Saturday evening at Allen Fieldhouse, sandwiched between all kinds of funny and warm and fuzzy moments during the six senior speeches by the Kansas basketball team were two noteworthy declarations by KU coach Bill Self.
The first was one he has some control over. The second was a prediction that likely will come true as soon as Sunday.
“When we recruited Och, we thought he had a chance to be good,” Self said. “But I didn’t think that his name and number were going to hang in the rafters for the rest of eternity.”
With that, he handed the microphone to Agbaji to give the sixth and final speech of the night and introduced him to the home crowd as the Big 12 player of the year.
Agbaji was hardly that in Saturday’s 70-63 overtime win over No. 21 Texas. He scored eight points on 1-of-11 shooting and looked throughout the day like a guy trying way too hard to be way too good in his final game inside Allen Fieldhouse.
None of that mattered when the final horn sounded, of course. And those who know Agbaji — and basketball — were happy to point out that the senior guard from Kansas City, Missouri, still made all kinds of plays that helped the Jayhawks win and earn a share of the Big 12 title and the No. 1 seed at next week’s Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.
Agbaji didn’t reference any of that in his speech, though. This, like the five others that came before his, was a time for thank yous and goodbyes.
Each of the six Jayhawks who spoke put his own little spin on that theme following Saturday’s huge win.
Here’s a quick look back at some of the highlights, not the least of which was Agbaji ending the night with: “We’ve had some tough games this year, some blowouts here. But I’m excited for what’s to come, and the best is yet to come for this team.”
JALEN COLEMAN-LANDS
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Introduced by Self as one of the oldest players to ever play college basketball — “And, no, not Mitch,” Self joked — Coleman-Lands kept his speech short and sweet.
He thanked his family, his coaches, his teammates and the fans and vowed to remain a part of the Jayhawk community long after his eligibility expires.
Not lost on him was the opportunity to start the speeches despite having been in Lawrence for just one season.
“It’s an honor to kick it off,” he said with a smile, before closing by calling playing basketball at KU the “honor of a lifetime.”
REMY MARTIN
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One of the cooler parts of Saturday was hearing the ovation that Martin got both in the starting lineup introductions and during his senior speech.
It makes sense. These fans have and likely always will love Remy and they know that a little bit of bad luck and unfortunate circumstances kept him from dazzling them all year. But he had his moments and he’s still got time to add a few more.
Like Coleman-Lands, Martin kept his speech short and sweet, saving time for what he referred to as the “true OG’s” of Kansas basketball, the four other seniors who spent four years or longer with the program.
Before he left, though, Martin took one last opportunity to thank his coaches and teammates for the opportunity to play for Kansas.
To Self, specifically, Martin said: “Thank you for the opportunity to put the jersey on and be in front of these amazing fans. This is the best place to be. We’ve got the trophy and I’m just really honored to be here with you guys.”
When introducing Martin, Self acknowledged the challenges of the season but said it did nothing to take away how he felt about the Arizona State transfer.
“It hasn’t been easy, in large part because health hasn’t cooperated,” Self said. “But he’s had a great attitude, been a great teammate and I’m proud I was his coach.”
CHRIS TEAHAN
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Like he did any time he checked into a game, Teahan received a huge roar from the KU crowd.
Self called Teahan’s parents, Mark and Donna Teahan, “the first family” of Kansas basketball over the past decade or so because of their involvement and support of the program and through the careers of Chris and Conner.
He also called Teahan “a folk hero.”
Whether it was the hair, the name, the jumper or the role as lovable walk-on who cared a great deal about Kansas, Teahan was a fan favorite for the past several years. On Saturday, he got to say thanks for the ride and he called coming to KU “the best decision I ever made in my life.”
In addition to thanking his teammates for all of the love and support through all of the good times and bad, Teahan made special mention of his three brothers, Conner, Kyle and Marcus.
Of Conner and Kyle, his two older brothers, Teahan said simply, “I wanted to be just like them as long as I could remember.” And he called Marcus, his younger brother, his best friend.
Not so much as a hint of sadness or tears crept into Teahan’s speech. Nothing but smiles for one heck of a ride.
DAVID MCCORMACK
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Although he didn’t break down in tears or even really pause to gather himself, McCormack’s speech was full of raw emotion.
And the biggest emotion that came pouring through was that of gratitude.
He said thank you to his family for all of their sacrifices that allowed him and helped him get to where he is today. He said thank you to the fans for loving Kansas basketball and sticking with the team through thick and thin. He thanked his teammates, especially those he had spent the most time with — calling them his “brothers” and family away from home — and he thanked the coaches for all the ways they pushed him and helped him become a better player and man.
“From winning games, losing games, boot camps, 7 a.m. practices, you all molded me and shaped me into the person I am today,” McCormack told his teammates. “And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”
Always one of the more intelligent and cerebral players on the roster, McCormack then ended his speech with a little rhyme that showed just how much this place and the KU fans mean to him.
“Thank you all for everything you do,” he began. “To the day I die, I’ll bleed crimson and blue. Rock chalk.”
MITCH LIGHTFOOT
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When introducing Lightfoot, Self cracked a joke about how the entry in his phone for the senior forward says “Mitch Lightfoot 2015.”
“That’s how long we’ve been dealing with this dude,” he added.
From there, it was all of the usual gushing for how much of a died-in-the-wool, true-blue Jayhawk Lightfoot has always been, complete with the line about cutting him open and seeing Jayhawks come flying out of his chest.
Like Teahan, his roommate and lifelong partner in crime, Lightfoot kept it light during his speech, savoring the moment as one to enjoy rather than a time for sadness. He thanked his teammates and reminded the KU crowd how special they are.
“These guys are some of the toughest guys I’ve ever met,” he said. “They mean the world to me, and I hope they mean the world to you guys.”
He then talked about the first time he heard from Self during his recruitment. The way he recites the monologue for KU’s pregame video by memory every game, he rattled off parts of that first message from Self, including that the KU coach was running to Walgreen’s and wanted him to call him back. He then remembered running home to tell his parents who had called and he admitted that when he signed up to join the Jayhawks he did not know fully how much the experience would add to his life.
To Self, after a bit of a pause, Lightfoot said: “You really have been like a second father to me here in Lawrence. I put my trust in you and it’s paid off.”
Lightfoot then thanked his family for their love and support and ended with the KU fans, calling them, “some of my favorite people in the world.”
“Without you guys, this place wouldn’t be what it is,” he said. “This place is amazing. Rock Chalk, y’all.”
OCHAI AGBAJI
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The night ended with Agbaji as the last man on the mic, and he both went the longest and showed the most emotion.
His two biggest moments of emotion came when he called his sister, Orie, his role model and when he thanked Self. He also reminded the crowed that Norm Roberts was the man who first recruited him and said, “So thank him for me being here.”
Of his sister, Agbaji said: “She showed me what hard work gets you.”
From there, Agbaji’s speech included just about everyone. Teammates and past teammates. People who helped him as a freshman and sophomore who don’t even work with KU any longer. The coaches’ wives. Everyone.
Before he got started, Self showed the depth of their relationship by taking a friendly jab at his superstar. He said that ESPN sideline report Kris Budden asked him at halftime what they needed to do to get Agbaji going.
“I told her, ‘Nothing. He’s going to play much better in the second half,'” Self explained. “And he did. Instead of making zero baskets, he made one.”
Agbaji thanked the KU coaches one by one, joining in what many of his teammates had done by calling Kurtis Townsend the funniest coach they’ve ever been around.
He also shared a cool moment between him and strength coach Ramsey Nijem back in New York City in November when KU opened the season against Michigan State. That night, Nijem was insistent in telling Agbaji he was the best player on the court.
“That started the belief,” Agbaji said Saturday. “And now he tells me I’m the best player in the country.”
Before wrapping up with his promise to the fans that the best is yet to come for this team, Agbaji thanked Self and got a little choked up in the process.
“He’s the biggest motivator that I’ve ever met, the best coach that I’ve ever met,” Agbaji said. “I feel honored every single day to walk out to practice and be coached by you.”
*– Videos courtesy of JayhawkSlant.com*
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