4B = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FINALFOUR
FRIDAY,APRIL4,2003
News. Now.
Kansas boys living their dreams
Basketball team's reserve players proud to be Jayhawks
Kansan file photo
Senior forward Brett Olson, freshman forward Christian Moody and freshmen guards Stephen Vinson and Jeff Hawkins celebrate with teammate Bryant Nash, junior forward, from the sidelines. Vinson, a Lawrence High School graduate, said going to the Final Four as a Jayhawk was a dream of his growing up.
By Jesse Newell
jnewell@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
A boy sits on a basketball, elbows on his knees, gazing up at Allen Fieldhouse before him.
The poster is titled Jaydreamin' and it holds special significance for Stephen Vinson and Brett Olson, a pair of Kansas-born Jayhawks.
"I really am that kid and this is really living it out," Vinson, a Lawrence freshman, said. "This has been an unbelievable time for me."
For Vinson, the Final Four holds extra meaning. Averaging 15.9 points and eight assists as a senior at Lawrence High School, Vinson was offered scholarships at UMKC, Baylor and Kansas State. However, the guard stood behind his dream to become a Jayhawk and accepted a walk-on position with the team this year.
"I do realize it is what every Kansas kid wants to be, and it is what I wanted to be," Vinson said. "This is what I pictured when I decided to come here."
Olson's path to New Orleans was a little rockier. The senior from Chanute tried out three times to make the Kansas squad but failed to make the cut all three years, finally securing a spot this year on the 13-man roster.
In the last week, Olson has role-played as Dahntay Jones of Duke and Ric Anderson of Arizona, while Vinson has imitated
As reserves, the two play key roles in team practices. Both play on the red squad, the unit which mimics the team that Kansas is about to face.
JJ Redick, Salim Stoudamire and Marquette star Dwyane Wade.
Vinson has also drawn the unfortunate task of facing teammate Kirk Hinrich.
"It's bad because usually Kirk's guarding me and so it's really hard to get a shot off," Vinson said. "As you saw, Kirk blocked Salim Stoudamire's shot a couple of times and blocked Jason Gardner. He practiced that one on me a lot. I definitely give him good practice for blocking shots."
When Kansas arrived in Lawrence at 4 a.m. Sunday after defeating Arizona, 5,000 fans crowded Allen Fieldhouse to welcome the team home. Olson didn't expect the big turnout.
"I know I wanted to be in bed, and I knew they had to want to be in bed also." Olson said. "They made the sacrifice and that was
Stephen Vinson Freshman guard
"I do realize it is what every Kansas kid wants to be, and it is what I wanted to be. This is what I pictured when I decided to come here."
really great. It was a pretty big motivation."
Vinson, on the other hand, has seen the pep rally from both the fan and player perspectives. Last year, he was a member of the crowd welcoming the 2001 team back to the Fieldhouse after a victory over Oregon.
"It was just amazing when you walked in," Vinson said. "Just to be greeted the way we were, it
makes your accomplishments really worthwhile. You really feel special when you know you have people behind you."
The two do not get as much media coverage as their Jayhawk counterparts, but they remain an intricate part of the team.
"We don't get as much attention as we should because we're not the ones going out and scoring 30 points," Vinson said, "but we still have a lot of fun."
The pair will try to savor every moment of the Final Four experience.
"You imagine this," Vinson said, "but you never think it's true until it actually happens."
Especially to that little boy. The one with his elbows on his knees. The one just Jaydreamin' away.
Edited by Christy Dendurent
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