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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2008
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SENIOR GOODBYES
The road to becoming a Jayhawk
Senior Night at Allen Fieldhouse: The pageantry. The tradition. The emotion. The theatrics. The overblown sentimentality.
I used to think I hated sitting through the presentation and speeches after the game on Senior Night. And then I became a senior. This allowed me to gain new appreciation and insights into the process, enough so that I wanted to give my own speech.
If I had, this is how it would have gone down:
Max Falkenstien at center court of Allen Fieldhouse: "And now we have a fella that came to Kansas from up north. He knew nothing of KU athletic tradition when he came from Minnesota, but he was eager to learn. He chose this school solely because of the basketball program. He wanted to be a Jayhawk. And while his patience has been tested, his faith in the excellence of this institution and its athletics has never wavered. Ladies and gentleman, Thor Nystrom!"
Thor Nystrom: "Thank you, Max. Wow,
it has been a great five years. There are so
many people I want to thank.
(Standing ovation — I give Max a half-hand shake, half-man hug)
"First, the fans. You guys are great. Like Max said, when I first came here, I didn't know squat about being a true jaywalk fan. Your passion and dedication made me want to be the fan I am today.
(Standing ovation)
"I chose this school because I wanted to follow a premier college basketball team while getting a good education. In that order. But after I committed, the crap hit the fan. We lost the national championship and Roy Williams bolted.
The freshman class Williams left for Bill Self had David Padgett, Omar Wilkes and J.R. Giddens. I met all three at various points. Padgett's sense of superiority and feeling of entitlement struck me immediately and I was happy when he took it where it belonged, to Louisville.
(Applause)
"Wilkes and Giddens were both great guys. I was sad when Wilkes got homesick and wanted more playing time and left for California. I was sadder when Giddens stabbed a man and was forced to leave. I remember bumping into and talking to the nicest guy in front of my dorm a couple of months after I moved here. Turns out it was Giddens, down to earth as I could imagine any elite athlete to be, and he was the same in future occurrences with me. I wondered what turned him into the person who snapped and whom people hated.
"And then there was the losing. No, not losing like other programs. I soon found out that with Kansas fans' passion came expectations. We are as fanatical as anyone in the country but we don't like finishing second. That's why certain losses sent us into emotional tallpins and crippled the psyches of our fan base for weeks. You know what I refer to: Bucknell. Bradley.
"I'm sure everyone in this arena can recall with remarkable clarity where you watched those games and the measures you took those nights to ease your pain after our team lost. For myself, I don't like dwelling on those times.
"But then there were better times. Bill brought in likeable players who competed hard on the court and didn't brood or stab people off it. Guys like Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson, Sherron Collins and Sasha Kaun made me proud to be a student at this University.
(Applause as I blink back tears)
"Man. I promised my parents I wasn't going to cry. So let's switch gears really quick. I want to thank a pair of gentlemen who made my life as a fan of Kansas so much more fun — Quin Snyder and Frank Martin.
"What can I say, gentlemen? Quin, it was always fun competing against your teams. I loved how you recruited players of questionable character and heart and trusted in your ability to get the most out of
SEE NYSTROM ON PAGE 4B
Players reflect on past four years
Senior Jamie Boyd contributed more to team than court time
Kansan File Photo
BY TAYLOR BERN
tbern@kansan.com
Her name is rarely announced in the starting line-up and it doesn't always show up in the box score, but according to coach Bonnie Henrickson, it's easy to find Jamie Boyd's fingerprints all over this team.
Despite watching most of the games from the bench, the senior forward from Underwood, Iowa has had as big of an impact on the team as any player on the roster. That's because she does anything and everything that's asked of her.
"She's one of the most unselfish kids I've ever coached, as far as her willingness to mentor and tutor the young kids and be a vocal leader." Henrickson said. "Sometimes that's hard when you're on the bench, but she's done a great job."
Boyd is one of three co-captains, along with senior forward Taylor McIntosh and junior guard Ivana Catic, and she takes that role seriously both in games and practice.
Boyd has started five games in her four years, including the game on Jan. 30 at Oklahoma, and carries career averages of 2 ppg and 1.9 rpg. She understands that being a leader extends beyond the court and into the classroom, a place where her competitiveness also shines.
"She's a bright and mature kid, on and off the court, and she leads by example," Henrickson said. "Her teammates respect her because she works her tail off.
"If you came to practice you think she started and played 40 minutes a game."
Senior forward Jamie Boyd has been an asset to the team during her four years as a Jayhawk. "She's one of the most unselfish kids I've ever coached," Bonnie Henrickson said.
In 2006 and 2007, Boyd was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team and she earned a 4.0 grade point average in the
"No matter what it is, I'm going to give
100 percent," Boyd said. "Whatever it
fall 2007 semester.
McIntosh a role model on the court and in the classroom for four years
SEE BOYD ON PAGE 6B
BY ANDREW WIEBE awiebe@kansan.com
During tonight's Sunflower Showdown with Kansas State, senior forward Taylor McIntosh will likely step onto Naismith Court for the final time in her four year career. Not that McIntosh is dwelling on Senior Night and her final game in the "Phog".
"I guess it hasn't really hit me yet," she said.
When asked what she will miss the most, McIntosh didn't miss a beat.
"I've always said the fans," she said. "Just seeing the same people come out and support you through all four years."
McIntosh is the final remnant of former coach Marian Washington's 31 seasons in charge of the program. Although she never played for the legendary coach, her presence has helped Washington's successor, Bonnie Henrickson, build a solid foundation for the future.
Boyd career stats
Jon Goering/KANSAN
But McIntosh's career as a Jayhawk dutrr start nearly so smoothly. When she arrived on campus in the fall of 2004, she was surprised to find she had no place to live.
Tonight's game is senior forward Taylor McIntosh's last home game. She has played an impressive 117 games during the past four years.
69 Games Played
5 Games Started
10.7 Minutes Per Game
1.9 Rebounds Per Game
2 Points Per Game
Jon Goering/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Senior forwards Jamie Boyd and Taylor McIntosh watch during a women's basketball at Kansas State, Feb. 9. The Jayhawks will face Kansas State for the second time tonight in the regular season closer.
"They lost my housing contract, and I didn't have anywhere to go," McIntosh said.
Despite the rough start, McIntosh has been a model of consistency during her four years in Lawrence. During that time, the 5-foot-11 forward has started 114 of the 117 games she has appeared in, including 27 starts as a freshman, and has never averaged less than 4.5 points or 5 rebounds. This season McIntosh has stepped up her game even more, scoring 6.7 points per contest to go along with 6.8 rebounds.
Though word through the grapevine wasn't all positive when she first arrived at Kansas, Henrickson said McIntosh has
SEE MCINTOSH ON PAGE 6B
McIntosh career stats
117 Games Played
114 Games Started
25.2 Minutes Per Game
6.1 Rebounds Per Game
5.8 Points Per Game
Jayhawks find swagger in time for March
BY RUSTIN DODD
dodd@kansan.com
One day after Kansas' most upsetting loss of the season, a 61-60 loss at Oklahoma State, senior forward Darnell Jackson was at practice, sweating through drill after drill. Kansas' emotional leader could sense something was wrong. So could the rest of his teammates.
"I think a lot of guys realized that this is it," Jackson said.
The road losses to Kansas State, Texas and Oklahoma State had hurt. They made Jackson think about Kansas' first-round losses during his freshman and sophomore year, and now, March was rapidly approaching.
"We don't want to have that happen again," Jackson said. "We came together as a team and just told each other that everybody needs to bring something to the table."
Ten days and three victories later, everybody has. Junior guard Brandon Rush, the co-Big 12 Player of the Week, is asserting himself in games. Sophomore guard Sherron Collins has been his old self. Senior guard Russell Robinson is making shots. Ditto for junior guard Mario Chalmers. Sophomore forward Darrell Arthur has been a reliable scoring threat, and Jackson and senior center Sasha Kaun are giving a yeoman's effort inside.
"Just in a six day stretch, we've looked like a totally different team," Kansas coach Bill Said. "And it also helps when you make shots."
The lajhwakes are playing with a sense of urgency. Most importantly, they have their swagger back.
Made shots were in high supply during Monday's 109-51 bludgeoning of Texas Tech. Kansas shot 59.7 percent from the field, and made 14-of-24 three-pointers.
Robinson said making shots is just part of the equation for the surging Jayhawks. Sure, Kansas made 32-of-58 three-pointers in victories against Iowa State, K-State and Texas Tech. That always helps, but Robinson credits other aspects for busting Kansas out of its mid-February slump.
"We're playing better defensive, with more energy," Robinson said. "Now we just got to keep that up."
Kansas' topsy-turvy February isn't exactly what Self had in mind. Starting with a loss to Kansas State on Jan. 30, the Jayhawks never looked comfortable in February. Collins was plagued by injuries, Arthur by foul trouble and Kansas' defensive intensity wavered. The Jayhawks that lost to Oklahoma State - those weren't Self's players, were they?
"That was a stale team, a tired team." Sell said. "I think it was all between the ears."
But now, after three consecutive victories, including the most lopsided victory in the history of the Big 12 Conference, Kansas is one game from its fourth consecutive regular season title. Beat Texas A&M on Saturday, and the Jayhawks will clinch a least a share of the Big 12 title. If that doesn't provide incentive enough to stay mentally focused, Kansas' emotional victories against K-State and Texas Tech seem to have provided a mental booster shot.
That loss to Oklahoma State doesn't quite hurt as much.
"If it got us to the point where we're playing better and have our swagger back a little bit, it was worth it," Self said.
Jackson said he felt the swagger coming back.
"We're a great team," Jackson said. "We can do a lot of things from now, going on the Big 12 Tournament and getting ready for the NCAA Tournament."
Refocused, reenergized and with its swagger in tow, Kansas has finally reached March.
"Our swagger is not like cocky, but you just have that attitude that were going to go out there and try to play harder than the next team," Jackson said.
Edited by Russell Davies
Jon Goering/KANSAN
6-foot-3 freshman guard Chase Buford gets up to block the shot of Texas Tech 6-foot-10 center Ricardo De Bem during the final minutes of Monday's game. Kansas has been on a roll lately, defeating Kansas State by 14 and Texas Tech by 58.
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