NIGHT
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
5B
Senior speeches evoke tears, laughs, memories
By KELLI ROBINETT
krobinett@kansan.com
KANKSAN SPORTWRITER
Hundreds of fans waited outside Allen Fieldhouse hours before yesterday's basketball game between Kansas and Kansas State began.
By the time camping groups were allowed inside the arena, the student line was so long that it stretched out halfway to Oliver Hall.
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The celebration for the Jayhawks' four seniors started with a pre-game ceremony in which Mike Lee, Keith Langford, Wayne Simien and Aaron Miles were introduced at midcourt with their parents.
This was only the appetizer.
The main course of the seniors' farewell was saved for after Kansas finished winning its 22nd straight Senior Day game.
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It was the kind of anticipation normally reserved for games against highly ranked opponents, but it didn't matter who the visiting team was on this occasion. Senior Night is an event all by itself.
Cheerleaders, armed with roses, lined James Naismith Court, and as each player was announced to the capacity crowd, they were honored with a shower of flowers.
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"I wouldn't miss this for anything," Jessica Leiker, Great Bend freshman, said. "I think they are best group of four seniors we've ever had."
By the end of the ceremony, so many rose petals covered the floor that extra help had to be called on to remove them in time for tip-off.
or game as well.
The first senior speech came from Lee, who finished off his career with a nine-point effort.
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After being announced by Kansas radio commentator Max Falkenstien as "one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet," he began his farewell words.
He started off by promising he wouldn't take long. He then thanked the fans for sticking by him even when he was playing 30 seconds a game.
His speech then focused on his teammates, coaches and eventually his family.
Starting with his mother, he
thanked his relatives for all he they had done for him. He got choked up along the way but could no longer keep the tears in when he spoke about his father.
"Daddy, ever since I was little, all the motivation I got was because of you," he said. "I wanted to be a better man because of you."
At this point he tried to hide his tears, so Miles ran to midcourt and presented him with a handkerchief.
The crowd laughed and applauded Miles' move, and Lee composed himself and continued his speech.
"This night is not about me, it's not about the seniors. It's about everyone who came along for the journey. The staff, the fans, my family, all of y'all."
He ended his speech by asking everyone in the stadium to travel to Columbia, Mo., on Sunday and watch the Jayhawks defeat the Tigers.
The second senior to take the stage was Langford, who said it would be hard to say goodbye.
"I'm not going to make it through this speech without cringing," he said.
Throughout his address he stayed strong. But, like Lee, he broke down once he started talking about his family.
With every sad moment, though, he came back with a satirical comment. After telling his father how much he meant to him, he told the crowd how his father had pushed him so hard the he would throw up.
The same was true with his mother. After he said he loved her, he brought up that she spanked him when he was 15 years old. His mother stood up and took a bow to show how proud she was.
To end his speech, he also thanked the fans.
"This is the best place in America to play basketball," he said.
After Langford took a seat back on the bench, Miles got his turn to address the crowd.
Like those before him, he thanked everyone from the coaches to his family.
He was the only player who thanked former coach Rov Williams.
and his coaching staff.
He started off on an upbeat note, thanked "The Rudy Huxtable Fan Club," a camping group who Miles said included his biggest fans.
Shortly after, he turned to his family, and Lee got revenge by bringing Miles a handkerchief when he began to cry.
The emotions started showing once he talked about his brother, whom he said he tried to set a good example for every day.
Miles ended his speech by telling his fellow seniors how much their friendships meant to him.
The last public speaker of the group was Simien, who started off by telling everyone to be patient.
"I'm going to go ahead and apologize to everyone right now," he said.
"Get comfortable, because I've been waiting for this my whole life."
Though the three seniors before him thanked the fans, he connected to them in a way none of them could He grew up a huge fan of Kansas basketball, and said that if he weren't on the team, he would be camping out with the fans.
Simien's speech turned out to be the longest, because he went into great detail about why he loved his fellow players and coaches.
The crowd applauded him the most after thanking his old high school coach for encouraging him to stay at Kansas after Williams left for North Carolina.
"I remember going through the whole coaching change and not knowing what was going to happen," Simien said. "He just told me to play the hand I was dealt."
The majority of the crowd stayed to listen to all of the speeches, which lasted more than an hour, and applauded the departing heroes every chance they got.
They just couldn't get enough.
"I'm going to miss them so much." Sarah Latif, Overland Park freshman, said. "They bring so much enthusiasm for every game. I wish them luck in the NBA or anywhere they go after this."
Courtney Kublen/KANSAN
Mike Lee, senior guard, and J.R. Giddens, sophomore guard, jumps to block passing opportunities for Kansas State's Clent Stewart, freshman guard.
— Edited by Kendall Dix
Courtnev Kuhlen/KANSAN
Mike Lee, senior guard, stretches to try to catch a pass from across court during the second half in Allen Fieldhouse. He was unable to and ran out of bounds, turning the ball over for Kansas.
(From left) Ayako Takekuma, Tokyo freshman; Marianne Humburg, Port St. Lucie, Fla., freshman; Marie Unruh, Peabody freshman; Allison Kapsner, Blaine, Minn., freshman; Isaac Smith, Overland Park freshman; and Matt Bantle, St. Louis freshman, cheer as Kansas makes a basket during the second half of the Kansas State game. Smith and Bantle are painted with "KU." The Jayhawks won 72-65.
Ginny Weatherman/KANSAN
I remember going through the whole coaching change and not knowing what was going to happen. He just told me to play the hand I was dealt."
Wayne Simien Senior forward
Seniors
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Self said he was pleased with his team's play against the zone defense.
The score never indicated that the game was in question, but K-State hung tough. The Jayhawks' 32-26 halftime lead widened to 12 early in the second half. It was their largest of the game. The Wildcats got within six with about 7 minutes left in the game.
But the Kansas seniors weren't going to let anything take away from their night. Simien, Langford, Miles and Lee scored all but five of the Jayhawks second half-points.
Last night's victory gave Kansas a share of the Big 12 Conference title. A victory against Missouri on Sunday would win it. Clinching the conference title would top off the senior's final regular season.
"This is only halfway," Langford said. "We wanna win it outright and we have the opportunity to do that."
Edited by Jesse Truesdale
ant
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
an apt ending, considering their two Final Fours and Elite Eight could already make them the most successful basketball class in Kansas history no matter what else happens this season.
And the seniors went out on top was also fitting.
Forward Wayne Simien was, well - Wayne Simien, indomitable in the post even against the Wildcats' zone, saving one of his best fieldhouse performances for his last — 25 points and a career-high 20 rebounds. Guard Aaron Miles, Kansas' and the Big 12's all-time leader in assists, dished out seven to go along with 12 points. Guard Keith Langford slashed and shot his way also to 12 points and guard Mike Lee had nine on three three-pointers. Fittingly, the four seniors were the Jayhawks' four leading scorers.
But though Senior Night ended in success, the seniors are still waiting to call their final season a success.
"Our goal was to win the Big 12 title," Lee said. "Right now we share a piece of it, but we want to win it outright."
Kansas will have its opportunity to do that on Sunday at Missouri. Then comes the conference tournament and March Madness, where the Jayhawks hope to take care of other unfinished business. Meanwhile, the 50-year-old fieldhouse will wait for next year to celebrate the big five-one, and the names Miles, Langford, Simien and Lee can be added to the other greats who have played there. They'll be remembered as individuals, but also as the great class they composed.
"When one of us is going to be mentioned, all of us are going to be mentioned." Simien said.
Bant is a Colorado Springs, Colo., senior in journalism.
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