Though he has had fun as a non-scholarship basketball player at Kansas University, Brett Olson wouldn’t recommend his walk-on job to just anybody.
“It depends who you are,” said Olson, a Chanute senior who is completing his second and final season with the program. “If you are a person who needs playing time and publicity for motivation, it’s not a good role.
“If you know who you are and accept the role, it’s something definitely worthwhile.”
Olson says it’s been an easy two years.
“My dream has been to play at KU. I never wanted to play anywhere else, so there were no other options,” he said. “I’m doing what I always wanted to do.”
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound Olson has played sparingly in his two seasons, totaling 11 points and 10 rebounds in 30 career games entering the 2004 postseason.
“I wish we had more blowouts,” Olson said, “but my role is to practice hard and help make everybody else better.”
At practice this year, Olson has guarded Jeff Graves and Wayne Simien, after spending much of last year defending against first-round NBA Draft pick Nick Collison.
“Jeff is a big body and hard to move around. Wayne has all those pivot moves like you see in the games,” Olson said. “And Nick … we all know how talented he was in college and will be in the NBA. They are all tough to guard. I can’t really say who’s best.”
Graves and Bryant Nash are the other two seniors on this year’s squad.
Graves — 6-9 and 255 pounds from Lee’s Summit, Mo. — has also been with the team two years, while Nash, a 6-7, 210-pounder from Carrollton, Texas, has been around for four years.
Graves has put up the best numbers, tallying 5.4 points and 4.6 boards this regular season in a reserve role after scoring 6.0 points with 6.8 boards his junior campaign.
“My role this year has been identical to last year: do everything, the little things to help my team,” Graves said. “I try to block out, rebound, pass the ball. I try to concentrate on defense.”
Graves’ stint has been stormy at times.
Last year he arrived 30 pounds or more overweight and was disciplined by then-coach Roy Williams several times. This year he was held out of a pair of games by new coach Bill Self, who disciplined Graves for tardiness.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs,” Graves said. “It’s been kind of rough at times where I see all the negatives more than the positives. I’ve taken a lot of criticism from everybody, but taken it like a man and tried to correct what I’ve done.”
Graves, who played two years at Iowa Western Community College, says he’ll never forget his KU days.
“Just the fans and the atmosphere of the KU family … it really is a family,” he said.
Nash has had four years to compile memories.
“I think I remember most the Texas game last year,” said Nash, whose late three-pointer helped beat the Longhorns. “I remember when we played Holy Cross and Kirk sprained his ankle and came back the next game. That was tough, man.”
He was referring to former Jayhawk Kirk Hinrich suffering a severe ankle sprain against Holy Cross in a first-round NCAA Tournament game his junior year, then returning to play in a second-round blowout win over Stanford en route to the Final Four.
“I’ve been to two Final Fours with a chance at another,” said Nash, who has averaged 1.0 points and 1.4 boards this regular season. He has hit just seven of 32 shots.
“Not many college players can say that. I’ve not accomplished as much as I’d like, but that’s all on me. I’d still like to play next year somewhere.”
As would Graves, who thinks he has NBA potential.
“I’d think so,” Graves said. “If not, I’ll go somewhere and work my way up.”
Olson will take a 4.0 grade-point average into med school.
“Hopefully at KU,” Olson said.
Self wishes the three seniors well in whatever they decide to do.
“People leave their mark in different ways,” Self said. “Not everybody can leave their mark by scoring 1,500 points, getting 700 rebounds. These guys certainly left a mark, too. Bryant Nash has been a part of some great teams. Jeff Graves played a huge role in Kansas making it to the championship game last year. Brett Olson has been as good a role model and leader as we’ve had.”
