Jaybowl, fans sad to see Wright leave

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

It’s hard not to notice Julian Wright’s influence on the Jaybowl.

A newspaper clipping on the bowling alley’s bulletin board shows Wright with his arms stretched across a few lanes, gripping Big Bully, his ball. In another clipping, he’s fully extended on top of Missouri’s Kalen Grimes, throwing down a nasty dunk.

Until last week, students could see Wright rolling a ball down the lanes while others admired. Now the pictures on the board are only reminders of what used to be.

Wright, a sophomore forward, announced he was going to enter the NBA Draft Monday at an afternoon press conference. His days as a Jayhawk basketball player and student bowler are ending sooner than expected.

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Until last week, students could see Wright rolling a ball down the lanes while others admired. Now the pictures on the board are only reminders of what used to be.

“It’s like losing a favorite customer,” said Trent Overbey, captain of the Kansas bowling team and a friend of Wright’s. “I’ll miss him in here. He’s definitely a character.”

Wright’s friends at the bowling alley were as shocked as any other Kansas fan when they heard he would leave. Last Wednesday, everything was normal. Wright bowled a few games and never mentioned anything about basketball, let alone the NBA. The subject rarely came up during his trips to Jaybowl.

“Most of us would joke about it,” Overbey said, “but that was saying two years from now.”

Wright didn’t have much time to bowl during the season, but he bowled three to four times a week after Kansas’ NCAA tournament loss. Jaybowl provided a place for Wright get his mind off basketball. He even went there the day after the Jayhawks’ Elite Eight loss to UCLA. It’s one of the many things Wright is going to miss when he’s in the NBA.

“It’s hard,” Wright said. “It’s still hard. I have mixed feelings, just walking on campus, the little things.”

Fans will miss Wright too. He averaged modest numbers throughout his career, but he was still a fan favorite. They liked Wright’s easy-going demeanor and smile. Although Wright had maintained he would stay for another year, students at the bowling alley weren’t angry when he announced that he was leaving.

“I’m surprised that he’d leave after saying what he did all season,” said Andrew Gray, Leawood senior. “But it’s smart. I’d go.”

Wright doesn’t plan on signing with an agent and working out with most NBA teams until the end of May. Until then, he’s going to finish school, and Overbey hopes he’ll have time to drop by the Jaybowl.

“His personality is definitely welcome here,” Overbey said. “Every time he’s in here to bowl the place just seems a little more lively.”

Kansan sportswriter Mark Dent can be contacted at mdent@kansan.com.

— Edited by Darla Slipke

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