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COLUMN
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44 years later,the memories are still there
My dad wouldn't watch "Glory Road."
He didn't think it would be a bad movie. It's just that he saw Texas Western's story from a different perspective.
The 1966 Kansas Jayhawks were led by guard Jo Jo White and forward Walt Wesley, who each earned All-American honors twice during their careers. Coached by Ted Owens, the team lost just one game in conference play and made it to the NCAA Midwest Regional Finals, where they faced Texas Western.
The Miners defeated Kansas by one point to advance to the Final Four, which they eventually won by pulling out a victory against a great Kentucky team.
But Texas Western's story of winning the 1966 National Championship almost never happened.
My dad always remembered the day Kansas played Texas Western. He was a senior at the University at the time, and he never forgot how that game ended.
As depicted in the movie, the game was tied with just a few seconds left. The Jayhawks got the ball to their go-to-guy, Jo Jo White, who attempted a deep shot from near the sideline. White made the shot as time expired, and it looked as if the Jayhawks had won the game.
But then a referee claimed that White had stepped out of bounds and the game went to overtime. Texas Western ended up winning 81-80, and White and the Jayhawks were forced to wait another year to try to win the national title.
My dad told me that a photo showed that White had not stepped out of bounds as he took the shot. However, "Glory Road" showed that one foot was clearly on the sideline. Although no one knows for sure, I know my dad always remembered that game as a heartbreaker. Kansas did not win another National Championship for 22 years, and it was not an easy game for any Kansas fan to forget.
For those Jayhawk fans who remembered the Texas Western game, "Glory Road" was a tough movie to watch. It was a great story about how the Miners persevered and won the National Championship, but
it also brought back memories of what might have been if one referee hadn't made the call.
As Jo Jo White's shot against Texas Western shows, there are only so many things that the team can control.
The players can put their full efforts into every practice and Bill Self and his staff can have them more prepared than any team in the country. In the end, though, the team can't count on every call being correct, especially in the biggest games.
The 1966 team was among the best teams that ever took the court for Kansas. No one on the team ever won a National Championship, but they all deserved to win one.
If this year's team works hard enough to really deserve to win the National Championship, I think everything else will fall into place. The Jayhawks have only lost one game so far this season, and they will be a tough team for anyone to stop in March.
As the Jayhawks prepare for the stretch run of this season, I can't help thinking how their season will end during my senior year. And just like my dad, I know I'll never forget it.
Photo courtesy of Spencer Research Library Kansas guard Jo Jo White pulls up for a shot against Texas Western. The Miners defeated the Jayhawks 81-80 in overtime to advance to the Final Four in 1966.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE WAVE FEBRUARY 1.2010