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2,000 VICTORIES 21
The march to 2,000 victories
As the Jayhawks approach the historic mark, The Wave takes a closer look at how they got this far
coum raises the Big 12 Championship trophy following Kansas' 81-68 victory against Oklahoma on Monday, Feb. 22. The victory clinched a share of the Big 12 title and marked the Jayhawks' 6th straight title.
Weston White/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
By Kathleen Gier kgier@kansan.com
Editor's Note: The Wave continues its look at the Jayhawks' road to 2,000 victories. This week, The Wave tracks the team's history from the 1500th victory in men's basketball history through the 2008 Jayhawks' National Championship run.
After a difficult loss to Oklahoma State down in Stillwater the Kansas men's basketball team suffered a slight setback on their road to 2,000 victories. With two regular season games left and then the Big XII and NCAA Tournament the Jayhawks need to win three more games to reach the mark.
Former Jayhawks reflected on the tradition of excellence that Kansas basketball has become.
Bud Stallworth played for Kansas from 1968 to 1972 and then played in the NBA for five years.
"Having been around the program since 1968, and now we are in another millennium I see the numbers keep going forward," Stallworth said. "I don't know whether a lot of people understand how much tradition is involved in the University of Kansas basketball."
With five national championships, 53 conference championships and 1997 victories,the program certainly looks distinguished by the numbers.
"Even though we haven't gotten where we wanted to go, we have won championships." Stallworth said. "The number of great players that have come through here and gone on to play and accomplish great things, there are always guys coming next."
But there is a different kind of tradition that does not appear in the record books and that is the family atmosphere that brings retired players back to Lawrence to live and work.
"I have a great relationship with a lot of guys that played with other programs and played professionally and I talk about well, do you all have reunions, do you all stay in touch not just with players during your era, but players that played years before or years after you," Stallworth said. "If you played basketball at the University of Kansas and you go to one of those
reunions, there is a bond there that won't go away."
Stallworth is now a co-host for "Rock Chalk Sports Talk" on 1320 KLWN along with Scot Pollard, Wayne Simien, David Lawrence and host Brian Hanni.
"I love the tradition of the University of Kansas; I love that I am a part of that history," Pollard said.
Pollard played for Kansas from 1993- 1997 and then went on to play in the NBA for 11 years with different teams.
He said he still keeps in touch with former teammates like Jacque Vaughn and Greg Gurley; he also played with former teammate Paul Pierce when he played for the Boston Celtics.
"As far as players, when we see each other it is always like old times," Pollard said. "We get along well. We have good times and good stories to tell."
Gurley and Pollard gather their families and take trips to the lake, this past weekend just Pollard and Gurley went on a trip
together.
Gurley went to high school at Shawnee Mission South just more than 35 miles away. Gurley played for Kansas from 1991- 1995. From there he grew up with the traditions of Kansas.
"To be a part of that is huge, and to be a part of Kansas basketball, especially being from Kansas City and knowing a little more about the tradition than some of the other guys, it is even more special," Gurtey said.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE WAVE MARCH 3,2010
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