Jeff Boschee, KU’s all-time three-point leader, headlines Friday’s Roundball TV show
The first and still only high school basketball player from North Dakota to be named a McDonald’s All-American, Jeff Boschee went on to sink 338 three-pointers in his four seasons at the University of Kansas.
The 6-foot-1 sharpshooter, who served as a senior captain on KU’s 2002 Final Four team, finished his college career with the most three-pointers made in KU history, his school record untouched the past 20 years.
“I’m pretty fortunate. Some really good players have gone through there,” said Boschee, seventh-year head basketball coach at Missouri Southern. “I’ve told people I’m lucky a lot of players now don’t stay four years in college. They end up going to the NBA (early). I think that helps me a little bit. I made the most, but also shot the most, too,” he added Wednesday in a phone interview with The Star.
Combo guard Boschee — his 338 threes eclipse the 296 converted by Charlotte Hornets point guard Devonté Graham in four seasons (2015 to ’18) — attempted a school-record 843 threes from 1999 to 2002. Graham attempted 723 threes from 2015-18, second-most in KU annals.
“I think it’s great. It gives me a little chance to boast, I guess,” Boschee said of still being first overall in three-point makes. “To be in the record books at a big-time school like KU … I feel fortunate to do that.”
A fan favorite during his KU days, the 40-year-old Boschee readily agreed to compete against the 25-year-old Graham and eight other former Jayhawks in “Rock Chalk Roundball Classic: Shooting for the Stars,” a one-hour made-for-TV competition featuring the top 10 three-point shooters in KU history.
It will be shown at 7 p.m, Friday, on KCWE-29 in Kansas City with Spectrum to air it on replay numerous times. It also will be shown at 7 p.m., Friday, via Midco in Lawrence, WIBW-13 in Topeka and Cox in Topeka, Wichita and Western Kansas.
The event, a fundraiser for three families battling cancer, will include the former Jayhawk perimeter players shooting 25 threes in Round One — the shooting taped in gyms all around the country and delivered to host Brian Hanni, radio play-by-play voice of KU basketball and football. Each player also taped a championship round in case they are among the five leaders after Round One.
The TV show/three-point contest this year is being held in place of the annual Rock Chalk Roundball Classic, an exhibition game between former Jayhawks held the past 11 years but called off this year because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Hanni is hoping to bring the game back in the summer of 2021.
Boschee and Graham are first and second in threes made at KU, followed by Billy Thomas (269), Svi Mykhailiuk (237), Kirk Hinrich (236), Sherron Collins (232), Brandon Rush (205), Terry Brown (200), Frank Mason (185) and Mario Chalmers (180). Adonis Jordan is 11th (179) and Tyrel Reed 12th (176). Reed will compete in the 10-player event for Mason, who is with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA playoffs. Mason will make an appearance on the show.
“That’s a remarkable list of players,” Boschee said. “Kirk is the leading three-point shooter in Chicago Bulls history. Brandon Rush had a long career in the NBA and is now playing in Greece. There’s Svi, Devonté. A lot of the names are in the rafters. It feels good just to be able to shoot with them.”
Boschee wouldn’t say how he fared in firing up 25 threes while taping his part of the competition in Missouri Southern’s facility in Joplin, Missouri.
“I have more of a set-shot now. My jump shot isn’t very good. I can’t get off the ground very well. I had hip replacement surgery in August (of 2019). That kind of hinders me a little bit,” Boschee said.
Blessed to be without pain following successful surgery, Boschee has returned to playing pick-up basketball on occasion.
“I played pick-up this summer for the first time in three years. I keep score now. The worst player on the floor is always the guy who keeps score,” Boschee said with a laugh. “I am good at spacing the floor, standing in the corner, getting ready to catch and shoot. I’ve evolved my game to more the NBA style where I just space the floor and stand in the corner,” Boschee added, laughing.
Boschee is busy these days planning for the upcoming 2020-21 season, if indeed there is a season at MSSU. That has not yet been determined, the MIAA Conference recently calling off fall sports, possibly rescheduling for spring. No determination has yet been made on the basketball season. Everything’s in flux because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Boschee actually is familiar with the virus. He was one of the first to contract it in the U.S. last March. His was not a serious case.
“I actually did get COVID. I got it the first game of the MIAA tournament in March. I was sick about 10 hours,” Boschee said. “I coached in the game. It was like a slight flu, chills, 101 degree temperature. Pretty mild symptoms for me. I know everybody is different.”
He explained that, “A couple weeks ago I went to get the antibody test. I kind of figured I had it (because) it’s the only time I’ve been sick in three to four years. I can’t remember the last time I’d been sick. I got the test results and had the antibodies.”
Boschee, who in a normal summer attends AAU events in Kansas City and Lawrence, is hoping to return to Allen Fieldhouse for a visit one of these days.
“I’d like to actually get back more” said Boschee, who annually follows KU’s fortunes closely. “Our schedule and KU’s schedule don’t go hand in hand. It’s hard to get back, hopefully I can get back and watch a scrimmage or game.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 9:18 AM with the headline "Jeff Boschee, KU’s all-time three-point leader, headlines Friday’s Roundball TV show."
