Niang’s trip no fun

By Gary Bedore     Jan 17, 2003

Kansas University freshman Moulaye Niang was quite close to his late father, Sassy.

“My dad was my really good friend,” Niang said of Sassy, a truck driver by trade who died of natural causes Dec. 31 in Niang’s native Senegal.

“This was a big tragedy to me.”

Sassy’s death hit Niang hard. The fact that travel problems kept him from attending the funeral in the West African nation didn’t make the situation any easier.

“I missed it. It was when I was in Paris,” said Niang, who was stuck in the snowy French capital from Jan. 5 to Jan. 8 because of flight cancellations. “I was able to go to the grave later.”

Niang’s Jan. 6 Air France flight from Paris to Senegal was canceled, and Niang was unable to get booked on any other flights until two days later.

“I’d leave the airport at 11 (p.m.) and come back at 6 in the morning,” Niang said. “Every half hour I’d go to the lady who works there and she’d say, ‘OK we will board in a half hour.’ It was like that the whole day.

“She’d say, ‘The planes are frozen. We have mechanical problems.’ What can you do? What can you say?” Niang said.

Niang was at wit’s end the morning of Jan. 8 as it became obvious he’d miss his father’s funeral.

“I called my mom every five minutes. I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I got there Wednesday night. It was good being back home to hang out with family and friends, but only for three days.”

Niang, by the way, does not know the exact age of his dad.

“He was 70, 72. Back home people don’t keep track of age. He was 70, 80. It’s no big deal there.”

  • All teeth accounted for: Some fans thought Jeff Hawkins lost a tooth when he took a shoulder to the jaw late in KU’s 98-70 win over Wyoming on Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse. Turns out it was gum, not a tooth, that shot out of the red-shirt freshman guard’s mouth. Hawkins, who has a bruised jaw, practiced Thursday.
  • 400 wins: Roy Williams tried to put his 400th win in perspective Wednesday. “It’s nice and all that, but folks, Pat Summitt (Tennessee women’s coach) got her 800th win last night. Bobby Knight (Texas Tech coach) will get his 800th soon. I’m still like a little boy looking for a cookie.”
  • Boards: KU outrebounded Wyoming, 42-27, and had 23 second-chance points to Wyoming’s six.

“They crashed. They crashed hard. They crashed all five. I think I saw Roy Williams in there rebounding,” Wyoming’s Donta Richardson quipped to the Casper Star-Tribune.

  • Next up: KU will play Kansas State at 7 p.m. Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
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