Columbia, Mo. ? It gets crazy-loud when Kansas University’s men’s basketball team visits Oklahoma State.
And it can be deafening – usually depending on the record of the home team – when KU treks to Iowa State, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas State.
Nowhere in the Big 12 Conference, however, do the Jayhawks face a crowd as consistently intense as at the University of Missouri, site of tonight’s Border Showdown between KU and Mizzou.
Tipoff is 6 p.m. in Mizzou Arena, with a live telecast on ESPN (Sunflower Broadband Channel 33).
“It’s so rowdy you kind of lose your head a bit,” said former KU guard Ryan Robertson. He ranks as all-time Public Enemy No. 1 to Tiger fans, who booed the St. Charles, Mo., native literally every time he touched the basketball in his four trips to Hearnes Center.
“Especially as a young player, you have to stay within yourself and poised,” Robertson said, offering some advice to the four Jayhawk freshmen and sophomore Rodrick Stewart who never have played at MU before. “The biggest thing is in that environment you have to match their intensity and fire, yet have the level of concentration and poise to execute and do what you need to do to win.”
Tigers fans’ wrath
Tiger fans never forgave the 6-foot-5 Robertson for leaving the Show Me State to play at rival KU.
“I’m sure there was a small level of respect. It was somewhat flattering in a weird way,” Robertson said of the constant booing he received in losses his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons – and the satisfying 73-61 victory his senior campaign (1998-99).
“The whole thing had to do with we won state my senior year (at St. Charles West High). I was player of the year in the state, go to the archrival school, then there’s the story about coach (Norm) Stewart and my dad having an argument after he recruited me and the fact I was dating Andrea, the top soccer player in the college – all those things.”
Legend has it Robertson’s dad, Johnny, approached former MU coach Stewart at a function with peaceful thoughts on his mind.
“My dad went up to him to say, ‘Thanks for recruiting my son,’ and Norm spouted out. They had to be separated,” Ryan, now 29 and working as regional marketing director for The Hartford in the St. Louis area, said with a laugh.
As far as visiting high school sweetheart – now wife – Andrea, who attended MU, Robertson said: “You know the famous story – Andrea and I going to dinner and having to leave after a few people confronted us. People started swarming.
“She took care of herself, but she was frustrated we could never go out to a normal restaurant and have dinner.”
Antlers ‘fun’
Robertson recalls never having a problem with MU’s zealous student cheering section, The Antlers.
“I know they probably have done some things over the line. With me, at least, I always thought it was a good fun spirit about ’em,” Robertson said. “With me it was fun and good-natured.
“I know some things were said to my family and things yelled to my parents in the parent section, but that’s par for the course. You deal with it and move on. I looked forward to that game regardless. I have fond memories of playing there.”
That’s only because he was able to latch onto a victory in his fourth and final try. Robertson’s Jayhawks fell, 77-73, his freshman year; 96-94 in two overtimes his sophomore season; and 74-73 his junior campaign.
“It would have been a big void,” Robertson said had he not won in Columbia. “I remember my senior year Marlon London had an ‘and-one’ late in the game. I remember thinking, ‘We’re going to win.’
“I remember Eric Chenowith running up to the Antlers after the game and coach (Roy) Williams jerking him off the court. It was a big win for us.”
Robertson was a second-round draft pick of the Sacramento Kings who played one season in the NBA before heading to Europe. He competed in the Netherlands, Greece and France for five years before retiring after last season
‘It’ll be intense’
Robertson has yet to attend a game in Mizzou Arena, second-year home of the Tigers.
He senses, however, the atmosphere will be as raucous as it was in Hearnes.
“I don’t think it matters where it’s played. Missouri-Kansas : it’ll be intense,” Robertson said. “It’ll be packed that night. One thing that scares me about Mizzou at this point : they had a horrible preseason. The staff is under fire. Everybody thinks it could be his (Quin Snyder’s) last year : so it appears they are playing like there’s nothing to lose.
“It’s like they said, ‘Why not go into the conference season the heck with everything, we’ll play like wounded animals.’ I still love what we have, our guys, the job coach (Bill) Self has done is fantastic. But it will be tough to win there.”
Like the Tigers (9-5, 2-1), the Jayhawks (10-5, 1-1) have had ups and downs.
“Do I know or does anybody know how KU will play on any given night? The answer is no because they are so young and unpredictable,” Robertson said. “Hopefully they’ll react in a positive manner.”
He’s not worried about freshman Brandon Rush, who likely will receive the wrath of the fans for not choosing Mizzou like his brother, Kareem.
“He’ll be fine,” Robertson said. “I don’t know if they’ll get on him as much as me. He is superstar talent. He should play his game and do what he can do. He’ll take care of himself.
“I don’t see it as a huge deal. He went to KU, and Kareem went to Mizzou. Kareem had an amazing career, and Brandon is off to a great start. They probably will (get on Rush). Anybody who has any connection they can boo or yell at or make signs they will. I’m sure he’ll be a target of ridicule, but he’ll handle it.”
Hangin’ ’em up
Robertson said it’s important to realize that, win or lose, it’s just a game.
He said he has more important things going on in his life now, with a new job and a 16-month-old daughter.
Family life is why Robertson has hung up his Nikes.
“It was getting hard to take my daughter overseas and away from our families,” Ryan said. “Andrea is from here. So am I. I had an opportunity to go back to Italy, which is something I always wanted to do. But a business opportunity came to stay in St. Charles where I can do something new.
“I would not have stopped playing. I would not have taken this job if I felt I had not thoroughly exhausted my body and efforts. When it was time for me to be done, I was done.
“I’ve had 10 minutes of where I missed playing, and that 10 minutes when I was in Lawrence (this preseason) for an exhibition game. The first 10 minutes, the warmups and introductions. I was behind the bench and for 10 minutes, thought, ‘I really miss this.’ But I got past it. I have no regrets.”
