Web posted
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Self hopes to get team acquainted with former Kansas greats
By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer
LAWRENCE (AP) -- Dean Smith, Larry Brown and many more of the greatest names in Kansas history are in town for a big reunion this weekend, and Bill Self is confident his Jayhawks will appreciate the presence of greatness.
Plenty of college players these days, the coach said, seem to feel that history started about the time they reached junior high school.
But not at Kansas. The Jayhawks play in a big, beloved arena that's soaked with history and virtually unchanged since their grandparents watched Wilt Chamberlain perform his feats half a century ago. Their tradition includes no fewer than 50 conference championships and is drilled into players' heads from the day they're first recruited until they leave.
''Every video that these guys have seen since they were recruited, and every time we show a recruit video on campus, the pregame videos, anything we do video-wise, we tie in the past greats,'' Self said. ''I think the guys have a respect and a knowledge of who they were better than they would at a lot of places because we emphasize it so much.''
Self planned to make sure his players seized the opportunity to get acquainted with coaches like Smith and Brown and players like Clyde Lovellette, an All-American in the late '40s and early '50s who is widely acclaimed as one of the school's all-time greats.
''They've been so well-schooled on those teams and those guys, I think it would mean something,'' said Self. ''Our guys have great respect for the tradition and history.''
The greats will be rubbing elbows with the obscure as about 230 former players, coaches and trainers take part in the 110th anniversary of Kansas basketball. The Jayhawks had a similar gathering 10 years ago on their 100th anniversary.
''The thing about this that's really cool is I don't think we look at (only) players who've had their number hanging in the rafters who are coming back,'' Self said. ''You look at it as the guys who walked on and gave themselves to the school for four years, or the guy who was a backup point guard, the non-heralded guys. They're just guys that gave their blood, sweat and tears to a place that was bigger than them.''
The list of notables includes Smith, who played on the 1952 national championship team and became a basketball icon as coach at North Carolina, and Brown, the former college and NBA coach who led the Jayhawks to the 1988 national championship and gave Self his first coaching job as a Kansas graduate assistant in 1985.
In recognition of the '88 NCAA championship, the No. 3 Jayhawks (23-2, 8-2 Big 12) will wear retro uniforms against Colorado on Saturday afternoon.
At halftime, the old-timers will stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the court and be greeted with what officials expect to be a standing ovation.
Self planned to have several former coaches and players speak privately with his team after practice Friday. The team will attend an invitation-only banquet with the old-timers Saturday night that is closed to reporters. Players and coaches representing every era will speak.
''These guys have it really good playing at Kansas, and the biggest reason they have it really good playing at Kansas is because all those people who came before them made it better for them,'' Self said. ''I really believe there's a respect there.''
At least some of the players appeared to be getting in the spirit.
''I think it's great for us to share an experience with them and just be here with them,'' said sophomore forward Darrell Arthur. ''I think it's going to be a fun experience. It's going to be great.''
Freshman center Cole Aldrich was looking forward to wearing the retro jerseys.
''I haven't really met any of the former players besides some of the guys that have played in the last few years, so it's going to be a real fun experience,'' he said.
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