Max Falkenstien and Ken Davis to Conduct Book Signing
Feb. 10, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Ken Davis, a 1980 University of Kansas graduate, along with Jayhawk icon Max Falkenstien, will be holding a book signing for Davis’ most recent work, “The University of Kansas Basketball Vault, The History of the Jayhawks,” on Feb. 18 prior to the men’s basketball game against Iowa State. They will sign books in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. prior to the 7 p.m. tipoff time. The book will be available for purchase in the KUStore, located inside the Hall of Athletics.
“When you join this program, you become part of something that is a lot bigger than yourself,” says current Kansas basketball coach Bill Self in the book’s foreword. “Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of the game, was the first coach here! Phog Allen, Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, Clyde Lovellette, Danny Manning — the list goes on and on. Fifty years from now, people will still look at Kansas as one of the premier basketball programs of all time.”
As much a scrapbook as it is a history book, opening the Kansas Basketball Vault™ is like getting a guided tour through your own personal KU basketball museum. Ken Davis, a national freelance writer and Kansas alum, has compiled over 100 years of Jayhawks history, including an entertaining exploration of the current national champions. Davis mixes great game coverage with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and personal stories to present a view of Kansas basketball that you won’t find anywhere else. Also included are interesting details from the 1988 national championship season, including coach Larry Brown’s superstitious ways, and quotes from many of the all-time Jayhawk greats.
Not only do you get all the great stories here, but you will also find replicas of unique memorabilia. Explore the book’s dozens of sleeves and pockets to get your hands on the 1963 lyrics for “I’m A Jayhawk” and “Crimson And The Blue,” a 1927 game ticket versus Nebraska played in Robinson Gymnasium, the official 1988 national championship box score against Oklahoma, a photograph from the team’s visit to the White House in 1988, and tickets from the 2002 Final Four in Atlanta and the 2008 Final Four in San Antonio.
There are also photographs from some of Kansas’ most memorable games, including the Jayhawks’ 1952 national championship win over St. John’s, a triple-overtime defeat to North Carolina in the 1957 championship game with Wilt Chamberlain, and Danny Manning’s amazing performance in the 1988 run to the national championship in Kansas City. And, of course, you’ll see a photo of Mario Chalmers’ thrilling three-pointer against Memphis in San Antonio in 2008.
“Kansas basketball is one big family,” says Clyde Lovellette, who provides his own unique insight in the book’s afterword. “That’s why it means so much to me to be a part of it. Nothing in my career has meant as much to me as going back to Kansas and seeing the guys, seeing the fans and how they still honor us for what we did for Kansas.”
The University of Kansas Basketball Vault™: The History of the Jayhawks is part of the College Vault Books series from Whitman Publishing in Atlanta. The 144-page hardcover 12″ by 10″ book with slipcase is available for $49.99 in bookstores. You can also order it online at www.kustore.com and CollegeVaultBooks.com.
