It matters not if Kansas University holds its season-opening men’s basketball scrimmage at midnight or at 6:30 p.m.
If it’s on the schedule … people will come.
A near-capacity throng of 15,750 fans — spectators started lining up at 8 a.m. — squeezed into Allen Fieldhouse on Friday night for the 21st-annual Late Night in the Phog.
“Awesome,” KU coach Bill Self said of the atmosphere in the storied building, which was enhanced by a new center videoboard that had the fans rocking while watching replays of Rodrick Stewart’s vicious slams in a pre-scrimmage dunk drill.
“It’s a pretty good crowd considering high school football and a lot of students out of town on fall break — a pretty good crowd,” he repeated.
The fans — which included 10 high school basketball prospects — were treated to one skit instead of the usual four or five.
“We decided we’d rather have one good one than five average ones,” KU senior Stephen Vinson said referring to the Jayhawks entering the court dressed in black suit and tie with shiny gray polka dot vests and adidas shoes, the players rocking rhythmically to the Rock Chalk chant, then gyrating in rhythm while clapping their hands and stomping their feet.
The Jayhawks did hold their annual dunk drill, where Stewart put on an amazing performance when he put the ball between his legs before slamming it home.
“I’ve seen him attempt that 200 times since he’s been here,” Vinson said. “I think it’s the third time he’s made it. One for one tonight is pretty good turnout from him.”
Julian Wright had a strong slam off the board, while C.J. Giles and Micah Downs also had some rim-rattlers.
“Coach Self just asked us that in the locker room,” Downs said of who was top dunker. “Rodrick was best dunker; I got second best. I think it might have been tied.
“We held it down for Seattle there, me and Rod,” Downs joked of the duo which hail from the Seattle area.
Downs, a 6-8 frosh, was high-point man in a 20-minute scrimmage. He hit five-of-six shots, including a pair of threes, good for 12 points. He also had five boards for the winning Red team, which beat the Blues, 48-30.
“I was so nervous coming out,” said Downs. “It was crazy, wild — 16,000 people in there, by far the most I played in front of. All day I was excited thinking about it.
“I thought I’d airball my first shot by 15 feet. It went in. After that, I felt pretty good. I thought everybody played well. It was a blast.”
Frosh Mario Chalmers had nine points off 4-of-8 shooting for the winning team. Freshman Brandon Rush hit four of his six shots and scored eight points, while the team’s other freshman, Julian Wright, was 1-of-6 shooting for two points with two assists. Rush and Wright played for the Blue team.
“We tried to tell Julian to make a layup on his first shot. He tried a 15-footer and shot it 18,” Vinson said with a smile after scoring eight points of his own off 3-of-3 shooting with two threes. “I thought all four freshmen showed what they can do.”
Self, whose team shared the ball with Russell Robinson garnering seven of the squad’s 19 total assists, was moderately pleased with the rookies.
“I thought playing in front of the crowd for the first time they played pretty well,” said the coach who will run his team through its first two-hour practice of the regular season this afternoon. “Julian was in a hurry; everyone else had pretty good composure. Julian still did well; you’ve got to let the game come to you.”
Kansas women’s coach Bonnie Henrickson said the large crowd might have added a few more jitters for her players, but overall the night was a blast.
“I think it is good for our kids to get out in front of a crowd like that,” she said. “They were thrilled to come out and play in front of a packed house. It was ugly basketball, but it was fun.”
Self noted that the other rookies were fortuante enough to get early shots down to relax.
“Micah shot a terrible first shot. He made it and it took the pressure off. Brandon made a baset took the pressure off and Mario. Julian didn’t get one down.”
A montage video earlier Friday night captivated the rowdy Jayhawk fans.
Images on the new video board of James Naismith, Dr. F.C. “Phog” Allen, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Brown, Danny Manning and others caused screaming reactions.
Many fans who attended Friday’s Late Night in the Phog said tradition brought them to the Fieldhouse. That and curiosity about the 2005-06 men’s and women’s basketball teams.
“It’s a big event. It’s tradition. This is just what we do,” said Tu Le, a KU senior from Garden City.
While fans carried traditional KU basketball enthusiasm, many were eager to get a firsthand look at a men’s team with many new faces.
“What happened this past summer, a lot of it’s going to go away when the season starts,” said Merle Anderson, an assistant basketball coach at Haskell Indian Nations University. “It’s tradition and enthusiasm. The whole community is into KU basketball.”
“I think people are just tired of all the media junk,” said Keith Young, a KU graduate student from Libertyville, Ill. “People are just ready to play ball.”
Anderson said he wanted to see Rush in action, while Young also said he thought the newer players might change the team’s style of play.
Friday was also the first time fans saw the fieldhouse renovations, which include a new scoreboard and video board, brighter lights and fresh paint on the bleachers.
“It’s a lot brighter, and I like the new floor,” said Thom Hepford, of Lawrence.
“It’s really bright in there, and it looks good,” said Rachel Van Horn, of Lawrence.
New NCAA legislation allows universities to start their season-opening events the evening before their first practice. The earlier start had many youngsters running around the fieldhouse instead of sleeping in the bleachers.
Later, they watched dance performances and skits from the Rock Chalk dancers, cheerleaders and the men’s and women’s teams, along with other entertainment.
“I like the skits. I’m not going to lie,” said Vince Traynelis, a fifth-year KU student from Iowa City, Iowa.
Before the event, Traynelis and his friends stood in a lengthy line that stretched from the north fieldhouse doors west to the Anderson Family Strength and Conditioning Center. Many fans waited in line for hours for the doors to open.
“You’ve got to love it when 15,000-plus people show up for a basketball practice,” Hepford said while watching the KU women’s scrimmage.
Admission was free and the prime seats went early a fact not lossed on 23-year-old Washington native Thad Wiemers, who after making the 2.5-hour drive from Washington lined up with a group of 10 others guys at 2:30 p.m. to make sure he got in.
“We definitely wanted to get up here early to get a good seat so that we could get a first look at the four freshman,” Wiemers said.
For full Late Night coverage visit kusports.com.
