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Introduction

As I grew up and learned more about Midwest hoops, I was fortunate to watch the Omaha-Kansas City Kings (NBA 1972) with Tiny Nate Archibald. This team then became the Kansas City Kings (1975), nearly folded, and then limped on a tight budget to Sacramento (1985) by covered wagons. The rest is history regarding the Kings NBA franchise, coming so very close to the NBA finals in 2002. One wonders how a state so engrossed in hoops allows an NBA franchise to walk away nearly bankrupt. No, it’s not this Missouri/Kansas constant battle over who is at fault when something goes wrong (Kan-sas City is split between Missouri and Kansas). The answer is that Kansans just enjoy fundamental hoops played well.

There is more to hoops than money and pro sports in Kansas. Parents, families, players, coaches, cheerleaders and schools take as much pride in the sport as any state in the Union. High School, grade school, NAIA, Junior College and of course D1 college games in Lawrence, Wichita, and at Manhattan are crowded. Pickup games, AAU, hoop clubs, church leagues and even rivalries between middle schools receive considerable attention. Hoops for Kansans are very simple and entertaining. It’s not about individual players or new luxury seats in Kansas. Kansas hoops are truly about the basic fundamentals of the sport, how it’s played and compe-tition. There’s hardly a state that has more backyard courts than Kansas. In fact, if there isn’t a hoop in the driveway, one wonders what‘s wrong with that family. Are they revolting? Don’t they get it? Do their kids have problems? Therefore let’s emulate the typical Kansas family in a typical Kansas town such as Salina amidst all this Kansas hoop hysteria.

Salina, Kansas: Youth Hoops and beyond into the Prairies

Mom attended K-State (Manhattan), and Dad went to KU (Lawrence). Therefore we have a mixed marriage. They both played Kansas high school and Intramural collegiate hoops and are therefore, Kansas hoop experts. The jokes and rivalry comments flow between Mom and Dad. Obviously this cou-ple’s kids will be proficient at hoops. And therefore we have to decide now which college they’ll attend. Dad wins because the Jayhawks’ hoop tradition in Lawrence trumps Mom’s K-State Wildcats–but not by much. The family is Catholic, so the kids will obviously enroll in the Catholic leagues around Salina. The first child is born and Dad is concerned that the hoop cannot go up soon enough. Never mind it’s a girl. Girls hoops in Kansas are huge. We’re OK.

The hoop goes up at age 2. None of the neighbors are alarmed. The hoop isn’t even covered within the homeowner’s association agreement. It is implicit that hoops are com-monly accepted and not a subject for legal neighborhood dispute. The hoop is adjustable and will be advanced as the new emerging hoop star embarks on her growing career. Dad already has the girl on the church TEAM in his brain. How-ever he soon discovers that there really isn’t a formal Catholic youth league in Salina or the surrounding area. Salina has adopted World Class Basketball (WCB) from Chicago. WCB begins at third grade (age 8). The heck with the Y, school ball or pickup. We’re already in club ball. Instruction and leagues are year round. Dad is happy about the Salina job transfer. Mom says we need to begin practice outside to get the “feel” of the game. Mom observes how involved Dad is with their daughter and hoops. She therefore elects a back seat approach.

Second grade comes quickly and the girl has grown and is taller than many third graders. Dad can’t hold back so he lies on the intake form and says his daughter is in third grade. This won’t hurt anyone; and besides, he can justify this in his mind by his daughter’s height. A competing parent complains about the underage girl in WCB. Dad sweats it out, but is allowed to keep the daughter in the program due to his financial and administrative support. The variably interpreted rule of being able to “play up” allows any kid to play at any level the player can successfully “hold his or her own.” Another baby is born and it’s a boy. Twelve months later another boy comes. Dad is on a roll. Two years later the final boy is delivered. Dad will have an entire TEAM for the backyard court. The family is on the move being involved with Rotary, the church, PTO and

No Bricks Allowed: Kansas Hysteria

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WCB board. This family may have enemies in Salina, but not many because of their community involvement. PT (Play-ing Time) is political to a degree as one advances within the Kansas hoop pyramid of success. The more game experience one acquires, the better one will look in a college, Vegas or any AAU showing. There is no sense in not looking ahead for our kids. Don’t we first have to avoid a middle or high school cut?

The Salina parents accomplished the ultimate Kansas goal: four kids in youth hoops. Our older girl is now just entering high school. She’s played all the Hot Shot league hoops in Salina, regional AAU, and the showcase tourneys throughout the state. Is it Sacred Heart or is it Central, South, or St. John’s Military Academy for High School? Let’s see, our girl is easily the best shooter and player on the WCB TEAM. Therefore she’ll be viewed by more college recruiters if she’s in the public league. Aren’t Catholic leagues a thing of the past? I’m thinking Kansas City. This is Salina! She’s heading to Central because they have a great new young coach. They enforce school district lines. Therefore I’m OK if I stay put. I may have to move unless I apply for special consideration to transfer to another school district. Athletics isn’t on that special consid-eration list. Some around town never got over me forcing my girl into 3rd grade WCB when she was in second grade. That probably was stupid now that I think back. Salina isn’t that big.

Mom comes home and we have a lengthy discussion with our daughter regarding schools in reference to hoops. She says she’s “burned out.” If she plays hoops at all in high school, it’s Sacred Heart or nothing. Some friends from WCB play Sacred Heart; but she still may not play. She wants a break this summer, not even playing high school summer ball. She wants a nature camp and has a new boyfriend. Both parents at this juncture regretfully admit they probably were overbearing, pushed hoops too much, and now are feeling the effects of being overzealous par-ents. Dad knows that 85% of kids quit

competitive soccer at age 13 because they have had enough. There are no stats on hoops. Most kids figure out their hoop ability by high school. Most leave due to lack of interest at having to work so hard and sit on pine. Many kids at the high school level just cannot successfully compete. In addition to school, work, church, family, etc., sports can become more of a work obligation than fun. Teenage kids now need 9 hours of sleep with ever increasing real world demands. Dad had a taste of pickup everything sports just before all the parental sports organization culture began. Remember those days when they picked TEAMS, and it seemed sports was truly all fun? Maybe our child has been essentially at the Olympic Training Center since she was seven–similar to East German athletes back in the Cold War days. Dad heads to the loft for a beer and a little ESPN. Maybe we screwed up as parents and as a culture.

Dad resigns from the WCB board and establishes a pickup game every Friday night at Kenwood Park. He lays back off all his kids hoop dreams. He finally gets that he’s living his life as he would want it through his kids. Kids are so innocent, yet intuitive. They appreciate Dad in every way. Mom becomes the sports AD for the home. Dad lays off and is pleasantly surprised. The daughter goes to Sacred Heart and plays 3 sports, performs well in athletics and obtains a D-2 Washburn University partial scholarship based mostly on academics. Dad gives her the thumbs up. The next three sons play tons of sports through high school at Sacred Heart. The middle son is a high school phenomenon who accepts a KU hoops scholarship offer. Sons one and three head off to K-State for architecture school. Dad and Mom have attended more hoop games than anyone in Salina, are proud of all their kids in all ways and support all sports within the city. Dad’s pickup games have taken on a life of their own. Many kids have grown to love hoops through the Friday night Kenwood Park pickup games. Dad went back on the WCB board and implemented open policies designed to get kids to just flat out play. Every-one wins.

The above scenario is highly typical of Kansas. Hoops affect families in many ways for years. It is a way of life in Kansas. Games are attended by thousands of fans at mostly inexpen-

sive prices. In a few cases such as the above scenario, it leads to a college scholarship. Rarely do youth hoops lead to a starting NBA role (one in ten million youth players ever start on an NBA team). The enthusiasm of parents with young growing children combined with the enjoy-ment of the sport leads most Kansas families to actually maintain vivid lifelong excitement about hoops. If one reviews the family time in-volved with Kansas hoops, it is truly

remarkable. Not everyone has kids who can play hoops at a competitive

Salina Central HS Girls Team 2012courtesy berecruited.com

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level. This doesn’t preempt the family from enjoying the sport at any level. Much of the enthusiasm for basketball derives from Naismith, Fog Allen, and the successful college TEAMS in Lawrence and throughout the state. When one can watch innumerable cable channels of hoops, then why all the fuss about Kansas hoops? Let’s dig deeper into the Kansas prairies.

Recently I was trapped in Colby, Kansas. I was heading home from a St. Louis Cardinal World Series. An early killer snowstorm prevented me from crossing the Colorado border and getting home. I needed a couple essentials so I stopped at Walmart. Walking around I noticed that this store sells considerable basketball equipment including an array of balls (men’s and women’s), NBA like nets for hoop clothes, endless hoop shoes, warm-ups, socks, game and practice uniforms, hoops and backboards, clipboards, books, CDs, mouth guards, glasses, score books, etc. Walmart is smart: this equip-ment wouldn’t be for sale unless it is being bought. This was an impres-sive display of hoop equipment for a town that is not such a big place. Despite the raging storm I drove around a bit and discovered that virtually everyone has a hoop in the driveway. All the schools have a large number of outdoor courts. Colby College has both indoor and outdoor courts. Public parks in Colby are flat out full of hoop courts. This is the emerging China right here in the United States. (China has a mandate of 100,000 new courts ordered from the national Communist government). Colby is a kid’s dream if he or she enjoys hoops even to the slightest degree.

Kansas is a complete throwback to earlier generations. Kids play neighborhood pickup hoops in driveways, schools, old abandoned gyms, and even within their homes and barns. Video games certainly have crept in, but the fabric of Kansas youth is playing basketball. Making the neighborhood grade or middle school basketball cut is a big deal. Even kids that don’t make cuts still play and shoot hoops. It is a Kansas way of fun. Hoops in the Kansas prairies are their own life itself—as well as pure enjoyment of the sport and fitness.

I distinctly remember being in a free throw shoot out versus a Kansas kid when I was at basketball camp. I knew and felt I was in for a war. Kansas kids just don’t shoot “bricks.” They are not allowed; and for neighborhood prowess, you practice until one can sink free throws with blindfolds on or look-ing the other way. A Kansas hoop youth shoots from every

imaginable angle from in front to behind the rim. Avoiding a put down from friends requires basketball skills obtained from excellent coaching, practice and love of the sport. Youth in Kansas are always trying to get better. Both girls and boys aspire to play high school and even college ball. This is the sport that Kansans love, deeply appreciate, and want to see

played well.

From Goodland to Atchison, TEAMS are competing with intense competition at all levels. Smaller communities don’t have a WCB organization. No problem; they have the outdated pick up park games, where being picked last is the ultimate inspiration to improve one’s game. This is a real phenomenon, and not unlike the love that inner city youth have for hoops.

Honoring James Naismith, Phog Allen, and all the great players and coaches who have traveled through Lawrence, the state of Kansas has be-come home to NAIA hoops, National Junior College Hoops and a couple paces into Missouri is the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (Sprint Center). These organizations will never have enough firepower to match the multibillion dollar con-tracts of the NCAA D-1 tournament and the NBA. Kansans don’t care. These fans would love to watch a

lower division college hoop game between Hays and Otero than spend a ton on NBA hype. From high school all the way to Manhattan or Lawrence, amateur hoops are really the craze in Kansas.

Junior College (JUCO) Ball/NAIA/NCAA Division II and III

What is the big fuss about Junior College ( JUCO) hoops? Does anyone watch these games other than the administra-tors, coach’s wife, girlfriends or parents? Kansas non-Division I college ball games are well attended. Specifically it matters within the Kansas JUCO league how Coffeyville, Garden City or Johnson County are playing. These men’s and women’s TEAMS have considerable pride in TEAM ball, playing at a competitive level and imparting the strength of athletics into their livelihood post college. NBA players Donta Smith, Rashard Lewis and Stephen Jackson played JUCO ball. George Devean, Darell Armstrong, Ronald Murray, Robert Whaley, Moochie Norris, and Ben Wallace all played in less than D-1 college level hoops. Many NBA players historically played in lower level collegiate hoops. Though the number

Andale vs. Wellington, Kansas City HS Hoopscourtesy aluckyshot.com

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is less than 3% of all NBA players to date, it is still impres-sive that these men’s players come from the small arenas and advance to the pinnacle (NBA).

Since the 1990s when JUCO graduates and now, WNBA stars Betty Lennox, Sheryl Swoopes and Yolanda Griffith paved the way, more players (men and women) are looking to develop their game at an uninhibited yet fundamental level of play. Many players are understandably upset regarding not obtaining a basketball D-1 college student athlete scholar-ship. However, whether it’s just playing hoops at a competi-tive level, interest in basketball administration, coaching post college or lifelong skills development through athletics, the JUCO and lower NCAA divisions offer a student athlete a superb opportunity where the individual student athlete can flourish.

Hoop stars in lower divisions develop concurrently athletic, academic and life skills. There essentially is very little financial scholarship for less than D-1 college level players in hoops through college athletic departments. There are however, favored work programs, academic and need scholarships and loans for students. These programs strongly enhance JUCO, D-2, or D-3 athletic basketball opportunities. Though the odds of making a professional hoop career as a player are low in JUCO and lower division NCAA schools, the academic

opportunity may be superb for many students.

People who have made a substantial difference in our society regard the Junior College experience highly. Such people include Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks (Chicago City College) while Hawaii’s Governor Cayetono attended LA Harbor College and Eileen Collins (Corning Community College) was the first woman on a space shuttle. Actor Billy

Crystal, who often hosts the Academy Awards, attended Nas-sau NY Community College and Walt Disney attended Met-ropolitan Community College in neighboring Missouri. Tom Hanks attended Chabot College in California and Ross Perot, electronics industry titan and former presidential candidate, was a student at Texarkana College in Texas. Clint Eastwood began his career at LA City College. Daniel Hayes, transplant surgeon, and Keith Gordon, NASA astronaut, were students at Spartanburg Methodist College. Finally, Joan Lunden, TV talk show host, was a student at American River College.

American Junior Colleges have made a large impact on the culture and personal advancement. Role models abound at these smaller colleges. Student athletes may become some-thing they may not have otherwise been without the JUCO experience. Kansas is stuffed with smaller colleges throughout the state that offer not only hoops, but a superb academic experience. Some junior colleges offer 4 year degree programs instead of the historic 2 year and transfer scheme.

The basketball NAIA (National Association of Intercolle-giate Athletics) has the longest running national champion-ship of any sport in the United States. The tournament was the brainchild of Dr. James Naismith (founder of the game of bas-ketball), Emil Liston (athletic director of Baker University),

Sheryl Swoopes, WNBA Star

Coffeyville KS Juco game

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and Frank Cramer (founder of Cramer Athletic Products). The tournament is played in Kansas City (D-1) and Point Lookout (D-2) home of College of the Ozarks. The NAIA championschip tournament for both men’s and women’s TEAMS is played over a one week period as opposed to the NCAA three week span. Thirty-two TEAMS compete in the tournament each year and the competition is well attended. Numerous conferences are within the NAIA, the largest ama-teur sport organization in the United States.

John Wooden brought the first African American athlete (Clarence Walker) to play at the NAIA championship in 1948. Wooden took his Indiana State TEAM to the less heralded NAIB playoffs the year prior due to the NAIA’s dis-criminatory policy. This was a major step forward in attempts to end racial discrimination through sport. The NAIA men’s hoop championship has featured future NBA stars repeat-edly since. Players winning the Chuck Taylor award for MVP in the tournament include former NBA stars Terry Porter (top 20 before cut with chicken pox in 1984 Olympic TEAM trials), Alonzo Bradley, Bayard Forest, Foots Walker, Travis Grant, Greg Hyder, Al Tucker (inventor of the alley-oop play), Bennie Purcell (Harlem Globetrotters), Hal Haskins, Duane Klueh, Charles Hardnett, Zelmo Beatty (1971 ABA title), Lucious Jackson (ended Boston’s eight year 1960 run of NBA titles playing for Philadelphia with Chamberlain), Belus Smawley, and Gus Doerner (pre NBA pro play with Kentucky and Fort Wayne).

• NAIA schools enjoy multiple sports–not just hoops. Ottawa University in Kansas has 453 students but yet competes with large schools such as British Columbia (44,000). Character is highly emphasized as a building block of life for its 300 schools and 60,000 student athletes. The NAIA offers scholarships valued at 450 mil-lion dollars per year. Many entry level and head coaching positions occur within the NAIA. Athletic administration and related athletic careers (i.e. trainer) are also readily available. The NAIA prides itself in the spirit of competition, champions of character, and growth as a person for its student athletes. NAIA institutions don’t just talk

about these somewhat ethereal or abstract concepts. NAIA member institutions truly live by their student athlete ideals. Kansas has 15 NAIA member institutions including:

• Baker University

• Benedictine College

• Bethany College

• Bethel College (Kansas)

• Central Christian College

• Friends University

• Haskell Indian Nations University

• Kansas Wesleyan University

• McPherson College

• MidAmerica Nazarene University

• Ottawa University

• University of Saint Mary (Kansas)

• Southwestern College (Kansas)

• Sterling College (Kansas)

• Tabor College

Finally I cannot emphasize enough the true achievement of these NAIA member schools. Modernly conducting an NAIA championship amidst the competing NCAA media hype, multi-billion dollar NCAA contracts and a society over indulged with lengthy amateur and professional sports is difficult. The NAIA however, seems to maintain a strong base of schools and support in America’s bread basket, Kansas. A recent graduate of a Kansas school was extremely proud of his 4 year hoop career, college degree and the maturity he obtained from a Kansas NAIA school. Our couple from Salina would be highly rewarded with a Kansas student athlete hoop collegiate NAIA opportunity for one of their children.

K State Hoops

College hoops at the NCAA D-1 level is alive and well at KSU. Basketball has essentially become the premier collegiate sport in Kansas. Though football still has many enthusiasts clamoring for more, it is hoops that dominate the Kansas prairie. Obviously with its five NCAA championships, KU in Lawrence has enjoyed more success than its chief in-state rival. K State has competed quite well in recent years and has contributed to the overall marked popularity of Kansas hoops at all levels of play. Books, CDs, media, expensive tickets and barbershop K State hoop talk is the mainstay of Kansas hoops in and around Manhattan. Let’s peak in at the men’s Wildcat hoop program.

K State’s men’s Wildcat hoop program is an absolute beast. The TEAM that KU fears most is KSU, not only for the rivalry aspect, but for the overall coaching, talent, competitive fire and fan support of this TEAM. Once K State gets into your blood, it never leaves. The national rankings and legends con-tinue to grow yearly with the Kansas State program.

John Wooden with some of his Indiana State players

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Nearly a century ago K State was in the Missouri Valley conference and won two conference titles in 1917 and 1919. Overall K State has amassed 17 conference championships and made 25 trips to the NCAA tournament, losing to Kentucky for the title in 1951. K State has been within the NCAA’s elite eight on 12 occasions. The Sweet Sixteen has seen the Wildcats there with 16 trips also. Kansas State has been within the top 10 in the final rankings on eight final votes. KSU hoop attendance is quite good.

Top players consider K State not only for hoops, but also for its superb academics and scholarship in many disciplines. While Butler’s Cinderella run ended K State’s dreams in the 2010 NCAA tourney, the Wildcats’ 101–96 victory over Xavier in the Sweet Sixteen round was considered one of the truly greatest in the history of hoops. Though never boring coach Frank Martin has moved on, the basketball program that began in 1902 remains alive and well. The close and bitter rivalry with KU will provide K State with top notch hoops for many years to come.

Digging deeper into KSU athletics reveals over 50 NBA draft picks from this program. Bramlage Coliseum is a very difficult place for a visitor to steal a win. It seats 12,528 students and is always filled to the brim with fans wearing purple clothing. A retired jersey equates to your number never being used again. KSU has honored the consistently great play of its student athletes with the following retired jerseys:

Number Player Year• 22 Ernie Barrett 2005

• 33 Jack Parr 2005

• 30 Bob Boozer 2005

• 12 Mike Evans 2006

• 12 Lon Kruger 2006

• 10 Chuckie Williams 2006

• 33 Dick Knostman 2007

• 25 Rolando Blackman 2007

• 44 Willie Murrell 2009

• 23 Mitch Richmond 2009

On the opposite gender side is the Kansas State women’s TEAM. Basic facts regarding the K State women include 2004 and 2008 Big 12 champs, 800 D-1 wins (ranking 13th among D-1 schools), 13 NCAA tourney appearances, 11 All Americans, 94 Academic All Big 12 players (a big deal) and 6 WNBA draft picks.

The present program is led by Deb Patterson. The follow-ing numbers are without question extremely amazing. Few coaches–men or women–come close to this quiet icon within college hoops. Undoubtedly if Kansas continues to bury great coaches together, Deb should be interred in the Memorial Park Cemetery between Phog Allen and Naismith. After you read the following, you must just slowly close your mouth and move on. This is plenty enough to make anyone (not just

hoop fans) move to Manhattan (KS!) tomorrow.

In the Deb Patterson era, Kansas State has enjoyed one of the most exciting home court environments in the nation. At Bramlage Arena the Wildcats have enjoyed a record of 168-49 (a .774 wins rate) under Patterson’s watchful eye, including a 96-9 record (.914) against non-conference opponents.

PATTERSON’S CAREER RECORD• 320-189 (.629) - 17th season

PATTERSON’S TROPHY CASE• 2008 and 2002 Big 12 Coach of the Year

• 2008 and 2004 Big 12 Conference Champions

• 2008, 2003 and 2002 WBCA District V Coach of the Year

• 2008, 2003 and 2002 WBCA National Coach of the Year Finalist

• 2008 Associated Press National Coach of the Year Finalist

• 2005, 2003 and 2002 Naismith National Coach of the Year Final-ist

• 2008 Kansas City Star Big 12 Coach of the Year

• 2008 Waco Tribune Big 12 Coach of the Year

• 2008 and 2002 Dallas Morning News Big 12 Coach of the Year

• 2002 Austin American-Statesman Big 12 Coach of the Year

• 2002 San Antonio Express News Big 12 Coach of the Year

• 2001-02 ESPN the Magazine Coach of the Year

• 2005-06 WNIT Champions

• 2006-07 WNIT Final Four

Bob Boozer Kansas State Wildcats star

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• 2002-03 Preseason WNIT Champions

• USA Basketball 2000 Junior World Championship Qualifying Team (Gold Medal)

• USA Basketball 1998 FIBA World Championships (Gold Medal)

• USA Basketball 1997 World University Games (Gold Medal)

• 2008, 2002 and 1997 KBCA Women’s College Basketball Coach of the YearPATTERSON BY THE NUMBERS• 320 wins at K-State

• 7 former players reached the WNBA

• 9 Associated Press All-America selections

• 5 Academic All-America selections

• 4 Senior CLASS Award finalists, including a national award win-ner

• 2 Big 12 Player of the Year honorees

• 40 All-Big 12 recipients, including 16 first team honorees

• 94 Academic All-Big 12 selections

Off the court, Patterson has been recognized by numerous organizations for her leadership skills during her time in Man-hattan. In 2012, she was the fifth recipient of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ (FCA) Kay Yow Heart of a Coach Award which was presented to her at the 2012 NCAA Final Four. In 2008, she was named to the FCA Coaches’ Hall of Fame.

She has also garnered the 2001 Outstanding Leadership Award from Kansas State’s Leadership Studies and Programs and has also been recognized as a “Champion of Diversity.” Patterson was also named an honorary Colonel for the Kansas State University Army ROTC and an Honorary Commander for the Kansas State University Air Force ROTC. In the com-munity, she is an active member of the advisory committee for the Coronado Area Council, Boy Scouts of America and Manhattan Young Life, a Christian youth ministry program

Patterson’s coaching excellence has also been proven on the international basketball scene. While working to build K State into a national power, she served as an assistant coach for three gold medal winning USA Basketball teams, including the 2000 Junior World Championship Qualifying Team, the 1998 World Championship Team and the 1997 World Uni-versity Games Team. In the summer of 2000 as an assistant coach, Patterson joined head coach Geno Auriemma (Univer-sity of Connecticut) and assistant Ed Baldwin in guiding the 2000 USA Basketball Women’s Junior World Championship Qualifying Team to a 5-0 record and a gold medal.

In 1999, she helped the United States Senior National team capture the gold medal at the FIBA World Championships in Germany as an assistant coach on Nell Fortner’s (Auburn University) staff. The United States women posted an un-blemished 9-0 record to clinch their third title in the last four FIBA World Championships and sixth overall. In the champi-onship game on June 7 in Berlin, Germany, the U.S. overcame

a 12-point deficit in the game’s last minutes to earn a 71-65 victory over Russia and win the gold medal.

During the summer of 1997, Patterson traveled to Trapani,

Sicily, with the World University Games Team, along with head coach and former mentor Jim Foster (Ohio State) and assistant Ed Baldwin. In September 1997, Patterson assisted Fortner along the sidelines during the USA Invitational Tour-nament in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Patterson came to K State as a proven winner. In her 10 years as a Division I assistant coach, she contributed to eight con-secutive 20-win seasons for three different programs (Vander-bilt, Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois). During her four seasons as the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on the Vanderbilt staff, she helped the Commodores to a 106-26 record, including four-straight seasons with at least 23 vic-tories. In 1992-93, Vanderbilt posted a 30-3 record, won the SEC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Final Four. In 1993-94, Vanderbilt recorded a 25-8 record and reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. During Patterson’s third year on the staff, Vandy again won the SEC Tournament title and reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen with a final mark of 29-7. The Com-modores reached the NCAA Elite Eight and finished 1995-96 with a 23-8 record.

Prior to her four seasons at Vanderbilt, Patterson spent the 1991-92 season as an assistant coach at Southern Illinois, where the Salukis posted a 20-5 record and reached the sec-ond round of the NCAA Tournament.

From 1988-91, she was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Northern Illinois, where she was part of three consecutive 20-win seasons and a trip to the NCAA Tourna-ment in 1990.

Kansas State Wildcats Women’s Hoops coach, Debbie Pat-terson

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Patterson began her coaching career in 1983 as the head basketball coach at Rockton Hononegah (IL) High School, where she rebuilt a program with a 0-22 record before her arrival to a 21-2 mark in just four years. She was named the Il-linois High School Association Coach of the Year in 1985 and back-to-back conference coach of the year in 1985 and 1986. In 1986-87, she accepted her first job on the collegiate level as a part-time assistant coach at Northern Illinois.

A native of Rockford, Ill., Patterson graduated from Rock-ford College, where she was a two-time student-athlete of the year and a President’s Scholar in 1979. She is a member of the Rockford College Hall of Fame after starring in basketball and field hockey from 1975-79.

There is little left to say regarding Deb Patterson. Manhat-tan (pop. 53,000) is known as the “Little Apple.” This is “Big Apple” stuff. This is as good as it gets! You won’t find a better coach in any sport anywhere.

84.63 Miles Away from Manhattan to Allen Arena (Rock Chalk)

◊ Doc’s era!

As I was able to watch the dedication of the new Busch Stadium with Bud Selig at home plate a few years back, I dis-tinctly remember some of his words: “If I had to name three of the top baseball TEAMS of all time, the St. Louis Cardinals would be one of the three.” Similarly Kansas University has a storied men’s program that would be within anyone’s top three college men’s hoop teams—just like the St. Louis Cardinals in professional baseball.

Books upon books have been written about the KU Jay-hawks. The only factual matter that I’ve personally interpreted

wrong about Kansas hoops is Bill Simmonds final ranking of Jo Jo White in his book, Book of Basketball. Bill has Jo Jo ranked 94th among basketball’s stars, yet other than the “Doctor” himself, few hoop players could consistently bank a basketball shot better than Jo Jo White. When Jo Jo finished playing after stints at KU and Boston, I marveled at how not only could he bank a shot, but he did it running full speed off hard glass! Jo Jo’s overall TEAM floor play may have been the best of anyone all time in college ball and the NBA. If we’re picking TEAMS after school, Jo Jo White would be picked first.

The most amazing thing about KU hoops is the athletic department itself. There is no place on this planet that is as friendly as KU. From head coach Bill Self to the popcorn sales person at a game, everyone is treated with friendly respect. Bill Self says it’s the program itself–he has nothing to do with it. Amazingly walking around the Booth Hall of Fame within Allen Arena and KU athletic department, one sees actual pictures of Bill Self with ordinary KU students. I firmly believe in Bill Self we have another real gem of a person in Kansas. It isn’t because of wins; it’s because of the very true blue person of Bill Self. Everyone always holds their breath when a new head coach arrives. KU fans don’t need to hold it any longer. When I arrived I was planning on just shooting a couple pictures and grabbing a book and story from the Union book shop. These folks acted as if I was a celebrity, and held me as a friendly hostage all day. They distinctly said that is how every-one is treated at KU. As I drove away on my way to Indiana, I thought, “Why wouldn’t any really great high school hoops star not want to go here?” It’s just too good!

Rummaging through all these KU books and the Booth Hall of Fame within Allen Arena is a ton of fun. Obviously having Naismith here began it all for KU. There is considerably more just in Lawrence that makes this men’s hoop program tick. Beginning in 1907, an osteopathic physician, Forrest C. Allen,

Kansas Legends: James Naismith hands over the reins of KU basektball to Phog Allen

Kansas State Wildcats guard Brittany Chambers celebrates a team win

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began coaching the Jayhawks post Naismith. His presence continues today within Allen Arena where the Rock Chalk chant is often heard. “Rock Chalk” began in 1886 within the science department by E.H.S. Bailey. The chant is well known throughout the Big 12 and nationally. It relates to a type of Kansas limestone. The chant has been used by Teddy Roo-sevelt during the Spanish-American War and our armies in WWI and WWII, Olympics, and anywhere Kansans feel the need to be heard. Rock Chalk appears amidst the Kansas fight song “I’m a Jayhawk” and alma mater song, “Crimson and the Blue.” The presence of “Phog,” known as Doc to those close to him, is felt to this day. There is nothing that can replace a great coach, and Phog Allen was simply a great coach for KU. He began coaching KU hoops at the age of 22 after starring as a KU collegiate player.

Phog is considered the father of American basketball coach-ing. He oversaw the construction of Robinson Gymnasium, in its day a fabulous practice and game facility. This gym had the largest hoop floor in the US. The cost was $100,000 and included 3,000 spectator seats, 1500 lockers and pigskin train-ing quarters. Kansas joined the Missouri Valley Conference along with Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Drake and Washington University in St. Louis on January 12, 1907.

Phog was the first paid coach in college athletics. HIs team won the Valley with a 6-0 record his first year of coaching. He was also coaching hoops at Baker and Haskell at the same

time. After a 43-9 two year record, Allen enrolled at the osteo-pathic college in Kansas City. He stepped down as KU coach while in school and received his osteopathic degree within two years. Subsequently Phog headed to Central Missouri State for seven very successful years as head basketball coach. William Hamilton was the Jayhawk hoop coach in Allen’s absence for ten very good years (5 of 6 Valley Championships his first 6 years). Phog wanted back into the limelight of Kan-sas coaching but was refused the job at Kansas State in 1915 (then named Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science). This may have placed a long standing curse on the K State program (no national championships!). Subsequently Hamilton stepped down and Karl Schlademan, KU’s track coach, doubled as basketball coach with his track coaching responsibilities. Allen had just been hired as the University’s athletic director and had no time to find a hoops coach when Schlademan wanted to concentrate on track only. What fol-lowed constitutes remarkable collegiate and Kansas basketball history. Kansas basketball would never be the same had it not been for the illustrious coaching of Phog Allen.

Kansans did not have to hold their breath when Phog took over the KU varsity hoop team. Thirty-seven seasons later Phog stepped down as KU’s hoop coach. Allen won a total of 746 games with a record of 590-212 at KU. Allen won two national championships and the NCAA title in 1952. Twenty-two conference championships were hard earned. Phog coached 63 All Conference selections and 15 players were All Americans. Adolph Rupp (Kentucky’s legendary men’s collegiate coach), Ralph Miller (Oregon State’s patented 1-4 offense) and Dean Smith (North Carolina’s basketball czar for 36 years with two NCAA championships) were all mentored by Phog Allen.

Phog was also a father figure to many players. His energy, innovation, motivation, loyalty and teaching made KU a great place for great high school hoop stars wanting to improve their skills. He was the catalyst for Olympic hoops, began the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the NCAA hoop tourney. Phog heavily emphasized “shooter’s touch.”

The Missouri rivalry really escalated with Phog Allen. In a 1923 trip the train broke down six miles from the stadium and Phog’s players walked in with the Rock Chalk chant. Playing college hoops for Phog Allen was the experience of a lifetime. This aspect of college hoops has not changed and a border war with Missouri has become priceless. I’m certain none of Phog’s players would have bolted to Europe or the NBA as a one and done type guy–even today. Collegiate hoops are way too much fun; immature players needing discipline have too much to learn; and the excitement of being on a collegiate hoop TEAM takes a backseat to nothing else in life.

In 1928 Allen’s TEAMS moved into Hoch Arena. This began with one of the few losing seasons ever in KU hoop history (3-15 overall and only 2-8 in the newly formed Big Six with Nebraska, K State, Missouri, Iowa State and Oklahoma).

Kansas legend, Jo Jo White

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Thereafter, the next 15 years produced Phog Allen’s ultimate enshrinement as the true dean of America’s collegiate coaches. Phog never wavered regarding the motivation, instruction and loyalty he developed amongst his players. The Jayhawks crushed St. John’s in the 1952 NCAA finals with a guy in Kansas lore named Lovellette (33 points and 17 boards in the title game). Soon Allen Arena plans went from paper to the actual building. Allen Arena ( seating 17,000 fans and built at a cost of $2.6 M) was dedicated March 1, 1955. K State served as the sacrificial foe that evening as the arena was dedicated. Allen retired by Kansas mandate at age 70 in 1956. His legacy continued however, with Philly recruit Wilt Chamberlain moving to Lawrence that same year.

As noted, Phog Allen’s contributions to KU and national hoops are considerable. Interestingly Allen strongly felt to the day of his death that the basket should be 12 feet instead of the Naismith’s 10 feet rule. In the 1934-1935 season Al-len played two games against K State with 12 foot baskets. Naismith and Phog both were strong proponents of athletic sportsmanship, especially being adverse to crowd booing. The lasting achievement of Phog Allen was the development of incredible hoop TEAM chemistry to win. Many KU hoop alums knew that Phog Allen was a true TEAM coach who absolutely had no place for advancing individual achievement over the TEAM itself.

◊ The Big Dipper Era

Coach Dick Harp succeeded Phog Allen. This was similar to Phil Bengston succeeding Lombardi with the Packers. Harp was an X and O’s type coach, the most loyal Jayhawk ever and a truly great person. Kansans didn’t need to hold their breath because Harp could coach, motivate and recruit. A couple problems began however, when Phog hung around wanting to coach (this never leaves). And “Wilt the Stilt” came to KU ex-pecting Phog Allen to be the coach. Wilt had just moved from frosh to varsity (the NCAA requirement in athletics from 1903-1972). Fourteen thousand plus fans migrated towards the Frosh-Varsity game during Wilt’s first year at KU. The fro-sh crushed the varsity and on came Kansas and national talk.

Phog Allen himself said that KU could win with two Phi Beta Kappas and two aggressive coeds. Many theorized Chamber-lain could win the NCAA by himself with “stiffs” around him. Despite his seven foot frame, Chamberlain was quite athletic. Even if KU won the NCAA, Harp couldn’t win–because it was expected. Wilt had considerable racial prejudice to handle as a collegian. Double and triple teams were common. Wilt highly preferred the “Big Dipper” moniker compared to “Wilt the Stilt.”

Unfortunately for Kansas the Jayhawks lost a close triple OT game in the 1957 NCAA championship by a point. Wilt left for the Harlem Globetrotters at $50,000 a year after that title game loss. His legendary NBA status followed after a year with the Globetrotters.

I cannot say enough about these great players who weath-ered the storm of racial injustice throughout their careers. Wilt essentially changed the way Kansans looked at racial problems. He was probably the most important person in the history of Kansas for changing much of the culture dealing with something that should have been resolved in 1776. Wilt frequented many segregated restaurants, clubs, and institu-tions and it became acceptable for Blacks to coexist with everyone else in Kansas. This may have been Chamberlain’s highest achievement in his life, because he really did pave the way for many other Black student athletes that followed.

Another Kansas legend: Dr. Forrest ‘Phog’ Allen

Wilt Chamberlain (13) at KU© George Silk, TIME Magazine

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Harp and his coaching staff significantly advanced Cham-berlain’s fundamental basketball skills. His game and maturity improved every season. Though he walked around for years carrying a loser label, The Big Dipper was easily the most dominant player of his day in any basketball league. Wilt’s great three years at KU with great coaching and training (in-cluding many track records) allowed him to score 100 points in a single NBA game (1962), average over 50 points per game in one season (1962) and also garner 55 boards in one game (1961). Wilt used his KU college coaching to star with the Harlem Globetrotters and multiple winning teams in the NBA. Wilt only won two NBA titles. However, The Big Dip-per has scores of records within hoops to include quadruple doubles (10 or more in each category of points, rebounds, as-sists and blocks). I’m still wondering why he carried the loser title because The Big Dipper was anything but a loser.

KU went 11-14 in Harp’s next season in 1958-1959 without Chamberlain. Harp’s 1960 TEAM lost to Cincinnati and the Big “O” in the NCAA’s second round. Harp would never see NCAA post season play again. Boosters of KU had provided Wilt with a 1956 Oldsmobile convertible while playing for the Jayhawks. Due to this infraction of NCAA rules, KU faced suspension in 1961 and 1962. KU actually had a great TEAM in those years that could have competed nationally, but as usual the guys coming later (Hightower, Gardner, Ellison and Correll) endured the pain of prior indiscretions. Dick Harp felt that recruiting was taken over by collegiate boosters in the early 1960s, and never looked back. He went on to become director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes after the 1963 season. His served in this capacity for 13 years before becom-ing an assistant with Dean Smith at North Carolina from 1986 to 1989. Coach Harp’s greatest accolades came from his play-

ers and fellow coaches acknowledging that the 1952 NCAA championship trophy would not be resting in the Booth Museum (Allen Arena) without Harp’s coaching Xs and Os with strict attention to detail.

Wilt Chamberlain still has a mystique surrounding him to this day. His endless NBA battles with Boston Celtic center Bill Russell were epic. His legend carried on until his death and beyond. It’s interesting that I walked into an adjoining surgical room today and overheard discussion of The Big Dip-per’s seemingly endless multi-year challenge versus Muham-mad Ali in boxing. Unfortunately the feat never became a reality.

◊ Usher in Head Coach Ted Owens

Ted Owens coached Kansas hoops for 19 years: from 1964 through 1983. Ted was truly the “nicest” guy KU has ever had coach their hoop TEAM. Unfortunately Owens felt Harp’s pain following Phog Allen’s tenure. Many coaches find it near-ly impossible to follow a legend. Most of the accounts seem to say between the lines that Phog didn’t exit gracefully, which is understandable. Few exit like President George W. Bush. And Dean Smith was considered for the heavy KU reins a second time; however, the honorable Smith deplored how the state of Kansas treated Allen’s departure with a mandatory retirement at age 70. In the wake of Paterno, the state of Kansas probably did get it right. Dean was already well into the North Carolina job which he assumed in 1961, and was not looking back. I’m certain Dean’s roots in Emporia, Kansas certainly would make him think twice about coaching the Jayhawks.

The arrival of Joseph “jo Jo” White heralded Owens’s early years. White was available early by virtue of graduating from

Dick Harp, KU Coach 1956-64

Ted Owens, KU Coach 1964-83courtesy kuhistory.com

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Vashon High School in St. Louis in his fall semester (1965) thereby beginning his freshman year at KU that winter (1966). Kansas was fortunate because White was a superb player with possibly the best floor skills of any player ever in college hoops. Jo Jo was excellent at all basketball fundamen-tals including passing, shooting, driving, rebounding, defense, pressing and seldom committed turnovers. Reversing K State’s winning trends over KU was critical to Owens. Emphasizing TEAM ball, White and his teammates were well on their way to putting KU back on the hoops map.

Owens’s place in KU hoop history includes Final Four trips in 1971 and 1974, six conference titles and seven visits to the NCAA tourney (a big deal because the 64 TEAM expansion didn’t occur until 1985). His record totals at KU included 353 wins and 184 lossesm and he coached a total of five All-Americans.His team also finished second in 1968. Ted Owens was conference coach of the year on five occasions and National Coach of the Year in 1978. KU hoop lore is steeped with names such as Robisch, Morningstar, Guy, Stallworth and White from this era. Recruiting was Ted Owens superb skill. Ted was known for his smile, friendliness to families and spending the needed time with recruits and their families.

Ted also knew how to take advantage of the Allen field house home court advantage. Beginning with Snow Hall and then moving to Robinson Gymnasium in1907, the Kansas Jayhawks historically were perennially tough to beat at home. In 1927 Hoch Auditorium opened and the home court prow-ess continued with Phog. By 1955 when Allen Arena opened, many of the national basketball TEAMS dreaded playing there because of “Rock Chalk” and KU playing with 200% ef-fort in front of extremely loyal fans. As the KU coach, Owens took advantage of every sellout, crowd noise and the fans love

affair with KU basketball. Life in Kansas seemingly revolved around the KU hoop TEAM. The basketball tradition that Naismith and Phog began continued and flourished under Coach Ted Owens.

Texas Western, a little known TEAM from El Paso, played the KU Jayhawks in the NCAA second round in March 1966. Seven seconds remained in the first overtime when Jo Jo White drained a seemingly winning 30 footer from the left forecourt. Referee Rudy Marich ruled White’s foot nicked the out-of-bounds line–a controversy lasting to this very day. Un-fortunately for KU, the TEAM was exhausted and lost in the second OT. Texas Western (now UTEP) went on to NCAA historical immortality by beating Kentucky in the finals with a TEAM of five starting African Americans. In another memo-rable game, KU closed Missouri’s Brewer Fieldhouse with a winning OT thriller (71-69) on March 8, 1971. This was one of many thrillers for the KU fan base. Refusing to play the Wichita State Shockers for 25 years forced a real grudge match in the NCAA tourney in 1981. Kansas lost to a talented Shocker TEAM with Antoine Carr and Cliff Levingston. Following two losing seasons (13-14 and 13-16), Owens was sent packing in 1983 to Tulsa and ORU.

Jo Jo White gave the strongest accolades to Ted’s coaching abilities. This is truly meaningful because it comes from one of the most talented fundamentals players in the history of the sport. Ted left KU hoops in better condition than when he received the reins. Since the future is unpredictable, sports fig-ures rarely get it right when it comes to taking the last shower. With media coverage expanding yearly, the perennial hot seat for coaches makes it nearly impossible for a “good guy” coach to remain at KU (or anywhere) without consistently winning. Ted Owens was that “good guy” who went out gracefully while quietly leading KU for 19 years back to national col-legiate prominence.

◊ Nomadic Larry Brown (1983 – 1988)

The love affair and deep mutual respect between Larry Brown and KU never ends. Brown could run for governor and win easily. Larry will be controversial to his grave in Lawrence and beyond, but no one disputes his ability to coach hoops well. Again, Dean Smith, not liking the firing of Owens, re-fused the KU job when offered. When Eddie Sutton dragged his feet, AD Johnson hired a sure winner: Larry Brown.

Brown began his coaching career with the Davidson Wild-cats but left before he actually coached a game. Instead he coached the ABA Carolina Cougars (2 years) and the Denver Nuggets (5 years). He then went to UCLA and lost to Louis-ville in the 1980 NCAA finals. This NCAA record was vacated after it was discovered that UCLA utilized ineligible players. Larry then headed back to the east coast and coached the New Jersey Nets (2 years).

In 1983 Brown took over a losing KU squad from Owens. Immediately the KU TEAM began to win. Brown was coach

Texas Western (UTEP) vs KU, 1966 NCAA Tournamentcourtesy UTEP Archives

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of the Big Eight in 1986 and National Coach of the Year in 1988. His resume is extensive at KU and includes a 1988 re-cord of 27-11 with a national championship (83-79 win over Oklahoma) behind Danny Manning, a bonafide superstar. Including five NCAA trips–three Sweet Sixteen appearances and two trips to the Final Four–Brown’s record at KU was 135-44.

The Jayhawks hoop program through Allen, Owens and Brown became a “cradle of coaches.” Dean Smith coached under Phog Allen. Allen was coached by Naismith. Roy Wil-liams (the next KU coach) was an assistant at North Caro-lina University under Dean Smith. Bill Self–the current KU coach–was a graduate assistant under Brown in 1985-1986. Kentucky’s head coach, John Calipari, was an assistant under Larry Brown. Mark Turgeon (Maryland) and Tad Boyle (Colorado) played for Brown. Miracle Manning (now Tulsa coach) played for Brown’s national championship team. Kevin Pritchard (a Brown player) has coached the Portland Trail-blazers. Finally Greg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs) was an assistant coach for Larry Brown.

Obviously Larry Brown knows how to coach hoops as well as anyone. Perhaps his greatest tribute and legacy to basketball (in addition to his superb career as a player) is the line of great hoop coaches his work has spawned. Brown is the ABA’s sev-enth all-time leading assist leader as a player, having recorded

23 in one game. I firmly believe that an assist guy on the floor as a player knows, visualized and plans better than anyone in the building. Larry was always a couple steps ahead of the universities, NCAA, ABA, NBA, media and even the TEAMS he coached.

By the time people realized what Larry Brown was actu-ally doing, he was gone! Larry left KU, shunned UCLA and inked a Spurs contract before the post prom party was over. Unfortunately for KU, the NCAA placed the program on probation for 1989 because of recruiting violations under Brown’s tenure. Resolution 6124 in the Kansas State House had already passed commending KU and Brown for the 1988 NCAA hoop championship. It took years for most of the hoop world to add up why Ed Manning was probably on the staff at KU under Brown. Ed was Danny Manning’s father. Ed was a former player in the ABA with Brown. Danny was the most heavily recruited high school player in the United States during Brown’s KU coaching stint. Danny won the NCAA final four MVP–as well as the Naismith and Wooden awards–for the best male collegiate hoopster in1988.

By comparison, Jo Jo White, an assistant coach under Ow-ens, was sent packing after Owens left. Nobody at KU would ever doubt Jo Jo’s ability to play at the very highest level, but apparently a coaching shake up was in order after the losing seasons under Ted Owens. Calipari and Bob Hill remained on staff providing the chemistry required to lead KU back to prominence. Larry Brown will always be fondly remembered at KU. His empty gravesite is already next to the Allen and Naismith stones. If Larry dies and is buried in Lawrence, a future gravedigger will probably find no remains. Nomadic Larry Brown will have just moved on, always a couple steps ahead of the hoop world.

◊ The Ultimate Tar Heel–Roy Williams 1988-2003

Roy Williams arrived in Lawrence via a strong recommenda-tion from Dean Smith, William’s mentor. KU had wanted to hire Smith who was from the small Kansas town of Emporia. However, by this time an arena bearing Dean’s name had been built at Chapel Hill, NC–effectively anchoring him to UNC for the rest of his coaching life. (North Carolinians are very intelligent about these things, it should be noted).

Williams began his tenure at KU coincident with Kansas’ probation for the Brown recruiting “incident.” It seems the KU athletic department went so far as to induce a recruit by purchasing a plane ticket to visit his dying grandmother. That was the essence of the Larry Brown scandal. The player induced by the airplane ticket never shot a ball in practice or in any game for the Jayhawks. Maybe a two game suspension made more sense, but unfortunately the NCAA did not see it that way and KU was ineligible for post season play in 1989. This marked the first and only time a school couldn’t defend its NCAA hoop title.

Larry Brown, KU Coach 1983-88courtesy usatoday web archives

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Not only did KU lose a scholarship as a part of its penalty but also during 1989, recruiting visits couldn’t occur on campus at KU. Roy was informed of these facts while trick or treating with his children in 1988. Evidently the NCAA doesn’t hold back punishment–even on Halloween! Despite the NCAA penalties, Williams was honored to accept the job offer and be part of the Kansas basketball family. In many minds, it was inevitable that if he succeeded, he would return to North Carolina. This was a constant battle during Roy’s KU tenure. It almost seemed that forever the news wasn’t how KU was performing, but rather if Williams and his wife were leav-ing on the next plane to Chapel Hill.

The North Carolina pipeline of coaches certainly deliv-ered for KU hoops. Roy’s run at KU was truly remarkable: 418–101. The fact that Roy Williams as a new head coach at a Big 12 school taking on a probation TEAM lost only 19% of his games is surely impressive. Williams was national coach of the year on three occasions. He coached four consensus All-Americans. Williams however, was taking on a TEAM that won the 1988 NCAA hoops title game against a TEAM in its own conference (OU)!

Roy’s incredible work ethic prevailed at KU. He meant busi-ness from the very start. Practices were difficult; fundamentals

were stressed; and there were no guarantees of PT (playing time). His first year TEAM won 13 of its first 14 games, was ranked as high as #16, but ended in a tailspin, just missing the NCAA trip. This season proved that Roy could coach big time college hoops as well as anyone. He was honest with his players in all ways, even stating that most would not be in the NBA.

The next year began an unprecedented KU run. Under Roy Williams the Jayhawks averaged over 28 victories per year; won nine conference championships; won the year-end con-ference tourney four times; advanced to the Sweet Sixteen on nine occasions and were in the Final Four four times. Roy beat

his mentor, Coach Dean Smith, in the national semi-finals in 1991. This game seemed more about the coaches than the actual game itself, however, Coach K and Duke beat Roy’s team in the finals that year. This was a highly suc-cessful season considering how they arose from the ashes of NCAA probation and finished #2. Guys like Turnstall, Jamison, Maddox, Randall, Brown, Jordan, Richey, Wood-berry, Wagner, Scott and Johanning are in KU hoop lore forever. KU lost to Dean Smith in the national semi-finals the next year, as North Carolina went on to beat Michigan’s Fab Five in the finals.

The elusive NCAA title for a great hoop coach wouldn’t come until Roy moved on to Chapel Hill. Roy was rapidly becoming known as the greatest college hoop coach to never win a title. Undoubtedly this is a media created tag, not dissimilar to Super Bowls, golf and tennis majors and World Series titles. Winning a single elimination tourna-ment with kids (many just out of high school) is exceed-ingly difficult. Everyone loses in the NCAA tourney of 64 TEAMS—except one TEAM.

Kansas became the darling of the media within the NCAA tourney as their crunch time losing in tournament play took on a life of its own with many pundits. Brown, with Danny and the Miracles, had played such a memo-rable roll for KU hoops, and now it was expected of Kansas to win every year. The NCAA Kansas hoop tourney stories became a matter of how, when, where and to whom KU would lose. Was Brown’s NCAA win over Oklahoma in

1988 an aberrancy? Was Jo Jo White’s foot microscopically touching the line in the 1966 NCAA tourney game against Texas Western a real “curse” on this KU program?

Media and pressure from the Tar Heels grew before the elusive championship would return to KU under Williams. Without doubt, Roy Williams helped to further cement KU’s program into history and kept it thriving for his successor, Bill Self. Roy’s feet, however, were not encased in concrete in Lawrence. After fifteen years though, the magical run was over. Roy left KU in 2003 to take over the reigns of a belea-guered UNC program in need of major repair to the despair of most KU fans but to the joy of UNC partisans.

Roy Williams, KU Coach 1988-2003courtesy kusports.com

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Roy Williams will be remembered at KU for coming so very close to an NCAA championship. He recruited and funda-mentally improved through coaching great players such as Vaughn, Walters, Pierce, Richey, Scott, Woodberry, LaFrentz, Rayford, Hancock, Pauley, Haase, Pollard, Hinrich, Thomas, Robertson, Gooden, Pierce (The Truth), Simien, Langford, Miles, and Collison.

A “through the chest” heartbreaker was the 85-82 Arizona loss in Birmingham, Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen play of 1997. KU was ranked #1 but fell behind by 13 points, only to see three 3 pointers fail at the end of the game. “Late night with Roy” was the first practice, and KU’s midnight mad-ness. This included doughnuts and shirts purchased by Roy himself. Fans comforted Roy in these gut wrenching losses at the end of the year.

The 1998 return of Wilt Chamberlain to Lawrence remains a very high point in the Roy Williams era. The Big Dipper had somehow felt responsible for the 1957 finals loss and just had not been around Lawrence to actually witness KU hoops. The floor of Allen Arena was dedicated with Naismith’s name on the evening of Chamberlain’s return. Kansas also celebrated 100 years of KU hoops that night, February 8, 1998. Wilt didn’t leave out “Rock Chalk Jayhawk” with his KU return speech. (The Big Dipper died in 1999 at the age of 63).

In 2003 North Carolina’s coach, Matt Dougherty, quit under pressure. Despite saying he was never leaving KU, Roy did in fact choose to leave Kansas to return home and coach the Tar Heels, where he won an NCAA championship two years later (2005) and then again over Michigan State in 2009. His last fling with KU was a close loss to Syracuse in the 2003 NCAA finals. There were very strong calls from Carolina country to return home (boyhood homes at Marion, Spruce Pine, and Ashville). Also Al Bohl, who replaced Fredericks as AD at KU, didn’t mesh with Roy. A week after the 2003 season the Wil-liams family was on the bus to Chapel Hill. They would never see the chickens and roses on Allen Arena’s floor again, never have a greater night than February, 8 1988, and would never have nuclear KSU battles and all out Missouri border wars ever again. The light switch at Allen Arena was difficult to turn off when Roy Williams left.

◊ Superb Choice for KU’s Next Head Coach–Bill Self , 2003–Present

Bill Self, (78-24 NCAA record prior to KU) with three recent NCAA tourney appearances, was the obvious choice for KU to replace Williams. Bill came to the Jayhawks after beginning college coaching at Oral Roberts University in 1993. He then moved across town to Tulsa and then on to the Fighting Illini for three years respectively. Self had a Tulsa TEAM in the Elite 8 in 2000, and returned again to the Elite 8 with Illinois in 2001. Self could recruit, coach, motivate and inspire athletes to win. Roy William’s up and down style contrasted with Self ’s up front and in your face defense. But

Bill Self was now at Kansas, and the calls don’t necessarily go in your direction ( Jo Jo White curse?). Self ’s first year (2004) NCAA exit came at the hands of Bucknell (with a mere five scholarship players). A Patriot League TEAM had slain a monster KU TEAM again. KU was getting drowned by media calling it a losing NCAA tourney program in every imaginable manner. On May 19, 2005 KU’s third leading scorer, Giddens, was stabbed in Lawrence. Giddens never shot another shot for KU hoops. This was the self-proclaimed low point for Self, and didn’t reflect well on the fairy tale hoop school. Giddens was replaced by Brandon Rush, a highly sought after Mount Zion, NC elite player. Rush joined Chalmers and Wright on the 2006 squad. Max Falkenstein, who announced Jayhawk games for 60 years, retired in 2006 on senior night. This was a true changing of the guard with the legendary Falkenstein leaving.

The 2006 season was a great Jayhawk hoop year. Kansas shared the Big 12 title and won the end-of-season conference tourney. However, once again KU was stunned in the NCAA tourney, this time by a Bradley TEAM, despite the Jayhawks 25-4 record and a #4 national ranking. Self felt his TEAM was young, learning, and very good.

Bill Self, KU Coach 2003-Presentcourtesy thegazette.com

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With the subsequent addition of two McDonald’s All-Americans (Collins and Arthur) it was thought that early KU NCAA tourney exits would be improbable. KU won the 2007 conference championship, stopping Kevin Durant and a very strong Texas TEAM. Wright left after the 2007 season to the NBA. Rush was headed to the next league also, but tore his ACL in a pickup game May 23, 2007. Rush therefore rehabilitated and returned to the TEAM for its magical 2008 finish. With 5 seniors and 4 returning starters (85% of KU’s scoring from the previous year), Kansas had to feel very good about its upcoming season. Additionally Danny Manning, an elite KU athlete who won the NCAA 20 years prior, was now an assistant coach. Manning’s coaching influence and help with this KU TEAM was impressive. Arthur, Jackson, Kaun, and frosh Aldrich all improved under Manning’s coaching of fundamentals. Collins, Stewart, and Robinson all contributed mightily to a dramatic KU TEAM effort in 2007-2008. Kansas won the Big 12 and its end-of-season tourney. An NCAA #1 seed was awarded KU, and much was expected. Gun violence killed Jackson’s and Stewart’s relatives during the season. Kaun’s father had died at age 13, and Collins son died after being prematurely born before his frosh season. This was truly a “band of brothers” fighting through family loss and the ever present media adversity. After a loss to Oklahoma State, the players met without coaches at Henry T’s Bar and Grill in Lawrence. Kansas never lost another game until the next sea-son, tying for the regular season Big 12 with Texas, winning the Big 12 tourney, and the NCAA championship.

A narrow victory (59-57) over Davidson and Stephen Curry occurred in the NCAA’s 2008 Elite 8. Thus Self faced

off against NC again in the NCAA semi-finals (a Roy Wil-liams coached NC team). Self ’s TEAM annihilated UNC 84-66. The drama had just begun. The April 7, 2008 shoot out against Memphis in the NCAA championship game featured a fabulous nine point KU comeback with 2:12 left on the clock. Chalmers drained a truly miracle three point swisher with 2.1 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. KU won in OT 75-68 over a great Memphis TEAM under Coach John Calipari. Chalmers had a great game with 18 points, three assists, and four steals. His dad, Ronnie Chalmers, was the former direc-tor of KU basketball operations. No one practiced more than Mario Chalmers, and his goal was to make that shot for his dad and TEAM. The perfectly arched shot was “all net” when it left his hands. Finally KU was not the bridesmaid. While Self met with Oklahoma State athletic officials after the tour-ney to potentially return to his alma mater, he determined to stay at KU for the foreseeable future.

Finishing second in the 2012 NCAA finals with another “band of brothers” type TEAM speaks volumes about Bill Self. His 38-3 record in the 2007-2008 season was KU’s most winning of all time. Self is pictured with alumni, students and KU fans everywhere. He is a selfless individual and his TEAMS reflect the remarkable athletic chemistry it takes to win championships. The Chicago Cubs have a greater shot at the World Series title than a Bill Self player winning a national scoring title. Bill credits the program beginning with Doctor Naismith himself as the real reason for winning. Manning says you come to tradition and leave as part of the tradition itself at KU. The 2008 National Championship is for the entire KU family of fans–as well as past and current coaches and players.

I’ve called and visited many college athletic programs for multiple reasons. Admittedly many schools understandably have a “Siegfried Line” or “Great Wall of China” approach to anyone seeking information about their sports program. At KU, you are part of the family. I was personally introduced to play books, sacred war rooms and pictures from a century ago. The program greeted me warmly. As I drove away I thought if I was an elite player that actually could play high level col-lege hoops, I would strongly consider Kansas. The KU hoops program “gets it”–in all ways of life–athletically, spiritually and academically).

I -35: Wheatshocker Hoops

The Missouri Valley conference is historically the most un-der rated collegiate hoop conference (#6 RPI rating). It seems every school has been in this conference at some point of their existence. Nowadays Missouri Valley TEAMS are consid-ered mid majors. This was formerly a term of art implying decent second stringers, low coverage in Bristol, Connecticut (home of ESPN) or having unknown fight songs. The term mid majors began being commonly used after many of these Southern Illinois State Saluki–Creighton Bluejay–Indiana State Sycamores–Bradley Braves–Wichita State Shockers and

Danny Manning, KU Assistant Coach 2003-2012courtesy thegazette.com

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Tulsa Hurricane TEAMS began knocking off many of the big boys during crunch time in NCAA tourney play when everyone is watching. Creighton has won at a 75% clip over Big 12 TEAMS the past decade. Notre Dame admitted years ago that playing mid major Creighton proved zero. If you win the game against Creighton, so what. If you lose in Omaha, you haven’t gone to enough early masses and/or the coach needs to immediately pack his suitcase. Coach Jack Kvancz of Catholic University began the term in 1977 after a game with Howard (original MEAC member). Thus a high major is Penn State hoops (not a perennial hoops powerhouse). And by analogy a low major is modernly an on line school with only on line coverage, no true scholarships, a rented gym and a red hot unstoppable pick up shooter.

Texas Western in 1966 would have been a mid major. Butler is a mid major, has troubles winning its own conference at times (Horizon and now Atlantic 10) but can certainly do well in season ending NCAA games (bridesmaid in 2010 and 2011).

Wichita State is a mid major hoop TEAM and has a legacy of great basketball players and coaches. In 2006 the Shockers beat powers Seton Hall and Tennessee to gain entrance into the Sweet Sixteen. Then they lost to the Cinderella TEAM, mid major George Mason. That Shocker loss gave “Mason” the right in Indy to gather their entire alumni for a long entrance walk through town and into the stadium–not unlike the Elvis Vigil every August 15th.

Wichita State was formerly Fairmont College and began play in 1906. The “Wheatshockers” finished second nationally to Pittsburgh State in 1927 (13-1). Wheatshockers (harvesting the grain) has given way to Shockers as the TEAM name. If you are a student athlete interested in aerospace engineering, there is no better department anywhere than this school on Interstate 35 just a few miles north of the Oklahoma-Kansas border.

Eras of great coaches and players began at Wichita State. Superb player Cleo Littleton and Coach Ralph Miller arrived in 1951. Littleton still holds many Shocker individual re-cords. Ralph Miller’s legends extend beyond Wichita State to include Oregon State, and are well founded (Naismith Hall of Fame, eighth winningest collegiate men’s hoop coach). Miller won 255 games in 13 years at Wichita State.

Gary Thompson led the Shockers to the Final Four in 1965, losing to UCLA (108-89) in the semifinals. Bill Bradley’s Princeton TEAM beat the Shockers in the third place game (118-82). Warren Armstrong was a fabulous TEAM player for Thompson (4 of the 10 triple doubles in Shocker basketball history). Armstrong went into the ABA after his four year stint at Wichita State. Harry Miller (97-90) was the next Shocker coach. Rich Morsdon, Cheese Johnson, Cal Bruton and Bob Elmore were stars of the Harry Miller era. In 1976 the Shock-ers lost in NCAA first round action by one point to Michigan (eventual champ). Speedy All American Ricky Green only scored 5 against the Shockers.

Johnson and Benton certainly helped the late 1970s Gene Smithson era of hoops in Wichita. Unfortunately despite having three future NBA stars on the 1980 TEAM (Xavier McDaniel (X), Cliff Levingston, and Antoine Carr), Wichita State was on NCAA probation. X had one of the truly great years in collegiate hoops (27.2 ppg/14.8 rpg/56% from the field). X is the only player ever in men’s collegiate hoop his-tory to lead the country in rebounds and points in a single year (1984-1985). Are these NCAA TEAMS mid majors?

Declining city and school support–as well as allegations of player payoffs–led to the WSU Coach Eddie Fogler era. Despite Gene Smithson averaging 20 wins per season, a coach is only as good as his last possession. The program faded from its 92-29 record from 1980-1984. These were the years the Shockers could do no wrong. The school wanted a move, and went to Eddie Fogler, an assistant at NC with Dean Smith.

Fogler righted the program with one NCAA and one NIT bid, plus 61 wins in three seasons. Fogler beat KSU and KU in one season (never before or since accomplished). Fogler was then off to Vanderbilt and in came Mike Cohen (1989-1992), an assistant under Fogler. Cohen couldn’t win, and the Shockers made a change to Scott Thompson. Thompson (1992-1996) was a heralded assistant from Notre Dame and Arizona. He had also achieved a 20 win season as Rice head coach.

Though Thompson’s teams didn’t win, he did have some great individual performances. Swanson was a go-to guy type shooter, and Arnold led the Valley in rebounding and shoot-ing per centage in 1994-1995. Bolden, a transfer senior, aver-aged over 13 ppg in 1992-1993.

Wichita State then brought in Randy Smithson, son of Gene Smithson (1996). This was a real father-son coaching combo

Wichita State Shockers win 2011 NITcourtesy bleacherreport.com

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which started to turn the program around with All Everything Perez (All Valley first team and runner up Valley player of the Year). However, the last two years of Randy Smithson’s tenure were not what Shocker hoops expected. Thus a change was made to KU lore in Head Coach Mark Turgeon from Topeka (2000-2007).

The Turgeon run had successive wins by year of 9, 15, 18, 21, 22, and 27. Turgeon helped get fans back into Levitt Arena (502-183 home court advantage–renamed from “The Round-About” in 1969). The boisterous fans returned and the new Koch arena became a reality in 2003. Mark Turgeon’s Shocker TEAMS were in the NIT in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Mark had a great year in 2005-2006 with a 22-10 record, conference second place finish, and top 30 for 9 weeks. Turgeon’s 129-90 record at WSU allowed him after the superb 2005-2006 sea-son to be hired for the Maryland job in 2007. The 2006 end-ing had the Shockers losing to final four Cinderella, George Mason. Paul Miller was All Valley, but this was to be known as a great TEAM year for Shocker hoops. Turgeon’s last year was mediocre with graduation perils and the 2006 TEAM chem-istry gone. However mid major Wichita State was back on the basketball radar after Mark Turgeon’s reign.

Gregg Marshall joined the Shocker family of coaches in 2007 and continues in this capacity to the present. Marshall has the Shockers headed in the right direction, winning the Valley in 2011-2012. The year prior had the Shockers winning the NIT. In the solid 2012 campaign (27-6), the Shockers lost to VCU 62-59 in early NCAA play. The year prior we all knew what mid major VCU accomplished, making it to the 2010 Final Four in Houston. Marshall’s record at mid major Winthrop of the Big South preceding the Shockers was scary if you were the opposition. Marshall provides the Valley con-siderable continuing coaching excellence for mid major hoop TEAMS.

Shocker hoops has accumulated 9 NCAA trips, 12 NIT ap-pearances, six season conference championships, two Valley Tournament Championships, 4 All Americans and three All Valley performers. Valley Coach of the Year has been awarded to WSU 3 times, and 24 players have been All Valley on 44 occasions. Four Shocker players have been All Missouri Valley Tourney selections. Coach Marshall is probably on the radar for a high major college position unless Marshall is similar in thought to the current Butler head coach, Brad Stevens. Stevens feels it doesn’t get any better than Butler (NCAA bridesmaid 2010 and 2011).

The Shockers all time at Koch Arena are 1-3 versus KU and 7-3 against KSU. The two high major programs in Kansas (KU and K State) haven’t played the Shockers in years. Modernly there are multiple reasons for not playing (mostly finances). It seems odd to a strong hoop fan and the many fans in Kansas why these high major TEAMS will not play Wichita State, the mid major TEAM with the decent second stringers. KU has Emporia State and Washburn on the schedule for 2012-2013—not exactly hoop powerhouses. Koch arena has 11,000 seats, and Allen Arena has double the number. The media attention given a Shocker versus KU or K State game would be tremendous. Throw in Johnson County with these two foes for this year, and a true weekend Kansas tourney results. But again, “chickening out” on the Shockers may relate back to the very reason why Catholic schools like Creighton and Notre Dame don’t play each other often. If you are KU or K State and win, so what? If you lose, then the coach’s tenure could be a touch shaky.

Conclusion

Few bricks are ever tossed in Kansas. Undoubtedly many of these Kansas hotshot players are Larry Bird-like. The scorn received from bad shots would be untenable for life. Fans following the sport of basketball feel this is truly one of the “ground zero” figurative points of basketball.

The most truly amazing aspect of Kansas hoops is how well it has survived. The hoops programs have attracted great people who believe in the Naismith student-athlete concept. The very first thing I heard while at the KU athletic depart-ment was that Kansas led the Big 12 in GPA! Across the state of Kansas people are by custom extremely friendly. Most Kan-sas players walk away from the competitive aspect of the sport a much better person and this is truly a win–win for basketball and society.