Bill Self, former KU Jayhawks reunite: ‘Best family and tradition in basketball’
The Kansas men’s basketball program had a reunion of sorts Monday night in Las Vegas, host city for the NBA 2K23 Summer League.
A group of past players and/or staff members — some now working for NBA teams — joined 20th year KU head coach Bill Self, assistant coach Kurtis Townsend, strength coach Ramsey Nijem and associate AD Wayne Simien for a get-together at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steaks and Stone Crab at Caesar’s Palace.
Former KU guards Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji, who are playing in the summer league (as well as Christian Braun, David McCormack and Devon Dotson), gathered in a private room at the restaurant with former KU players or staff members Darrell Arthur, Udoka Azubuike, Chase Buford, R.C. Buford, Eric Chenowith, Christian Garrett, Greg Gurley, Jeff Hawkins, Keith Langford, Michael Lee, Aaron Miles, Paul Mokeski, Bill Pope, Tyler Self and Jacque Vaughn.
“My heart is so full right now!” former KU guard Hawkins wrote on Facebook in a picture with his KU teammates Miles, Lee, Langford and Simien. “Last time all five of us were together was in 2005 at Graduation for @universityofkansas #J5-4Life,” Hawkins added in his Facebook post.
Chenowith, who played at KU from 1998 to 2001 said it was a special evening.
“It was really fun,” Chenowith said in a text message to The Star. “Got to congratulate the young guys on winning the ‘natty’ and sit around and tell funny stories about our time at KU. Best family and tradition in basketball and it’s not even close.”
Self spoke briefly to the group, as recorded on Kansas’ men’s basketball Twitter account.
“One thing about our place,” Self told the group, referring to KU, “it’s always like the best place. There’s no place in college like this period. But after you do something like the guys did this year (win NCAA title) it goes from here to a whole different level,” Self added, raising his hand high over his head.
“The thing that is amazing to me is you realize, and I’ve said this forever, other coaches have said it before, I’ll never be the best coach there (KU). Phog Allen coached there. Anybody we ever recruit will never be the best player there. Wilt (Chamberlain) played there. There’s a history and tradition we take pride in being the caretakers of the program in our time we are there,” he added.
“There’s no reason we can’t be better than before. I want you guys all to know I understand first hand that the reason we are where we are at is because of all of you. And you guys should take great pride in that. No matter what your role is, you played a role in us having the most tradition-rich and the winningest basketball program of all time),” Self stated.
Marcus Garrett scores seven in loss
Former KU combo guard Marcus Garrett was the only Jayhawk in action Tuesday night in the Vegas summer league.
The 23-year-old second-year pro scored seven points with four rebounds, one assist, two turnovers and one steal in the Miami Heat’s 95-88 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Garrett — he played at KU from 2018 to 2021 — was 1-for-4 shooting. He was 5-of-7 from the line while starting and playing 20 minutes for the Heat.
Garrett hit 5 of 6 shots and scored 13 points in the Heat’s 88-78 victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday in Las Vegas in Miami’s summer opener.
Garrett, who signed a two-way contract with the Heat after failing to hear his name called in the 2021 NBA Draft, was waived by the team in mid-January after needing wrist surgery. He rehabbed the injury in Miami and is trying to earn a spot at training camp and ultimately on the 2022-23 Heat roster.
This story was originally published July 13, 2022 at 8:35 AM with the headline "Bill Self, former KU Jayhawks reunite: ‘Best family and tradition in basketball’."
