Basketball Notebook: 105-year celebration planned

By Gary Bedore     Feb 8, 2003

? Preparations are in the works for Kansas University’s 105th year of basketball reunion celebration next weekend in Lawrence.

So far, 180 former KU men’s basketball players have committed to attending a banquet a week from tonight at the Holidome and the KU-Iowa State game Feb. 16 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Former KU All-American Raef LaFrentz will have his jersey retired in ceremonies before the game. All former KU players and coaches in attendance will be introduced by broadcaster Max Falkenstien at halftime.

It’ll be similar to the 100th year of basketball reunion held during the 1997-98 season.

“This is the fourth time coach (Roy) Williams has done this, bringing back the former players and coaches,” Kansas senior associate athletic director Richard Konzem said.

Indeed, Williams has sponsored reunions in 1989, 1994, 1998 and this year.

“He has done an amazing job of connecting all the former players and coaches to the current program,” Konzem said. “All eras of KU basketball will be represented.”

B.H. Born, Jo Jo White, Dave Robisch, Walt Wesley, Otto Schnellbacher, Ted Owens are some of those committed to return. The dinner at the Holiday Inn is not open to the public.

“Coach has great appreciation for the accomplishments of players and teams that preceded him and the reunions are one vehicle he uses in showing that,” Konzem said.

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The last loss: Ted Owens was KU’s coach the last time the Jayhawks lost in Manhattan. Jack Hartman’s Wildcats tripped the Jayhawks, 58-57, on Jan. 29, 1983.

“I don’t remember much about that game. The good thing about growing older is you forget what you don’t want to remember,” said Owens, involved in investment banking in Tulsa, Okla. “If we’d won the game, I could tell you every detail. What happened is we were ahead, there was a scramble for the ball, (Les) Kraft was fouled and made two free throws to win it.

“I always thought Manhattan was always the toughest place in the world to win. What Larry and Roy have done is incredible,” Owens said of the 19-game win streak in the Little Apple.

Former KU coach Larry Brown was 5-0 in Manhattan; Williams is 14-0 entering today’s game.

The streak in Manhattan has spanned five K-State coaches. Hartman lost his final three home games against KU. Lon Kruger (0-4), Dana Altman (0-4) and Tom Asbury (0-6) never beat Kansas at home, and Jim Wooldridge (0-2) has yet to do so.

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Kivisto remembered: Owens today will attend funeral services of Ernie Kivisto, father of ex-Jayhawks Tom and Bob Kivisto. Ernie, 82, was a legendary high school coach in Illinois and Arizona, winning more than 1,000 prep games.

“He was a legend, one of those incredible people who could motivate kids to play with unbelievable passion on defense,” Owens said. “Roy would love him, the way Roy appreciates and teaches defense. Bob and Tom played with the kind of passion that makes a coach drool.

“Ernie had a passion for coaching. After he reached the maximum retirement age in Illinois, where he won 700 or 800 games, he went to Arizona and won 200 more.”

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KU support: You can bet 1,000 or more KU fans will be in 13,500-seat Bramlage Coliseum for today’s sold-out KU-KSU game.

“There’s been a lot of Jayhawk fans show up over there the last several years, much more so than there were 15 years ago when I first got here,” Williams said. “We do have a spattering of yells for us in there and that always helps, but I think it’s just related to their personnel and how they’re playing and that’s it.”

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