OK, so you four guys are the greatest freshman contingent in Kansas University basketball history. Prove it.
All you have to do is win two Big 12 Conference titles and a national championship. Better do all that in 2005-06 considering Brandon Rush wears vagabond shoes and may not be around for ’06-07. You other three, Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers and Micah Downs, must combine with Rush to show you’re even as good as the four frosh who were badly underused last year. Sophomores Sasha Kaun, Russell Robinson, C.J. Giles and Darnell Jackson could belly up to you new guys in imposing fashion.
Let the media folks, coaches and fans speculate which four are fab. The newcomers have terrific potential, but “potential” means “they ain’t done it.”
Remember David Padgett, Omar Wilkes, J.R. Giddens and Jeremy Case, who were supposed to spark a Roy Williams title surge? Didn’t. The Wayne Simien, Keith Langford, Aaron Miles and Michael Lee quartet was “can’t-miss.” Wasn’t. Turned out to be overrated.
Until new kids on the block, maybe these, at least reach the NCAA Final Four, my indelible Jayhawk Fab Four Frosh (1949) remain Clyde Lovellette, Bill Lienhard, Bill Hougland and Bob Kenney. What about the ’56 yearlings with Wilt Chamberlain, Ron Loneski, Bob Billings, Monte Johnson and Lynn Kindred?
Never overlook that ’54 freshman crew with Maurice King, Gene Elstun, John Parker, Lew Johnson, Lee Green, Blaine Hollinger and Ron Johnston.
These new guys and the holdovers look terrific on paper, but are they really that good? Just show us.
¢ Can the Kansas football team seriously contemplate Big 12 victories with the equivalent of three second-string quarterbacks? A lot has to happen in that department before KU can avoid opening the league season with a long string of losses. Texas Tech, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Iowa State. Is that Death Valley or what? Better hold those bowl reservations.
¢ Lawrence High junior Abby Vestal had the right gene pool to become a producer in soccer, basketball and football as a place-kicker. Her grandparents: Carol Mayer Hassig Floersch of Lawrence and the late Bob Hassig, who starred in football and basketball at K.C. Wyandotte High. Abby’s uncle, Rob, played hoops at Wyandotte, assistant-coached under Bob Frederick at Lawrence, head-coached at Baldwin and Sumner Academy and now is a non-coaching teacher at Sumner.
Abby’s dad, Dale Vestal, was a Wyandotte basketeer. I thought I’d have to put her grandmumu in cold packs when Abby last season played on the same Wyandotte court where Bob, Rob and Dale performed. Little bit of nostalgia there. Mom Amy was in sports at WHS, too.
Doubt Abby ever will handle Lion kickoffs, though she could, at 5-foot-9, 130 pounds, and would like to try. It’s funny watching the other players studiously avoiding patting her on the popo after she scores. As for kickoffs, if she got hurt making a tackle, would a coach be fired? So sexism lives.
