‘A dream come true’: KU seniors have earned their place among Jayhawk greats
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Kansas’ six-man senior class of 2022 now ranks as one of the finest groups of men’s basketball players in school history.
The reasoning behind that assertion is simple.
Ochai Agbaji, Mitch Lightfoot, David McCormack, Remy Martin, Jalen Coleman-Lands and Chris Teahan contributed to the Jayhawks’ claiming the 2022 NCAA championship, the fourth crown in KU program history and second in Bill Self’s 19 seasons at KU.
“I’m thrilled for them,” Self said. “When we recruited the senior class the headliners were not David McCormack and Ochai Agbaji. They were Devon Dodson and Quentin Grimes. And we coached Quentin for one year and he transferred to Houston, and we coached ‘Dot’ for two (before he left for NBA Draft).
“I’m extremely happy for those guys and what they’ve given us. And they’ve been great ambassadors and role models for our school and our community. I’m happy they got to experience what this is all about.”
Self says the seniors were responsible for formation of a team that is truly a team. Let him explain:
“They like each other. And that’s a coach-speak term. But these guys legitimately like each other. I mean they’re brothers,” Self said. “They want to do everything together. They spend all their time together. They love each other. They’re involved in their lives off the court. And I think that has certainly allowed us to stay more locked in.”
For posterity’s sake, here’s a look at KU’s senior class. All six players took turns at the microphone after the Jayhawks’ Senior Day victory over Texas, a win that assured KU a tie for the Big 12 regular-season title.
Ochai Agbaji, 6-5, 215, senior, guard, Kansas City
Agbaji, a preseason all-Big 12 selection, emerged as Big 12 player of the year and Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after averaging 18.8 points a game. The first team consensus All-American (KU has had 31) had several big games this season, including the Final Four semifinal win over Villanova in which he hit six threes, one off his career high. He scored 12 points and was one of five KU players in double figures in KU’s 72-69 title win over North Carolina.
Agbaji scored a career-high 37 points in a 94-91 double-overtime win over Texas Tech on Jan. 24 at Allen Fieldhouse. Agbaji under the bright lights of New York City scored 29 points in KU’s 87-74 season-opening Champions Classic victory over Michigan State.
He scored 29 points in a 78-75 victory against Kansas State on Jan. 22 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. That performance helped offset the 35 points put up by K-State’s Nijel Pack. He also had 27 points in an 80-70 loss to Baylor on Feb. 26 in Waco, Texas.
Agbaji was named Big 12 player of the week four times his senior season. His four Big 12 player of the week honors tied for the most for a KU player in a season, along with Thomas Robinson in 2011-12 and Drew Gooden in 2001-02. The Big 12 season record is six player of the week mentions by Blake Griffin of Oklahoma in 2008-09.
Personal facts: Agbaji’s parents, Olofu and Erica, played college basketball at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His sister, Orie, played volleyball at Texas.
Bill Self said it: “It’s been awesome to watch him grow up. Just like with Dave. They came in together. And ‘Och’ has been terrific. But to see the natural progression that’s taken place and to see him being a guy that’s going to make a lot of money playing this game for a long time when he wasn’t projected to do that, it’s been special to watch. And he deserves all the credit because there’s nobody that works like him. I think his presence gives everybody else confidence and allows them to have better games.”
Christian Braun said it: “This man is a bad man — national player of the year, first team All-American.”
Agbaji said it: “The moment I got back (after removing name from 2021 NBA Draft last summer) for my senior year, all my teammates respected me, believed in me and trusted in me. This season has been a dream come true for me and all the guys on my team.”
David McCormack, 6-10, 250, senior, power forward, Norfolk, Virginia
McCormack, a three-time academic all-America nominee (2020-22), averaged 10.6 points and 7.0 rebounds a game. He had 33 blocked shots.
McCormack scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in KU’s title victory over North Carolina after scoring 25 points and securing nine rebounds in an 81-65 win over Villanova.
He grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds three times this season — in an 102-83 win over Kansas State on Jan. 22 in Allen Fieldhouse; in an 85-59 win over West Virginia on Jan. 15 at Allen Fieldhouse and in a 74-63 win over Oklahoma State on Jan. 4 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Personal facts: McCormack earned his undergrad degree in communication studies from KU in May 2021. He’s studying journalism for his master’s degree. ... He is one of 25 KU students to be selected by Chancellor Doug Girod to participate on the 2020 university task force on community responsive public safety. … McCormack also played football (defensive tackle and offensive guard) and competed in track at Norfolk Academy in Virginia. He finished his basketball hoops career at powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia.
Self said it: “I think we’ve had a ton of guys that want it and their preparation is great and everything. I think I probably respect David’s prep more than most because if we practice at 3 (p.m.) you show up at 1:30, you get taped, you go to weights, you practice, and you go home. With David, you practice at 3, weights at 2, show up at 11:30 (a.m.) to get treatment (on sore foot) and do all the things that he’s doing probably six days a week, seven days a week just so he could go to practice. His prep work for opponents is probably very consistent with others, but what he has to go through to put himself in a position to play, I can’t help but respect that a ton.”
McCormack said it: “We (seniors) try to show leadership and are demanding more from ourselves as well as the newcomers. We have a great team this year. Expectations don’t change. We kind of have that mindset. The team this year, we have a standard that we hold ourselves to. This is a program of tradition and history and we hold ourselves to that standard. We won’t expect anything less.”
Mitch Lightfoot, 6-8, 225, senior, power forward, Gilbert, Arizona
Lightfoot, who was a member of KU’s 2018 Final Four team, was rewarded with a second Final Four and national title in staying for a sixth season awarded because of COVID-19 pandemic.
He became a productive member of the rotation his final season in Lawrence, averaging 4.6 points and 2.8 boards. Lightfoot scored nine points and grabbed three rebounds in a 76-50 Elite Eight win over Miami.
He scored a career-high 15 points and grabbed five rebounds in a win over TCU on March 11 at Allen Fieldhouse.
He tied his previous career high of 14 points with four rebounds in a win over George Mason on New Year’s Day. Lightfoot also had 14 points versus Omaha back in the 2020-21 season.
Lightfoot scored 13 points and secured three boards in a win over Kansas State on Feb. 22. He had 10 points and six boards against Iona on Nov. 28. He had a career best six blocks against TCU in 2017-18 and career-best 11 boards vs. Penn in 2017-18.
Personal facts: Lightfoot graduated from KU with an economics degree in December 2020 and is pursuing a master’s in sport management. His goal is to play pro basketball either in the U.S. or overseas next season. He’s known as a hard-nosed player not afraid to take charges, evidenced by his leading the team in that stat for three seasons. He has two younger brothers, Miles and Max, and a younger sister, Rhyann.
Self said it: “I don’t know if Mitch would love playing basketball a seventh or eighth year but he would love playing it at Kansas. He just loves the school so much. I don’t know that we’ve had many, if any, that would feel the same way about his school than he does. It’s been a treat to watch him grow up. He’s improved as a player and been very important to the success of the program. I love for him having the opportunity to go out in style, his way.”
Lightfoot said it: “Being able to play in the tournament every year I was in college with the exception of the COVID season, it’s been so special. I’ve gotten to see the highs and lows, seeing this group learn, grow and to see how they show their joy and grief … this year brings it all together. It shows how much we all care about each other and winning.”
Remy Martin, 6-0, 180, senior, point guard, Chatsworth, California
The “super” senior transfer from Arizona State came on strong after recovering from a bone bruise injury in his right knee, one that kept him sidelined for seven contests. Martin scored 23 points in an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 win over Providence and 20 points in the second round win over Creighton. He had 15 in a first-round victory over Texas Southern. Martin swished four critical threes and scored 14 points in the national title game against UNC.
He also had 12 points against Texas Tech in the Big 12 tournament title game.
Martin averaged 8.6 points a game. He hit 29 of 76 threes for 38.2%.
Martin, voted Big 12 preseason player of the year by the league coaches, opened his one season at Kansas with a big game against Michigan State in New York. He had 15 points, six rebounds and two assists. He followed that with 14 points against Tarleton State and scored in double figures in eight of KU’s first 10 games. Martin had 17 points against Dayton in KU’s 74-73 loss in the semifinals of the ESPN Events Invitational Thanksgiving week in Orlando, Florida.
Personal facts: Martin scored 30 or more points in four games his senior season at ASU. In 2020-21 he led the Pac-12 in scoring (19.1 ppg). ... Martin was a three-time all-Pac-12 selection, earning first-team honors his junior and senior seasons.
Self said it: “Remy is probably different than anybody I’ve ever coached, but I’ve loved coaching him because I love his personality and I love his energy and these things. It’s just been unfortunate for him this year because he’s probably had as frustrating a year as I can ever remember somebody that wasn’t out with a season-ending injury. He comes to practice, works hard every day, does an extra two to three hours of treatment, whatever it is, and you get to practice and some days maybe he can go and some days maybe he can’t even go. Now we have seen what his presence can actually mean and how it can benefit a team. I give him credit because he’s figured out how to fit in with what we do. He’s been awesome. But we didn’t have anybody that you could run bad offense and come away with a basket, and he’s one of those guys, and that’s so important this year.
Martin said it: “This experience (at KU) has helped me with life in general, going through the ups and downs. I had high expectations coming here and due to injury I was not able to meet that expectation. As I kept going my teammates kept pushing me and my trainers kept pushing me and giving me that motivation. Just to thrive and keep going through trials and tribulations I think that not only as a basketball player but through life it helped me.”
Chris Teahan, 6-4, 195, senior, guard, Leawood, Kansas
Teahan, an invited walk-on out of Rockhurst High School, played on KU’s 2018 Final Four team. Teahan scored 11 points this season in 16 games. He started KU’s exhibition game against Emporia State back on Nov. 3. Teahan, a fan favorite, was 3-for-10 from three this season and 13-of-36 for his career.
Teahan’s three put KU over the 100-point mark in a 102-65 victory over Missouri on Dec. 11 at Allen Fieldhouse.
Personal facts: Teahan’s brother, Conner, played on two Final Four teams at KU (2008 national title; 2012). … Chris has graduated with a sport management degree and is working on his master’s this school year. … Conner Teahan and Chris both played basketball and football in high school. … Chris’ mother (Donna), father (Mark), uncle Mike and grandfather Richard all played basketball at Rockhurst College in Kansas City.
Self said it: “The Teahans have kind of become the first family of our program because we’ve had, I believe since 2007, we’ve gone to four Final Fours, and Conner was a part of two, and now Chris has been a part of two, and they both put their handprint all over everything we do. So I’m really proud of them, but the family’s been unbelievable. They have one younger one Marcus, but he’s just a student on campus. So I don’t think we can get him out for basketball, but they have been kind of our good luck charm. I think Chris has maximized his role on this team as much as anybody. He is a folk hero on campus. He’s up there as far as one of the most popular guys on our team.”
Teahan said it: “I’m a veteran guy. I’ve been around Kansas basketball a long time. I know the system very well. I’m a ‘make sure we go out and get ready kind of guy.’ (I) do whatever I can do to help us win. It’s really been an honor to play here before these fans.”
Jalen Coleman-Lands, 6-4, 190, senior, guard, Indianapolis
Coleman-Lands, who played at Iowa State in 2020-21 and at DePaul and Illinois before that, hit 30 of 67 threes in his one “super” senior season at KU. Coleman-Lands scored in double figures twice as a Jayhawk. He hit five threes and scored 20 points in a 76-67 win over George Mason on New Year’s Day at Allen. He scored 10 points in a win over Tarleton State in November.
Coleman-Lands hit three threes and scored nine points in KU’s home win over K-State on Feb. 22.
In 2020-21, Coleman-Lands earned honorable mention all-league honors at Iowa State after averaging 14.3 points a game.
Personal facts: Coleman-Lands founded a nonprofit organization (FigurePrint) that helps young people overcome communication barriers in their homes. … He earned a marketing degree from DePaul and is finishing a graduate degree in management information systems.
Self said it: “He can really shoot. He can make tough shots, fadeaways, with hands in his face. He can shoot off the dribble. He just can really shoot.”
Coleman-Lands said it: “This has been great. These guys (teammates) have really enlightened me on the court and off the court.”
The rest of KU’s roster
In looking at the make up of this team, the seniors were not the only experienced players to make an impact.
Junior Christian Braun and redshirt sophomores Jalen Wilson and Dajuan Harris were starters and high impact players. Braun was second-team all-conference and Wilson third team. Braun and Wilson both are considered possible 2022 NBA Draft picks. Harris was honorable mention all-league.
Joseph Yesufu, who played two years at Drake, joined the KU team this season. KU had a freshman class of scholarship players Bobby Pettiford, KJ Adams, Zach Clemence and redshirt Kyle Cuffe, plus walk-ons Charlie McCarthy and Dillon Wilhite. Two players who have a year of eligibility remaining are non-scholarship junior Michael Jankovich and redshirt transfer Cam Martin.
This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 2:27 PM with the headline "‘A dream come true’: KU seniors have earned their place among Jayhawk greats."
