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20 FEATURE
David Johanning played basketball at Kansas from 1990 to 1992 and played in a national championship game. Now he owns a successful Lawrence bar known for its island theme.
By Brenna Hawley bhawley@kansan.com
Walk into the Sandbar on most Thursday nights and Dave will probably be behind the bar. He makes dirty banana shots like a pro, and shark attacks were a discovery in New Orleans. He stands at 6-foot-10 behind the bar, and when he gets on top of it to dance along with the Sandbar song, he's close to hitting his head on the ceiling.
David Johanning isn't the normal bartender though. He's partial owner of the Sandbar, an island-themed bar for the 21-and-up crowd. But more importantly to KU fans, he was once captain of a basketball team that played under Roy Williams. He was No. 54 on the team that almost beat Duke for the 1991 national championship and even blocked a shot by Duke legend Christian Laettner during the game. These days were recollected this summer when Dave got a package in the mail from Colorado with a piece of floorboard and a Sharpie asking for his autograph from an avid KU basketball fan. Most of the time, though, it's all about the Sandbar.
Left: Johanning passes a ball during practice.
Bottom left: Johanning dances during a Late Night celebration.
Bottom right: Johanning posts up against a Southern Methodist University player in a Jan. 4, 1992, game in Dallas.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
THE WAVE SEPTEMBER 11,2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN