Oklahoma State University has started the healing process.
“Obviously it is difficult for everybody there, but today you could sense they are all pulling together,” Kansas University athletics director Bob Frederick said Wednesday after attending a memorial service in Stillwater, Okla., for the 10 people killed in a weekend plane crash in Colorado.
Roy Williams
Frederick and KU coach Roy Williams were two of approximately 10,000 individuals who gathered in Gallagher-Iba Arena to honor the memory of two reserves on the OSU men’s basketball team, a TV sports anchor and seven others in the team’s traveling party.
“Stories were told about each of the 10. They told something humorous about everyone,” Frederick said. “It’s one of those days that’s tough to get through, but you feel better about everything afterward. Clearly it’s going to be a longer, more difficult process for the families involved than the rest of us.”
Two who died in the crash OSU assistant sports information director Will Hancock and trainer Brian Luinstra are KU graduates. Frederick and Williams were able to talk to the families of both.
“I talked to president (James) Halligan afterward. He said it’s the toughest thing he’s had to do. Coach (Eddie) Sutton said the same thing,” Frederick said about the two calling family members of those who died immediately after the crash on Saturday. “Still it pales in comparison to what families of those 10 people had to endure and still will.
“Coach Sutton got through his speech very well and looked fine afterwards. Yet, he clearly was exhausted,” Frederick added.
Williams has been deeply saddened by the tragedy.
“If you see a tragedy that happened anywhere in the Big 12, it’s like it happened to yourself. You can see that today. Every school is represented and it has obviously affected the whole athletic world,” Williams said.
Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder attended, as did basketball coaches James Dickey (Texas Tech) and Rick Barnes (Texas).
KU officials who attended were Frederick, Williams, assistant basketball coach Joe Holladay, associate AD Richard Konzem, assistant AD Doug Vance and his wife, Sue, head trainer Lynn Bott and Jim Barnes of KU’s Music and Dance Dept.
“The people at Oklahoma State truly were touched by the great turnout from various Big 12 institutions,” Frederick said. “I’m amazed at the number of students and others who recognized coach Williams and thanked him for being there.”
Travel concerns
Frederick met with each of KU’s Olympic sports coaches Wednesday about travel.
“I told them it was really important that when their teams are traveling or they are on the road individually scouting or recruiting or whatever if there was any level of discomfort with weather situations or anything at all to choose on the side of conservative,” Frederick said.
“Don’t worry about the budget or anything. If you think you should spend an extra night, do that. I don’t want anybody thinking there’s financial pressure of any kind to get home. People are talking about travel all around the country right now.
“Texas is coming commercially here now (for Saturday’s game). I understand they were coming up on three to four King Airs. Now they are flying commercially.”
Frederick said KU’s basketball team still will take a 30-seat charter to Waco, Texas, for the Baylor game a week from Monday.
“It’s a 30-seater. It’s a plane used in regular commercial routes,” Frederick said. “Coach Williams has talked to several of his players and plans on talking to more. I don’t think it (the plane) is a major concern (of the players) right now.”
Okie State to visit here
Oklahoma State will play at KU a week from Saturday.
“Coach Williams and I discussed it. Coach Williams will talk to coach Sutton and I’ll talk to (AD) Terry Don Phillips and see what they think is appropriate if anything,” Frederick said of a possible moment of silence. “We want to be respectful, but we also want to consider their wishes.”
Rush incredible
The one lasting memory from Monday night’s Kansas-Missouri game doesn’t involve the Antlers.
It does not involve Norm Stewart.
From a Kansas standpoint, the image is of sweet-shooting MU guard/forward Kareem Rush burning the Jayhawks for 27 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes in MU’s 75-66 win in Columbia.
Amazingly, Kareem has developed into a hotter pro prospect than his older brother, JaRon, who left UCLA after two years for a shot at the NBA. JaRon Rush, who like Kareem attended Pembroke Hill High in Kansas City, Mo., is currently playing in the ABA.
“JaRon played extremely hard and was a very gifted athlete. Kareem is more skilled as a basketball player,” Williams said of Kareem, a 6-foot-6, 214-pound sophomore.
“JaRon didn’t have the ballhandling skills to put it on the floor or shoot it like Kareem does. His first three of the game missed Kenny Gregory’s hand by an inch. Kareem does not need a lot of room to get the shot off.”
Once upon a time, Williams received a verbal commitment from JaRon Rush, who is a year older than Kareem. JaRon reneged on the commitment after criticizing Williams’ system, then signed with UCLA.
Williams never tried to recruit Kareem because of all the bad feelings involved in the JaRon Rush decommitment.
“Somebody asked me about Keyon Dooling (No. 10 overall pick in 2000 NBA Draft). I don’t think Missouri really misses Dooling,” Williams said.
“Sometimes having too many players hurts you. If they had Keyon, Ricky Paulding or Wesley (Stokes) would get almost no playing time. It’s made Kareem, (Clarence) Gilbert and (Jeff) Grawer step up.
“I’m not so sure if Kareem were to apply for the draft he would not be drafted as high (as Dooling). I’m not saying that for him to do anything. He doesn’t care what Roy Williams thinks.
“I’m just saying he is a load to guard. I hope he does whatever the heck he wants to do. If we compete the next 100 years, I just hope we come out on top.”
Next up
Kansas will meet Texas (16-5, 5-2) at noon Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse. The Longhorns beat Texas A&M, 81-61, on Tuesday in Austin. That victory snapped a two-game losing streak. The Longhorns had dropped consecutive road games at Oklahoma and Arizona.
Wichita State transfer Maurice Evans, who was recruited his senior year at Collegiate, averages 15.9 ppg.
