By KEN DAVIS The text message on my phone Thursday morning took my breath away. “North Carolina’s Roy Williams retiring after 33 seasons in coaching,” It seemed to be a cruel April Fool’s joke at first. That’s how surprising it was. Quickly, the posts followed up on Twitter and Instagram. There was a statement on […]
The Phog turns 60: Celebrating a hoops cathedral
February 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Broken down into 700,000 bricks, 1,625 tons of stone, 52,000 haydite blocks, 4,500 gallons of paint and 245,000 board feet of lumber for the roof, it is hard for a basketball arena to sound romantic. Those are the materials that were used to build Allen Fieldhouse, on the campus of the University of Kansas […]
A birthday call from Coach Dean Smith (A Personal Tribute)
February 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The telephone rang in my home office. It was late morning on June 9, 1988. I remember the date because it was my birthday. For the record, my 30th birthday. One of those milestones you dread but now wish you could get back. Again, it’s 1988. No cell phone. This was the ring of the […]
Kansas to honor basketball coaching legends
August 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Think about the crazy amount of turnover in the college coaching profession. Then reflect on the legendary University of Kansas basketball program, which has had only four coaches since 1964. Make that four terrific coaches with Final Four appearances, Coach of the Year awards, Hall of Fame credentials and a shared passion for basketball and […]