Jayhawks depart for the Big Dance

By Mike Belt     Mar 17, 2005

Scott McClurg/Journal-World Photo
Kansas University head coach Bill Self is greeted by Jayhawk fans Wednesday as he boards the team bus for Forbes Field in Topeka for the team's trip to Oklahoma City and the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Dozens of Jayhawk fans gathered outside Allen Fieldhouse Wednesday evening to give the Kansas University men’s basketball team a boisterous send-off to Oklahoma City and the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Christian Espinosa stood next to the team’s bus, holding a white basketball with autographs he’d collected from several KU players. But there was at least one more name the 7-year-old Lawrence boy said he especially wanted to add, and freshman forward Alex Galindo stopped to grant that request before getting on the bus.

“He sleeps with that basketball,” Christian’s mother, Nancy Espinosa, said of her son. “He hides it every morning before he goes to school so nobody will steal it.”

Another 7-year-old, Simeon Windibiziri, also had autographs on his mind. He got the player with the similar name — Wayne Simien — to sign his basketball shoe. His sister, 5-year-old Saraya, had the KU forward sign the back of her jacket.

“They are great role models,” DeAnn Windibiziri said of the players her children look up to.

Although KU enters the tournament on a rocky note — with losses to Missouri at the end of the regular season and to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament — fans at the fieldhouse were optimistic not only about Friday’s game against Bucknell but also about the rest of the tournament.

“This is what they play for,” said Carol Smith, 66, who, along with her husband, Gary Smith, watched the team board the bus. The Lawrence couple said they had seen all of the KU games this season except for road games at Colorado and Villanova.

Also optimistic were Overland Park 15-year-olds Archie Pozek and Tim Bury, who made a special trip to Lawrence to see the Jayhawks off.

“I think if (Keith) Langford plays they can go to the Final Four,” Pozek said. “They’ll be ready to play.”

Bury agreed. He was hoping for an eventual KU showdown with North Carolina and former KU coach Roy Williams later in the tournament. As for Bucknell, he admitted he didn’t know much about them.

“They have a decent offense, but I think we can hold them,” Bury said.

The players left the fieldhouse one by one, smiling and nodding to fans who lined the path to the bus. Jamie Jarrett, 12, carried a sign proclaiming her love for senior guard Aaron Miles. “All I want is a kiss from Aaron Miles,” her sign said.

Miles stopped and gave Jamie a hug on his way to the bus, and that was good enough for Jamie. Her mother, Cathy Jarrett, watched from nearby.

“I kind of like Wayne,” Cathy Jarrett said with a laugh, referring to Simien.

The team members arrived at their Oklahoma City hotel a few minutes after 9 p.m. and went straight to their rooms without fanfare.

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