Former Kansas track star and All-American Bryce Hoppel accidentally stumbled into the sport as a boy in Midland, Texas. How did he turn that childhood discovery into a possible Olympic run this summer in Tokyo?
Three years with the Jayhawks and he never lost a game at Allen Fieldhouse. Not. One. Time. After leaving Lawrence, Cole lived the dream of playing in the NBA, grinding for eight seasons in the League. Listen to the story of Cole Aldrich now streaming on The Jayhawker Podcast.
He’s one of the most popular players in the illustrious history of Kansas Basketball, but how did a 5 foot 6 inch kid from Raleigh, North Carolina, grow into a collegiate All-American and NBA star?
Wilt. Magic. Bird. Jordan. LeBron. They’re some of the legends of basketball; names that define the sport. But there’s one name that means even more: Naismith.
Sometimes you have to make the choice to take a leap of faith and trust that you’re ready for whatever is ahead. For former KU golfer, Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, life has been full of those moments.
For all he’s accomplished—a national championship, three Final Fours, 10 Elite Eights and 15 Big 12 titles—Bill Self is always quick to give others credit. It’s just the way he was raised—both as a kid, and as a coach.
When you talk about Kansas basketball record holders, you’re talking about some of the very best to play the sport at the college level. That’s the company that Aaron Miles—the Jayhawks’ all-time assists leader and ninth in the history of college basketball—finds himself in.
How does a guy commit to Kansas sight unseen and end up becoming a Jayhawk for life? For Julian Wright—who grew up in Chicago watching Michael Jordan and the Bulls win championships—he just wanted to play. And when opportunity literally knocked, it was to good to pass up.
The life of a walk-on isn’t exactly glamorous. You’re not on scholarship and you have to work harder than most to prove yourself. But usually, that hard work pays off, which is exactly what happened for senior nose tackle Sam Burt.
He was one of Les Miles’ first KU recruits and he’s quickly becoming a defensive leader for the Jayhawks. Sophomore safety Kenny Logan Jr. has made a big leap from his rookie season to now, and as the little brother of a two-time All-American at Florida, Logan has big dreams for his own career trajectory at Kansas.
Mark Francis’ love of soccer has taken him halfway around the world to Lawrence, where he’s transformed the Jayhawk program into one of nation’s best. That rise has included the program’s first Big 12 Tournament Championship title in 2019 and a Top-10 national ranking this season.
