Back when he was a boy growing up in Olathe, Jeremy McFall had a favorite uncle.
Brian McFall, a Lawrence banker, has had season tickets to Kansas University’s men’s basketball games for years, and from time to time he would invite nephew Jeremy to join him in Allen Fieldhouse.
“I guess I went to five or six games,” young McFall said. “I always had goose bumps.”
McFall’s goose bumps returned on Wednesday night when he stepped on the storied fieldhouse floor as a starting guard for Central Missouri State.
“I never thought I’d play here,” said McFall, a 6-foot junior who scored 15 points and counted six assists in the NCAA Division II Mules’ 97-70 loss to the Jayhawks. “It was a Catch-22, though. You’re playing in a great place, but you’re playing against one of the top teams in the nation.”
Still, the Mules weren’t kicked to smithereens like many other Division II schools that have visited KU. With about 16 minutes remaining, CMSU was within single digits (59-50).
“We were hoping they’d make mistakes and we’d stay in it,” McFall said, “but in the end it came down to them being bigger, taller and stronger.”
Teammate Brian Rhodes, who came in as the unbeaten Mules’ leading scorer with a 15.5 average, was nearly as awed as McFall about stepping on the Allen Fieldhouse floor.
“It was like a dream pretty much,” said Rhodes, a 6-6 junior whose mother, niece and high school coach had come from Sullivan, Mo., to see him play. “We watch TV. We know everybody on that team and what they do.”
What the Mules saw on TV was pretty much what they saw in person.
“They’re 6-9 and 6-10, and we’re 6-5 and 6-6.” Rhodes said. “It’s tough. It’s a lot more physical than in our league.”
First-year CMSU coach Kim Anderson didn’t have goose bumps. Anderson had been in Allen Fieldhouse numerous times while playing for Missouri and later as an MU assistant coach under Norm Stewart. Moreover, Anderson had been here several times during the last two seasons while working as the Big 12 Conference director of basketball operations.
“It was a very special moment for me to be in the big chair,” Anderson said. “I’ve been here so many times : The fans were great. This is one of the special places in the country. To be honest, I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Central Missouri State wasn’t really out of it until midway through the second half when the Jayhawks boosted that nine-point lead into a 19-point bulge.
“What was really good is our guys competed,” Anderson said. “We just don’t have the horses, but I think we have the heart.”
Kansas played without one of its steeds, preseason All-American Kirk Hinrich, who watched the game in street clothes on the KU bench while nursing a bad back. Hinrich’s absence didn’t break the Mules’ hearts, but they were disappointed nonetheless.
“I wish he was playing because I like to watch him,” Anderson said. “I wanted my guys to play against him. Maybe they’d learn something.”
Both Rhodes and McFall said they would have preferred to have been on the same floor with Hinrich, who was injured in last week’s Preseason NIT in New York City.
“We knew he wasn’t going to play,” Rhodes said, “but we wanted him to because everybody wants to go against the best.”
CMSU (4-1) will return to its real world on Saturday when it travels to Jefferson City, Mo., to tangle with Lincoln University.
Back when he was a boy growing up in Olathe, Jeremy McFall had a favorite uncle.
Brian McFall, a Lawrence banker, has had season tickets to Kansas University’s men’s basketball games for years, and from time to time he would invite nephew Jeremy to join him in Allen Fieldhouse.
“I guess I went to five or six games,” young McFall said. “I always had goose bumps.”
McFall’s goose bumps returned on Wednesday night when he stepped on the storied fieldhouse floor as a starting guard for Central Missouri State.
“I never thought I’d play here,” said McFall, a 6-foot junior who scored 15 points and counted six assists in the NCAA Division II Mules’ 97-70 loss to the Jayhawks. “It was a Catch-22, though. You’re playing in a great place, but you’re playing against one of the top teams in the nation.”
Still, the Mules weren’t kicked to smithereens like many other Division II schools that have visited KU. With about 16 minutes remaining, CMSU was within single digits (59-50).
“We were hoping they’d make mistakes and we’d stay in it,” McFall said, “but in the end it came down to them being bigger, taller and stronger.”
Teammate Brian Rhodes, who came in as the unbeaten Mules’ leading scorer with a 15.5 average, was nearly as awed as McFall about stepping on the Allen Fieldhouse floor.
“It was like a dream pretty much,” said Rhodes, a 6-6 junior whose mother, niece and high school coach had come from Sullivan, Mo., to see him play. “We watch TV. We know everybody on that team and what they do.”
What the Mules saw on TV was pretty much what they saw in person.
“They’re 6-9 and 6-10, and we’re 6-5 and 6-6.” Rhodes said. “It’s tough. It’s a lot more physical than in our league.”
First-year CMSU coach Kim Anderson didn’t have goose bumps. Anderson had been in Allen Fieldhouse numerous times while playing for Missouri and later as an MU assistant coach under Norm Stewart. Moreover, Anderson had been here several times during the last two seasons while working as the Big 12 Conference director of basketball operations.
“It was a very special moment for me to be in the big chair,” Anderson said. “I’ve been here so many times : The fans were great. This is one of the special places in the country. To be honest, I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Central Missouri State wasn’t really out of it until midway through the second half when the Jayhawks boosted that nine-point lead into a 19-point bulge.
“What was really good is our guys competed,” Anderson said. “We just don’t have the horses, but I think we have the heart.”
Kansas played without one of its steeds, preseason All-American Kirk Hinrich, who watched the game in street clothes on the KU bench while nursing a bad back. Hinrich’s absence didn’t break the Mules’ hearts, but they were disappointed nonetheless.
“I wish he was playing because I like to watch him,” Anderson said. “I wanted my guys to play against him. Maybe they’d learn something.”
Both Rhodes and McFall said they would have preferred to have been on the same floor with Hinrich, who was injured in last week’s Preseason NIT in New York City.
“We knew he wasn’t going to play,” Rhodes said, “but we wanted him to because everybody wants to go against the best.”
CMSU (4-1) will return to its real world on Saturday when it travels to Jefferson City, Mo., to tangle with Lincoln University.
Back when he was a boy growing up in Olathe, Jeremy McFall had a favorite uncle.
Brian McFall, a Lawrence banker, has had season tickets to Kansas University’s men’s basketball games for years, and from time to time he would invite nephew Jeremy to join him in Allen Fieldhouse.
“I guess I went to five or six games,” young McFall said. “I always had goose bumps.”
McFall’s goose bumps returned on Wednesday night when he stepped on the storied fieldhouse floor as a starting guard for Central Missouri State.
“I never thought I’d play here,” said McFall, a 6-foot junior who scored 15 points and counted six assists in the NCAA Division II Mules’ 97-70 loss to the Jayhawks. “It was a Catch-22, though. You’re playing in a great place, but you’re playing against one of the top teams in the nation.”
Still, the Mules weren’t kicked to smithereens like many other Division II schools that have visited KU. With about 16 minutes remaining, CMSU was within single digits (59-50).
“We were hoping they’d make mistakes and we’d stay in it,” McFall said, “but in the end it came down to them being bigger, taller and stronger.”
Teammate Brian Rhodes, who came in as the unbeaten Mules’ leading scorer with a 15.5 average, was nearly as awed as McFall about stepping on the Allen Fieldhouse floor.
“It was like a dream pretty much,” said Rhodes, a 6-6 junior whose mother, niece and high school coach had come from Sullivan, Mo., to see him play. “We watch TV. We know everybody on that team and what they do.”
What the Mules saw on TV was pretty much what they saw in person.
“They’re 6-9 and 6-10, and we’re 6-5 and 6-6.” Rhodes said. “It’s tough. It’s a lot more physical than in our league.”
First-year CMSU coach Kim Anderson didn’t have goose bumps. Anderson had been in Allen Fieldhouse numerous times while playing for Missouri and later as an MU assistant coach under Norm Stewart. Moreover, Anderson had been here several times during the last two seasons while working as the Big 12 Conference director of basketball operations.
“It was a very special moment for me to be in the big chair,” Anderson said. “I’ve been here so many times : The fans were great. This is one of the special places in the country. To be honest, I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Central Missouri State wasn’t really out of it until midway through the second half when the Jayhawks boosted that nine-point lead into a 19-point bulge.
“What was really good is our guys competed,” Anderson said. “We just don’t have the horses, but I think we have the heart.”
Kansas played without one of its steeds, preseason All-American Kirk Hinrich, who watched the game in street clothes on the KU bench while nursing a bad back. Hinrich’s absence didn’t break the Mules’ hearts, but they were disappointed nonetheless.
“I wish he was playing because I like to watch him,” Anderson said. “I wanted my guys to play against him. Maybe they’d learn something.”
Both Rhodes and McFall said they would have preferred to have been on the same floor with Hinrich, who was injured in last week’s Preseason NIT in New York City.
“We knew he wasn’t going to play,” Rhodes said, “but we wanted him to because everybody wants to go against the best.”
CMSU (4-1) will return to its real world on Saturday when it travels to Jefferson City, Mo., to tangle with Lincoln University.
Back when he was a boy growing up in Olathe, Jeremy McFall had a favorite uncle.
Brian McFall, a Lawrence banker, has had season tickets to Kansas University’s men’s basketball games for years, and from time to time he would invite nephew Jeremy to join him in Allen Fieldhouse.
“I guess I went to five or six games,” young McFall said. “I always had goose bumps.”
McFall’s goose bumps returned on Wednesday night when he stepped on the storied fieldhouse floor as a starting guard for Central Missouri State.
“I never thought I’d play here,” said McFall, a 6-foot junior who scored 15 points and counted six assists in the NCAA Division II Mules’ 97-70 loss to the Jayhawks. “It was a Catch-22, though. You’re playing in a great place, but you’re playing against one of the top teams in the nation.”
Still, the Mules weren’t kicked to smithereens like many other Division II schools that have visited KU. With about 16 minutes remaining, CMSU was within single digits (59-50).
“We were hoping they’d make mistakes and we’d stay in it,” McFall said, “but in the end it came down to them being bigger, taller and stronger.”
Teammate Brian Rhodes, who came in as the unbeaten Mules’ leading scorer with a 15.5 average, was nearly as awed as McFall about stepping on the Allen Fieldhouse floor.
“It was like a dream pretty much,” said Rhodes, a 6-6 junior whose mother, niece and high school coach had come from Sullivan, Mo., to see him play. “We watch TV. We know everybody on that team and what they do.”
What the Mules saw on TV was pretty much what they saw in person.
“They’re 6-9 and 6-10, and we’re 6-5 and 6-6.” Rhodes said. “It’s tough. It’s a lot more physical than in our league.”
First-year CMSU coach Kim Anderson didn’t have goose bumps. Anderson had been in Allen Fieldhouse numerous times while playing for Missouri and later as an MU assistant coach under Norm Stewart. Moreover, Anderson had been here several times during the last two seasons while working as the Big 12 Conference director of basketball operations.
“It was a very special moment for me to be in the big chair,” Anderson said. “I’ve been here so many times : The fans were great. This is one of the special places in the country. To be honest, I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Central Missouri State wasn’t really out of it until midway through the second half when the Jayhawks boosted that nine-point lead into a 19-point bulge.
“What was really good is our guys competed,” Anderson said. “We just don’t have the horses, but I think we have the heart.”
Kansas played without one of its steeds, preseason All-American Kirk Hinrich, who watched the game in street clothes on the KU bench while nursing a bad back. Hinrich’s absence didn’t break the Mules’ hearts, but they were disappointed nonetheless.
“I wish he was playing because I like to watch him,” Anderson said. “I wanted my guys to play against him. Maybe they’d learn something.”
Both Rhodes and McFall said they would have preferred to have been on the same floor with Hinrich, who was injured in last week’s Preseason NIT in New York City.
“We knew he wasn’t going to play,” Rhodes said, “but we wanted him to because everybody wants to go against the best.”
CMSU (4-1) will return to its real world on Saturday when it travels to Jefferson City, Mo., to tangle with Lincoln University.
