:

 I was in awe still,” Jamison recalled. “The regional finals were big, but it wasn’t as big obviously as the Final Four. There’s a lot more hoopla and a lot more media and a lot more interviews that you have to give. I think that took a lot away from us. You can’t be prepared for those things.”  (I was) 1 for 10 against Duke (in the national championship game). I was off that game. That was not a very good sign for me. Roy was pulling for Vegas (against Duke in the Final Four). Duke was one of those teams that scared you. (I was) rooting for Duke, not wanting to play Vegas, (a) squad that could beat 40 percent of NBA teams.”

On the 1991 team’s run to the Final Four and how it came on strong at the end of season:

“We lost 3 of last 6 games (before the NCAA’s),” he said. ”I think we started believing in what coach was saying. We believed in what was going on out there. We knew if we lost, our season was over.”

On Williams’ comment once when he said that Jamison and Steve Woodberry were the two best defensive players he ever coached: 

”Steve was a great player. To even be associated with that is special. He’s had a lot of of good defensive players. He’s had a lot of good players period. To even be mentioned in that type of context is kind of special. I had it in my mind that it was one of those things that I almost go out there and do what I need to do to shut this person down. It was more of a team game. Anybody could score. At least that was my mentality. It was one of those things where it takes a very special person to go out and shut somebody down.” 

On ranking in the top 10 in career steals at KU with 175. Jamison also ranks tied for second with Nick Bradford and Russell Robinson for most steals in a game (eight twice against Marquette in 1990 and Pepperdine in 1992). Jamison, who led KU in steals in 1991 and 1992, is a also tied for fifth in KU annals with Darnell Jackson with highest career field goal percentage (58.0).

“I was just there to help the team win,” Jamison said. "All the accolades afterwards, that’s great, but having that 1990-91 team go to the Final Four when there’s only maybe four or five teams that actually did that in the history of KU basketball, that’s special in itself,” he said.

On coach Roy Williams’ comment in 1992 at the awards banquet that he would give the shirt off his back to Jamison:

”It’s one of those things that is still in my mind. He’s a very special person,” Jamison said. “For somebody to believe in me and my skills when he didn’t even know me to tell me he would recruit me again out of loyalty not only from him but for the university, coach is probably one of my best friends.”

“It was rocky (at first),” he added about their relationship. “All friendships are going to have a rocky stage. Ours was at the beginning. I’m just glad he saw something in me that he liked, and we just persevered.” 

On one of his favorite memories as a Jayhawk:

“Beating Oklahoma State my junior and senior year at home (against) Byron Houston, Big Country (Bryant Reeves). (It was a) tight score with three minutes left (his senior year on March 2, 1992 during a 77-64 KU victory). That was the loudest I’ve ever heard it in the fieldhouse.”

On sitting at KU for a year and a half after being declared academically ineligible:

”At that time, it was just another obstacle in my way. Perseverance was the thing that was on my mind. Going to junior college that one year and overcoming that hurdle and getting signed by a Division I team, that was another hurdle. And then finding out I was academically ineligible, just a couple different hurdles I had to overcome. I sat out an extra semester. My GPA was half-point low. That’s when I finally knew I was going to have to buckle down and do my job. It sort of prepared me for life. Nobody really cares. After you play ball, you’re a has-been. You got to make your own way in life. Nobody’s going to do it for you.”

On playing for KU and why he didn’t drive to the hoop very much?

“I’m glad I had the opportunity to play. I wish I would have had the green light like Paul (Pierce), Adonis (Jordan), Rex (Walters),” Jamison said. “(Mark) Randall and (Mike) Maddox, stayed inside, not a lot of driving we could have done. In high school, I always posted up, taking my game out to the wing (at KU) is what I really liked. I think I had a quick first step.”

On whether he should have shot more at KU? He averaged only 6.6 field goal attempts per game.

“Some people have said that. Hindsight is 20-20. You never know what could have happened if I was the one that shot so much,” Jamison said. "My percentage might have been down, or we would have not went as far as we went maybe in the Final Four or wouldn’t have been a number one seed my senior year. I can’t say what if I would have did this or what if I did that. If I would have did that, it would have driven me crazy.” 

On his versatility in playing small forward and power forward:

“I think I was the first one to actually play more than one position. You’d have to ask coach Williams that.” 

 On thinking if he could play in the NBA and a national broadcaster’s comment during his college career that he could see Jamison having a 10-year pro career:

“I did at one time, but after senior year (when I went to) camps, it’s completely different from what college was,” Jamison said. “I was so instilled with the team atmosphere and team game in college, I couldn’t take myself out of that realm and put it towards the individual one-on-one type of game. Defensively, I could. But offensively, I just couldn’t do that. I think that was my biggest downfall.

“(I was) not really thinking about it at that time,” he added about the NBA while he was in college. “I really didn’t. I just wanted to get done with what I was doing then and not really worrying about what was going to happen.” 

On his NBA tryouts and playing overseas:

“ (I was) undrafted (and spent) rookie camp with Denver, veterans camp with Lakers, cut when Magic came back,” Jamison said. "I had tendon surgery on left knee after Lakers. I ruptured my Achilles two years after that. (I played) overseas in Sweden for six months, a couple of games in France. I had surgery again (when I ruptured Achilles) and hung it up after that. It was pretty difficult at the time. It was one of those things where my body was falling apart pretty good so there wasn’t a lot I could do about it. The mind was willing, but the body wasn’t. ... The professional level is completely different than the college level. For college, your playing for pride of the school. Professionally, it’s a business.”

Alonzo, thanks for the memories. I loved watching you play!

Steve Woodberry left his mark at Kansas and in overseas basketball

I had a great Where are they Now? interview with former KU standout Steve Woodberry in February 2000 at Mr. Goodcents in Lawrence. Steve, who was back in Lawrence after playing professionally overseas rehabbing his knee and working at Retirement Management Company, talked to me fondly over his lunch break about his KU career and his professional career in Australia.

Then a young woman recognized Steve and asked him if he played for KU. Steve was very kind and said he did. They had a very nice conversation.

“It’s a good feeling to have,” Steve told me. “When they come up and talk to you, you can tell that you left a mark, along with the other players around you.”

Woodberry, who Roy Williams once said was the best defensive player he ever coached at Kansas, reveled in his KU experience.

“It was too short,” he said. “Four years was too short. It was a great four years.”

Woodberry arrived at KU after a heralded career at Wichita South High School under head coach Steve Eck. The Kansas Naismith Player of the Year in 1990, Woodberry averaged 20.5 points and 10 rebounds per game that senior season with single-game highs of 31 points and 15 boards. He led WSHS to two state championships and three straight conference titles while the Titans only lost three games during his career.

Woodberry, whose most admired athlete is Michael Jordan, improved each year of his KU career, averaging 3.0 points his freshman season, 7.2 points as a sophomore, 10.1 points his junior season, and then a team-high 15.5 points as a senior.

He boasts career averages of 9.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 23.6 minutes per game (138 games), while shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 79.1 percent at the free throw line, and 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. Woodberry shot a scorching 87.9 percent at the charity stripe during the 1992-93 Final Four season (No. 3 all time for single season in KU annals), where he was regarded as the best sixth man in the land.

Woodberry’s KU teams went a sparkling 110-28, where he played in two Final Fours (1991 and 1993), won three Big Eight regular-season titles, one conference tournament championship and one Preseason NIT title.

After graduating from KU with an economics degree, Woodberry embarked on a highly successful 11-year career overseas. He played in Switzerland in 1995 before enjoying a six-year career in Australia. He was the league’s MVP with the Brisbane Bullets in 1999 and an all-league selection in 1998 and ‘99. Woodberry then played two seasons in Lithuania, winning a championship in 2001 and voted the league’s Import player of the Year, before playing in Greece, Sweden and Finland.

Woodberry, who retired in 2005, then embarked on a coaching career, serving as an assistant at Missouri State from 2006-12, where he was part of five winning seasons, including three 20-win campaigns and three postseason berths. The Bears played in the NIT twice (2007, 2011) and won the postseason CollegeInsider.com Tournament in 2010.

In 2012, he joined KU legend Danny Manning as his assistant Tulsa, where he coached for two years. Woodberry was instrumental to Tulsa in winning the 2013-14 Conference USA regular season and tournament titles--the program’s first league title since 2003. Tulsa played in the postseason both years, earning a a No. 13 seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, its first NCAA berth in 11 seasons.

The former KU standout guard then moved to Wake Forest, where he’s continued as Manning’s assistant coach. Woodberry helped lead Wake to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, where the Deacs ranked in the top-10 nationally in offensive efficiency. Wake set school records with 268 three-pointers and 77.8 percent at the free throw line, averaging 82.8 points per game. 

Steve and his wife, Bianca, have three children -- sons Shaylen and Sherron and daughter Sanaa'. He also has two other children, Steven and Kaylen.

Here is my Where are they Now? interview with Woodberry from 2000. Steve, I truly appreciate your kindness and the time you gave me.

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Every now and then, Steve Woodberry will turn on the TV and see a fellow Wichita native, Adrian Griffin, starting at small forward for the Boston Celtics. Woodberry, who played against Griffin in high school (Woodberry starred for Wichita South while Griffin, two years younger, played at Wichita East) and briefly in the CBA, can’t help but beam with pride.

“I’m happy for him,” Woodberry said this recent afternoon at a Lawrence restaurant during his lunch break from RMC (Retirement Management Company). “I’m glad he’s doing well, because there’s not very many guys from Wichita — if any — besides Adrian Griffin in the NBA. ... He does a great job for them.”

While Griffin toiled in the CBA (he played in college at Seton Hall) before getting a shot at the NBA, Woodberry has spent the majority of his time after college playing basketball overseas in Australia. The former Kansas basketball star has been one of the top players in the league for six seasons, and was even named MVP last year (27.0 ppg) despite an injury-riddled campaign.  

Woodberry said he has no regrets about not pursuing a CBA career after college, where he would have received more exposure from NBA scouts.

“I don’t recommend anyone going to play in the CBA,” said Woodberry, who actually played 30 games in the league for Quad Cities in 1997. “If you’re willing to stick it out, that’s fine. But what happens if you don’t make it? He’s (Griffin) an exception to the rule. All it takes is one person to like you. What happens if the coach doesn’t like you? I thought it was better for me to go overseas. You make more money overseas than you do with the CBA anyway.  I wanted to make the money,” Woodberry said, laughing.

After undergoing three knee surgeries in eight months, Woodberry is currently taking a year off from basketball, rehabbing his knee, and working in Lawrence (he’s been living here since November). An economics major, Woodberry is enjoying getting invaluable working experience at RMC, where he’s involved in accounts payable.

Woodberry, who plans on playing basketball three to five more years and then possibly joining the coaching ranks, is fortunate to currently have the opportunity to keep close tabs on the Jayhawks and watch his former coach, Roy Williams, conduct practices. Williams once gave Woodberry the ultimate compliment, saying that he was the best defensive player he’s ever coached at KU.

“That meant a lot,” Woodberry said. “I don’t think many players today take pride in defense.  Nowadays, it’s whose got the best crossover, who can jump the highest and shoot the most. I think him saying that really says a lot about me and how much pride I took playing on both ends of the floor.”

Woodberry admits he compensated for his lack of athletic gifts by learning shortcuts and watching other great defensive players like Alonzo Jamison. With scorers like Mark Randall, Rex Walters and Adonis Jordan, Woodberry wasn’t asked to shoot much his first three years in college  He thrived in the role as Super Sub, and was generally regarded as the best sixth man in the country in 1993.

“It’s good when you can come in and play the point, two and three,” Woodberry said. “I gave us what we needed. ... I took a back seat to be unselfish and make sure other guys got involved.  I thought there was more to my game than just scoring. I enjoyed playing defense, rebounding, getting steals. I’m glad I came here and did it that way.”

Woodberry wound up leading the team in scoring his senior year in 1994 (15.5 ppg) and silently carved his way into the KU record books. He tied the school record for most games played in the NCAA tournament (16), and ranks among the all-time Jayhawk leaders in assists, steals, and three point field goals.  

Of course, Woodberry will never forget going to two Final Fours (1991 and 1993) and hitting game-winning shots throughout his career, including buzzer beaters against K-State in 1992 and Oklahoma State in 1994. Woodberry, who calls the three-pointer against the Cowboys one of the biggest shots of his life, said he lives for those moments.

“Most people are scared,” said Woodberry, whose also hit a couple of game-winners in Australia.  “But why not? Either you miss it or you make it. What’s going to happen? Nobody’s going to kill you. You step up to the challenge and see if you can meet it. Michael Jordan, as many as he’s made, how many did he miss? No one remembers that.”

And how would he like to be remembered?

“To me, everything was about winning,” Woodberry said (he won two state championships in high school). “I’d just like to be remembered as a winner. I did everything I could to help us win.”

And while Woodberry would certainly love to be playing in the NBA with Griffin and former KU teammates Walters, Jacque Vaughn and Greg Ostertag (the Milwaukee Bucks actually asked Woodberry to work out this summer, but he was unable due to his knee injury), he’s perfectly content continuing to play basketball overseas or anywhere but the CBA.

“People are doing worse things,” Woodberry said, smiling. “Basketball is fun. You get paid to do it two hours a day.”

A Closer Look at Steve Woodberry:

Years at KU: 1990-94

Career Notables:  Member of 1991 and 1993 Final Four teams... No. 19 leading scorer in KU history...Among KU all-time leaders in three-point field goals, assists, steals, and games played...  Second team All-Big Eight in 1993 and ‘94.

Education: B.G.S. Economics, 1996

Family: Woodberry has two children (Steven, 2, and Kaylen, 7)

Since Leaving KU: After being cut by Larry Brown’s Indiana Pacers in 1994, Woodberry spent the next six seasons playing overseas in Australia. He also had a brief stint in the CBA (30 games with Quad Cities) in 1997.

Currently: Woodberry is living in Lawrence while rehabbing his knee and working for Retirement Management Company.

Favorite KU Memories: “How close-knit everyone is. We’re lifelong friends.” … Going to the Final Four as a freshman in 1991. “Mark Randall was the star, but everybody did their role and played together. That was a special year.” 

On the Jayhawks Today: “He’s (Roy Williams) getting a lot more talent than what we had back then. ...This team can go as far as any other team, but they have to play together.”

Testimonials from a Writing Life

                                                      Interviewing Royals All-Star pitcher Jose Rosado (1999)

I never entered the writing profession for testimonials and endorsements. I chose to become a writer because that's who I am, what I identify most strongly about myself. I've always enjoyed putting words on paper and making stories come to life. I've written for as long as I can remember and can still recall the first poem I wrote in school in maybe second grade at Broken Arrow Elementary School on a piece of construction paper. As a child growing up in Lawrence, I used to write poetry to reflect my thoughts and what I was going through in life. I've always written my parents homemade greeting cards for birthdays and holidays, sharing my love with them through the written word. And now I cherish those cards more than ever since they have passed as I read the old cards and how much they meant to my life and my late parents' lives. 

I think I first realized the power my words had on other people when I wrote my dad a long, heartfelt letter as a teenager urging him to quit his longtime pipe smoking habit. After reading my letter, my dad was so moved by my words that he quit cold turkey and never smoked again. I first realized he had stopped when I was standing outside our house on the porch when my dear mom said dad read the letter and hadn't smoked all day. And he never smoked again. Dad always credited me for being the reason he stopped.  

I strongly believe words can move mountains, and that is such a defining example. Realizing later, I basically saved my dad's life. While I used to enjoy writing letters to the editor in college at KU to the Lawrence Journal-World about Kansas basketball, I'll never forget my first byline on a story I wrote for my Reporting I class in 1990 in the University Daily Kansan, a long feature on non-traditional students. I was the first student (and I believe the only one) in that class to have an article published in the UDK that semester. It was such a thrill to see my name in print for a story I worked on so tirelessly. While I've always loved to write, I think from that moment I found my calling and was hooked on becoming a professional writer.

I'm also inspired to write by this wonderful quote by the Sufi mystic Hazrat Inayat Khan: "Words that enlighten the soul are more precious than jewels." It is one of my all-time favorite quotes and says so much about the beauty of words and writing.

Now, after 31--plus years in the writing profession, I've written thousands of stories and interviewed people ranging from Hall of Famers like George Brett (Hall of Fame cover story), John Calipari, Phil Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal, John Stockton, Larry Brown, Bill Self, Jerry Sloan, Warren Moon, Dolph Schayes, Joe Dumars, Nolan Richardson, Lynette Woodard and Charles Barkley to the common man/woman, including about 250 volunteers in the community in the Lawrence Journal-World and 60 and better. These inspiring people, who I viewed as my heroes, included rape, incest and cancer survivors, former homeless people, recovering alcoholics, businessmen, attorneys, doctors, dentists, nurses, and idealist college students who dreamed of changing the world. It was quite gratifying telling these stories and having people welcome me into their homes with open arms and hearts. I was so moved and humbled when I heard one of the volunteers cried when she read my story for the first time, believing I captured her sentiments so well.

In addition, I've interviewed countless other people, including entreprenneurs, fitness competitors, inspiring KU graduates, Miss Kansas Annika Wooton, high school athletes, Voice of the Jayhawks Brian Hanni and so many more. I've tried hard over the years to give extensive coverage to women's athletes. I've been a forerunner covering women's sports, including basketball, softball, soccer, volleyball and track and field. I've always felt women work just as hard as the men, but don't receive enough media coverage. I'm definitely glad times are changing and the women's revolution is here. We must always remember the pioneers like Lynette Woodard and Nancy Lieberman who paved the way for Caitlin Clark and so many other great female athletes of today from a wide variety of sports.

Annika and I both got emotional when I asked her in person at a library in Wichita "how the arts saved her life." As she paused for about 10 seconds, wiping tears from her eyes and composed herself (I composed myself, too, from my emotions), she spoke quite openly and candidly about being bullied in high school, having suicide thoughts and finding sanctuary in the art room and theater with like-minded people. That open-ended question and Annika's answer completely made that sidebar. We spoke for 80 minutes, and afterwards, she asked me if I had any more questions. She smiled and said I had her whole bio with me. I always do extensive research on my interview subjects, and this was especially the case with Annika, such a lovely, inspiring and genuine young woman. Thank you Annika for sharing your story with me, and helping people relate to what you went through in high school and overcome their tremendous adversity.

Looking back, I knew I had a gift for asking life-searching questions and getting people to open up to me and share the most intimate details of their lives when I interviewed this non-traditional female student in my Reporting I class at KU, taught by my legendary and now sadly beloved late professor Ted Frederickson ("Ted-Fred"). During the middle of my interview with this woman, she broke down and cried, telling me she had never told any of this information to a person in her life. I was so grateful that she felt comfortable in confiding in me and letting me tell her story, just like so many people I've interviewed over the decades have done with me. 

My most inspirational story was likely about a KU graduate and Marysville, Kansas, resident, Eric Swim, who traveled to Israel to donate his kidney to a 10-year-old boy named Moshiko. He saved Moshiko's life, and was hailed as a "big hero" in Israel, made front-page news, and met the Prime Minister and Holocaust survivors. This was about a 90-minute phone interview, as Eric kindly shared his fascinating story with me. While he wasn't Jewish like me, he and his wife closely observed Jewish customs. I was very humbled and flattered that Eric loved the story so much that he asked me to write a book about his story. While the timing wasn't right in my life at that time for this project, I'm forever grateful that Eric believed in me so much to write a book about his incredible and inspiring story.

In addition, I've written Where are They Now? stories on former KU athletes. This was a dream come true for me when I did this for acclaimed Jayhawk Insider from 1999 through 2003.  I'll never forget how thrilled I was when my editor Lauretta McMillen told me to go ahead and write these profiles. After I hung up the phone that morning, I went outside my home and took some deeply peaceful breaths and exhaled the start of a great new adventure.

I interviewed KU legends like Otto Schnellbacher and B.H. Born to walk-on basketball player T.J. Whatley. Some other former Jayhawks I interviewed for the Where Are They Now? profiles include George Mrkonic, Bruce Kallmeyer, Kurt Knoff, Terry Beeson, Angie Snider-Gonzales, Angie Halbleib, Emmett Edwards (my first KU football hero), Dallas Dobbs, Delvin Williams, Frank Pattee (member of KU's 1947 Orange Bowl winning team and father of Erin Brockovich, who graduated from Lawrence High School in 1978, right between my brother in 1977 and sister in 1979), national champions Al Kelley and Bill Lienhard, friendly childhood classmate Chris Piper (Stephenson was his last name back then), Mark Randall, Alonzo Jamison, Terry Brown, and childhood heroes like my all-time favorite Jayhawk Tony Guy, Roger Morningstar, Dale Greenleee, Bruce Adams, Bucky Scribner, John Crawford and Booty Neal. 

I've written my articles over the years with the main motivation to do the best work possible and portray my subjects' true feelings. However, I'm only human so I can honestly say I've been overwhelmed and moved by the many endorsements and testimonials I've received. From the many thank-you calls from people like Randall and Rob Allen, Phog Allen's grandson, to the thank-you letters I've received and endorsements on LinkedIn, I owe these grand people many thanks and gratitude for their kindness, thoughtful words, and unwavering hearffelt compassion.

Here are some of the testimonials I've received during my writing career.

"That might have been the best article ever written about me."-- Mark Randall, former KU basketball star and NBA player, on my Where are they Now? story on him on Feb. 11, 2000.

"You have a gift." --Mark Randall, February 2000.

"Thank you for your superior article you wrote about me for the Roger Hill Volunteer Center published in the Lawrence Journal-World recently. I believe your journalistic abilities were shown in the newspaper item to be with keen sensibility and emotional awareness in my voluntary services to persons attending the Douglas County Senior Center. Yours truly, Ailene Bocquin."

"David Garfield did a very professional job conducting my interview and writing the story about me.  He is an accurate reporter and a most competent writer. You are quite fortunate to have his services! I would like to have four more copies of this particular issue if they are still available. My check in the amount of $15.00 is enclosed to cover the cost of these extra copies and their mailing. Your early response to this request will by greatly appreciated. Thank you! Very truly yours."  --Frank Pattee, former KU football standout, member of KU's first bowl team (Orange Bowl winner) and late father of Erin Brockovich, in a letter to my publisher of Jayhawk Insider, on Oct. 8, 1999.

"Nice job David!! Frank." (personalized note to me in Pattee's letter to my publisher.

"You're the best writer we have." KC Sports publisher Jim MacDonald, who put me on the Royals beat my first year with the magazine (I started by covering KU hoops) and gave me the coveted assignment to write the Hall of Fame commemorative cover story issue and interview George Brett, picking myself over writers who've been covering the Royals for a decade or two longer than me.

"David, 1st (First), thanks for all your hard work! Don't ever think I don't know what a great job you are doing." --Amy Griggs, coordinator at United Way about my inspirational profiles on volunteers in the Lawrence community.

"Thank you for writing such a nice article and thanks for sending the two copies of the Jayhawk Insider. My phone interview with you and reading the article brought back a flood of great memories about KU and all of the fine people I have met. You’ve captured my feelings about my family well. I wish you good luck in your future endeavors."--Dale Greenlee, former KU basketball standout, on March 25, 2000.

"Thank you very much for the two copies of Jayhawk Insider which I received last week. My compliments to you in the way the information was structured and presented. I thought it was handled in a very skillful way."

--Dallas Dobbs, two-time All-Big Seven selection under Phog Allen, on Jan. 21, 2002.

"I was just giving you a call to thank you for really what I thought an outstanding article that you did on the Phog Allen story and my lower level memorabilia collection. I just wanted to call and let you know I appreciated all your good work. You really did an outstanding job. People actually thought it was far too articulate to be coming out of my mouth. I said, 'You're right. It's a young man named David Garfield, who did such a good job on that.'" --Rob Allen, Phog Allen's grandson, on Jan. 17, 2004.

"David —Thank you very much for your contributions to our paper this year. Our paper is solid because of your efforts, which are greatly appreciated by me and our readers. Great job on Rob Allen (cover story)! I look forward to working with you in 2005. Happy Holidays to you  and your family." -Steven B. (Barouh), publisher of Kansas City Sports & Fitness in a letter to me.

"David —Great stories! Thanks for entertaining our readers."  Steven Barouh

"I wanted to let you know that I thought you did a great job with the article. My wife even commented how nice a job of telling our story you did. Thank you for helping us spread the word out about TNT. Hopefully we will get some participants from the article. Thanks again for taking the time to put the article together. I hope our paths cross again. Warmest regards, Tom.”

--Tom Coones, participant in the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society Team in Training, on June 15, 2005.  

"Thanks to David Garfield for the great feature article on my life and fitness career."

  Myra Michaels on the front page of her website in 2004 on my cover story in June 2004. Myra, a world-class fitness competitor, was named Ms. Internet World 2003.

'David requested an interview with me and wrote an article about my life and career as a fitness competitor for the Kansas City Sports and Fitness magazine. Our interview was very comprehensive and David did a great job of choosing the most interesting highlights and weaving them together into a great article. I was on the cover of Kansas City Sports and Fitness magazine that month and I credit David's great article to helping me get there." --Myra Schulze on Jan. 17, 2008.

"It has been my privilege to work with David Garfield on multiple occasions in the past. The detailed research he conducts related to the subjects of his articles, his strong command of the English language, and ability to craft uncommon but interesting questions for interviews set him apart in the writing profession." --Gregory Kovsky, longtime president and CEO of IBA business brokerage firm, on June 29, 2009.

"David and I write for the same monthly publication. I always make sure to read what he writes, even though I don't like the team he covers because he's knowledgeable about his subject and does a good job communicating it in an entertaining way." --David Smale, who's written over 30 books, on Sept. 15, 2011.

"I have been interviewed by David on a couple of occasions and found him to be a professional in every sense of the word. As a writer, he has the ability to make the interview feel like a normal conversation and then portray it perfectly into a story that grabs people's interest. In my experience working with David, he always uses the quotes in the perfect context and always made me feel good about how I was portrayed. I would absolutely work with David again if the opportunity ever presented itself."--Brian Martin, former KU basketball standout and NBA player, on Aug. 27, 2014.

"I had the privilege to be interviewed by David for a story he wrote on me as a Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader for the Kansas City Sports & Fitness magazine. David did a great job interviewing me and made the conversation flow easily. He was very professional, asked great questions that were portrayed well in the article, and had a nice, easy-going personality which makes people feel very comfortable. I enjoyed reading the article and felt that it was an excellent representation of myself and the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleading organization. I highly recommend David for his professionalism, creative writing talents, and his strong work ethic." 

--Michelle Reiter on Jan. 28, 2016.

"You are an inspiration, David. Thank you for sharing your talents." --Michelle Reiter on July 31, 2018.

"Congratulations on a very fine profile of the legendary career of Tom Hedrick. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have Tom as an instructor and/or mentor can only echo your conclusion that he deservedly made it big." --John Nance, former staff writer of the National Broadcasting Company who later created the role of Judge Harrison Prescott for the Perry Mason TV series, on May 25, 2019.

"You did a terrific job! I’m so glad they chose you to write the article and I’m really thrilled with how it came out. You’re a tremendous writer.  Hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season." Brian Hanni, Voice of the Jayhawks, on Dec. 23, 2019.

"How awesome! Thank you so much for your time and hard work putting together the article. It was so great to meet you - please let me know if I can ever do anything for you in the future!" --Paige Albert, owner of Something White Bridal Boutique (voted Kansas City's best bridal shop in 2020) on Feb. 28, 2020.

"Wow. Took a lot of guts to write/publish this view into your soul. Much respect and admiration to you and for doing what you did. Again, wow!!! Great personal insight and self-reflections." --Phillip Hart, criminal justice advocate, on June 12, 2020 on my essay in the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle about my lifetime of antisemitism and my journey toward embracing Judaism.

"This is extraordinary - you can weave the words." --Patrick Wilbur, technical business analyst and activist, on June 12, 2020 about my essay in the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle.

"Thank you so much for the copies of the magazine and for the incredibly thoughtful note. The article was amazing, thank you so much. We are very much looking forward to sharing it with all our friends and family. I really appreciate the way you captured our story and made it into a beautiful article! Thanks again!" --Tatum Clopton, pitching phenom from Free State High School in Lawrence KS, two-time Gatorade Kansas Softball Player of the Year in 2018-19 and 2019-2020, and No. 7 ranked player in the 2021 class by FloSoftball on March 15, 2021.

"Beautiful. You are an artist painting with words." --Gregory Kovsky regarding my speech about my dad's Celebration of Life on April 23, 2021.

"Very excited to be working on a project as professionals. I can't think of anyone I would rather have as the author of my American Dream Achieved profile series of entrepreneurs who IBA has successfully represented in the sale of their businesses." Gregory Kovsky on June 27, 2021.

"Ideas circulating in the office for your next four articles after Jason Abboud. People are loving your stuff. I have the best staff writer in the world. You will get a per article raise for your next six. Compensation on performance is a business model I embrace. You are exceeding my high expectations and I was high on you at the start." Gregory Kovsky on Sept. 1, 2021.

"Oh David. What a wonderful piece. It just conveys so much-the love for AFH (Allen Fieldhouse) that so many readers can identify with, and a little (then bigger!) boy bonding with his dad over a shared love of basketball. I know that Goody (my dad) wouldn't have been such an aficionado of the game if you had not been so enthusiastic, so you both gave each other something. I just think that, whether the reader knows Goody and David or not, there is something for every reader in this piece. It was just great." Alice Lieberman, former professor of Social Welfare at KU and 1998 HOPE winner (Honor for the Outstanding Progressive Educator) Award, the only teaching excellence award given exclusively by students, on Dec. 11, 2021.

"David, Thank you for the 2 copies of KU Today & Tomorrow, and thank you for the wonderful article that captured the comaradarie of our team. The closeness we have and the joy to excel is a rare and beautiful combination. You were too kind with the the many quotes from me. My daughter loved the article. Hope all is well - Dale."  Dale Greenlee, former standout guard at KU, in a thank-you letter to me about my 50-year anniversary of the magical and miracle Kansas basketball 1973-74 team. August 2024.

"Just read your fantastic, special to the Journal World. It’s very informative —and it really brings her to life. Great writing! Congratulations! Love, Harriet."  Harriet Lerner, renowned clinical psychologist whose New York Times bestselling book, The Dance of Anger, which has been translated in over 35 foreign languages, on my feature of KU women's basketball signee Mollie Ernstes in the Lawrence Journal-World. April 26, 2026.

"

I have read David's stories for many years, and no one invests the care and attention to tell your story better than him. His meticulous attention to detail and passion for writing is unmatched. He knows everyone has an interesting story to tell and is laser focused on ensuring that story is conveyed accurately. Let David tell your story!" Patrick Wilbur on Aug. 9, 2026.

"David and I wrote for the same sports publication almost 20 years ago, where I was first introduced to him and his writing. One of the first things I did when the new issue came out was turn to his features. Even though I wasn't a fan of the team he covered, I always enjoyed reading his features. He had a great way of getting to the heart of the story, seamlessly going past the obvious angle. Through the years, we. have stayed in touch, and continue to read whatever he writes whenever possible. He's an excellent writer." on Aug. 13, 2026.

"David interviewed me for a main feature in KANSAS! Magazine during my time as Miss Kansas in 2019. Our converstion during the interview followed the pattern of the year I served - full of varied topics, laughs, reverent moments, and reflections on what the experience met to me. David is both a fantastic writer, and conversationalist. I look back in what we were able to cover in the time we had and am grateful for the opportunity to reflect some of my experience in what would turn out to be a historic reign as Miss Kansas through his reporting. I still have several copies of the magazine in print, and use it often in my gallery showings as a distinct marker in a chapter, and one that captured my story so well." Annika Wooton, former Miss Kansas and current award-winning Speed Painter on Aug. 30, 2026.

"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.”