The following is the final excerpt on KUsports.com from “Beyond the Phog – Untold Stories from Kansas Basketball’s Most Dominant Decade.” Compiled by Jason King of Yahoo! Sports and Lawrence Journal-World sportswriter Jesse Newell, the 400-page book includes interviews with 40 players and coaches from the most successful era in Jayhawks history. “Beyond the Phog” is now available in Lawrence and Kansas City area stores. For more information on ordering the book or upcoming book signings (like before and after Saturday’s football game at KU Bookstore), check out kubook.net.
TEXAS LOSS
I remember the whole game, in my head, all I’m thinking about is, “How is T-Rob not crying right now?” I’m holding back my tears, because he’s not crying. So I want to cry, but how can I cry if he’s not? And the whole game, this is what I’m thinking about. Of course, I’m thinking about the game and making plays, but in the back of my head, I’m just thinking … I’m looking at T-Rob. I just keep looking at him, keep looking at him, just to see what’s on his face, how is he feeling, to see if I can read him. And he had a poker face the whole time. Nothing.
I think before the game, what T-Rob said to Coach was, “Coach, I want you to come out here and I want you to coach me. I don’t want anybody to baby me.” I was like, “Damn.” I mean, I probably wouldn’t tell Coach to baby me, but I definitely wouldn’t have said not to baby me. Like, this is kind of crazy how he’s handling this. He’s handled it well.
I don’t think my opinion of Thomas changed; I just kind of feel like I understood him more. I get the kind of person he is. I knew him before, and we were cool. That was my man, of course. But I think that took our relationship from really good friends to like a “brothers” kind of thing. Because now, it’s like we’re the only people T-Rob’s got for real, know what I’m saying? We’re the only ones he’s really, really got and that he can depend on. That meant a lot to me, because if I was in that situation, man, I’m sure he would be worried about me just like I was worried about him. …
