‘This is why you want to be a Jayhawk’: KU national champions celebrated with parade
Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self, his wife, Cindy, and their granddaughter, Ella, sat in the back of a powder blue 1959 Corvette convertible, waving to thousands of fans who were lined along Massachusetts Street on Sunday afternoon during a festive victory parade honoring the 2022 national champions.
It was the same car — one owned by Lawrence businessman Doug Compton — that Bill and Cindy drove in during a victory parade held in 2008 after Self’s first of two national titles as KU coach.
And it was the same car that forner KU hoops coach Larry Brown rode in during a 1988 downtown parade after Self’s mentor, Brown, directed KU to the crown.
“That’s cool,” KU coach Self said of his ride. “There will be a lot of cool cars out there. There will not be one cooler than the one I’m riding in,” Self added, smiling, right before the 2 p.m. start of the parade.
The Jayhawks players, coaches and staff members hopped in the back of various vehicles and were driven down the middle of Mass Street, from 6th south to 19th.
Seniors David McCormack and Ochai Agbaji rode in a Ford Bronco Black Diamond; senior Chris Teahan and others in BMWs. The Jayhawks made their way to 6th Street for the start of the parade in a black luxury bus that received a police escort to the starting point.
“This is why you want to be a Jayhawk, to get this love,” said Agbaji, a graduate of Oak Park High School. “Obviously it’s special being in a position where you get this kind of love.
“It’s great. The Chiefs did it (Super Bowl championship parade in 2020). The Royals had their parade too (for World Series title in 2015). This is not only big for Kansas, but Kansas City, too.”
It proved only fitting Agbaji and McCormack rode in the same car. Self has said many times Agbaji’s jersey will be hung in the fieldhouse rafters some day in recognition of his status as a first-team All-American and Big 12 player of the year. Self told The Star on Sunday that there will be discussions involving McCormack’s jersey possibly being hung in the rafters as well.
Agbaji was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after the Jayhawks’ 72-69 title game victory over North Carolina on Monday in New Orleans. Agbaji had 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting (3 of 8 from line) against UNC after scoring 21 points (on 6-of-7 three-point shooting) against Villanova in an 81-65 semifinal win. McCormack, who hit two critical shots in the final minutes of the title game, scored 15 points with 10 boards against UNC after scoring 25 points and grabbing nine boards versus Nova.
“The fact of the matter is I am happy for Och being MOP but David deserves a piece of that as well,” Self said. “That’s something I want to talk about with my people because I think it goes without saying that David’s jersey deserves to be hung if in fact the MOP is always hung. I mean he didn’t win it in name but he and ‘Och’ certainly both deserved a piece of it.”
Self said the parade meant a lot to the team and others, too.
“This university is obviously the biggest employer in our community. (It) kind of runs everything; so to speak, so it’s nice to have the basketball program do something to try to help the community, help retail downtown and the economy some,” Self said. “We’re excited. When you win everyone benefits. The pie is big enough for everybody if you win enough. I think there’s a lot of people will benefit from this team having success.”
Self said that in the wake of winning the title, “it’s been fun, a little tiring. I know the guys have enjoyed it. Today is the first day I talked to most of them. I enjoyed watching (Chris) Teahan throw a football 40, 50 yards in the air yesterday. That was good. That’s about the only contact I’ve had with them.”
Senior guard Chris Teahan was allowed to play quarterback and throw one pass at the KU spring football game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Wearing football jersey No. 12, he threw the ball 50 yards in the air, connecting with Lawrence Arnold at the 20 yard line for a TD.
“Teahan has a great arm. That was fun,” Self said. “The last few days have been a whirlwind. I know the guys are tired. I am just totally exhausted. It will be nice to get back to some normalcy soon.”
Self said he received 600 to 700 text messages right after the win over UNC.
“I heard from Norm Stewart. He texted immediately,” Self said of the Missouri coaching legend. He said, ‘You know that Braun kid has a lot of Sandbothe in him,’ which obviously he does.”
Christian Braun’s mom, Lisa Sandbothe, was a standout player at Missouri. Braun’s uncle, Mike, was another MU standout player.
“I’ve heard from a lot of people. I know our players have,” Self said.
Asked to compare the 2008 title to 2022, Self said: “I think 2008, the novelty of it and everything was probably more memorable afterwards, but going through it and winning the way we did in ’22 I actually think that part of it is more memorable,” he said of this year’s crown.
The celebrating isn’t finished. Self said he’s been told there are plans for the. KU team to visit the White House in Washington, D.C.
“I was told we are going. I have not heard from anybody officially,” Self said. “Senator (Jerry) Moran has told everybody he’s looking forward to hosting us. I don’t know when that will take place.”
All of KU’s players took part in the parade Sunday except senior Jalen Coleman-Lands. According to a KU coaching staff member, Coleman-Lands had to head home Thursday because of family reasons.
This story was originally published April 10, 2022 at 4:37 PM with the headline "‘This is why you want to be a Jayhawk’: KU national champions celebrated with parade."
