KU senior Lagerald Vick picks 24 as his new jersey number

By Matt Tait     Jul 6, 2018

Two plus two equals four. Two times two equals four.

Perhaps that is the way former-turned-new Kansas guard Lagerald Vick made a decision about the new number he will wear for his senior season with the Jayhawks.

More likely it has something to do with a set of Bible verses his mother posted on Facebook after the KU Basketball Twitter accounted released a photo-shopped version of Vick in his new number.

LaLa Vick’s post looked like this:

> Ephesians 4:22-24
>
> (22) to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires (23) and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds (24) and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
>
> With the emphasis on verse 24
>
> VICK24
>
> IT’S NOT FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND

The complete passage reads like this and clearly speaks to a rebirth of sorts, which, in many ways, is what Vick will be aiming for in his return to a program for which he already has played in 94 games and made 41 starts during the past three seasons.

*”You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”*

Regardless of the path Vick took to get there, we now know that Vick will wear No. 24 for the Jayhawks during the 2018-19 season, jumping up to two digits but keeping his old No. 2 as a part of his new identity.

Vick, who temporarily left the program en route to beginning his pro career, [announced last week that he would return for his senior season.][1]

Because he pulled his name out of the 2018 NBA draft by the deadline and because he did not sign with an agent, Vick retained his college eligibility and was welcomed back by KU coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks after agreeing to an undisclosed set of conditions for how he would approach his final season at Kansas.

Part of the agreement was that Vick would not be able to wear the No. 2 jersey he donned for his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons because Cal transfer Charlie Moore had taken the number when it looked as if Vick’s time at KU was done.

So now Vick will move forward with No. 24, making him the first KU player since Travis Releford (2009-13) to wear the number that also has been worn by former KU greats Sasha Kaun, Alonzo Jamison, Chris Piper, Al Kelley as well as former walk-on, Kansas native and current UNC-Wilmington head coach C.B. McGrath.

And with that, the book, so to speak, is closed on [all of the 2018-19 uniform numbers for the Kansas basketball program.][2]

[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2018/jun/29/lagerald-vick-to-return-to-kansas-for-se/
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2018/jun/29/jayhawk-jersey-numbers-now-official-for-/

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.