THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005
MEN'S BASKETBALL
David Iohnson/TEXAS TECH STUDENT MEDIA
Kansas forward Wayne Simien is blocked by Texas Tech guard Ronald Ross during the first half of the game against the Red Raiders in February. Kansas lost to Texas Tech, 79-80.
From No.1 to none-and-done
Texas Tech game sent season swirling out of control
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
It was a tumultuous 2004-2005 season for the 23-7 Kansas Jayhawks. A No.1 preseason ranking marked the first time since the Wilt Chamberlain era that a Kansas team had been predicted to be the best team in college basketball.
The team lived up to the preseason hype for most of the season. The Jajawhacks went 10-1 in the nonconference season, started out 10-0 in the Big 12 Conference and defeated No. 9 Georgia Tech and No. 8
Kentuckv.
The bomb dropped when the Jayhawks lost three straight conference games and finished the regular season 2-4.
The face of Kansas basketball also changed as seniors Wayne Simien, Keith Langford, Aaron Miles and Mike Lee concluded their Kansas career with a 64-63 loss to Bucknell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Take a look as the Kansan reviews the Jayhawks' season through its ups, downs, and ultimate lows.
Nonconference
Kansas opened the season with a victory against Sweet Sixteen-bound Vermont and
SEE DONE ON PAGE 8B
PROFILE
The All-American Kansan
By KELLIIS ROBINET
krobinet@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The Kansas men's basketball team has just suffered a devastating loss in the round of the NCAA Tournament.
Kansas coach Bill Self hung his head outside the team's locker room trying to stay composed while he addressed the media. Players hid themselves in lockers while they cried. They needed space to grieve.
For Simien, tournament loss doesn't overshadow career
No one talked. Everyone was still in shock from the loss to Bucknell. The few responses that players uttered were whispers or shouts of rage.
Amid the heartbreak, one player reacted to the loss differently. Senior forward Wayne Simien stood at the locker room's entrance shaking hands and discussing what had just transpired like a professional.
Deep down, the loss was killing him. He had a last second shot, from the free-throw line, that could have won the game, but it clanked off the front rim. By missing, he said he felt as though he let the team down.
He stood up straight without pain or anger in his voice.
He should have been the most upset person in the locker room, but with the help of his faith, he had learned to deal with life's setbacks.
"It was an honor to play with these guys," he said in a calm tone as he sipped on his Gatorade.
"It was a devastating loss, but it wasn't the end of the world," he said. "In the whole scheme of things it was just a basketball game."
It was no surprise that Simien was the only stable player in that post-game locker room. After all, he was the most steady player for the Jayhawks throughout the year.
By scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds a game, the Leavenworth native averaged a double-double. He was the Jayhawks' go-to guy and led the Jayhawks in scoring 20 of their 50 games. He was also the ton rebounder 23 times.
Kansas coach Bill Self said learning to play without Simien would be the most difficult part of adjusting next season.
"How do we replace 21 and 11, or whatever Wayne averaged?" Self said. "That will be very difficult to do."
The only time opponents could stop Big Dub was during late December and early January, when he missed four games with a thumb injury.
The senior recovered from his injury sooner than expected and he attributed that and his stellar play to his newfound faith.
"It helped me start playing with freedom," Simien said. "It wasn't about how many points I scored or whether we won or lost. It was just about playing as hard as I could and enjoying the game."
Staying in school was the right decision
guard Dee Brown and North Carolina junior forward Sean Mav.
Simien remembers playing basketball in a summer league last year with Duke senior guard J.J. Redick, Utah sophomore forward Andrew Bogut, Illinois junior
All five of them are All Americans and finalists for the Wooden Award, which is given to the country's best college player.
He said he became close with most of them, especially May, and when it was time to head back to their respective colleges Bogut told Simien that the next time they met would either be
on the court or at an awards banquet.
Simien said he thought he was joking around back then, but looking back it was a pretty good assessment.
Lately it seems like Simien is receiving awards from anyone with one to give. He was recently honored at the Kansas State Capitol and was named Big 12 Player of the year by coaches and writers.
He won the fourth annual senior CLASS award and was a finalist for the Naismith award, which was given to Bogut.
"We are all very proud of Wayne and what he has accomplished," Self said. "He had a fabulous senior year and is very deserving."
This college fame came only after he decided to stay in school for his senior season and not enter the NBA Draft.
Simien said he made the right decision to stay in school. Though he ended his college career on a sour note, he said that giving his senior speech was a moment he would not trade for anything.
By becoming a first team All-American, his jersey will be retired in Allen Fieldhouse, another perk for returning.
"That wasn't a realistic dream for me coming in," Simien said. "I'd daydreamed about it, but I never pictured it happening. But I had a great
year, and Lord willing, it happened."
Simien said he and Self discussed his the retiring of his
SEE ALL-AMERICAN ON PAGE 8B
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