Only one award given at annual banquet

Self decides to place focus on overall team success

By Michael Phillips

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

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Photo by Amanda Sellers

Coach Bill Self spoke to an audience of fans, players and coaches at the annual postseason banquet Tuesday night. The Danny Manning “Mr. Jayhawk” award was given to junior guard Russell Robinson.

This year’s postseason awards banquet was missing one important thing: awards.

The event, which recognizes the men’s basketball team at the end of the season, was instead a tribute to the team. Coach Bill Self said that it would be unfair to give individual awards because the team was successful this season because of its teamwork.

“All these guys could have scored more points than they did, and all these guys could have played more minutes than they did,” he said. “But they didn’t, because that gave us the best chance to go 33-5.”

Only one award was handed out. The team annually votes to recognize one player as “Mr. Jayhawk” because of his overall contributions to the team. This year it was given to junior guard Russell Robinson. On a team with no seniors, Robinson assumed the leadership role and helped develop the younger players.

After the team was recognized, Self addressed one of his players. He turned to sophomore guard Brandon Rush, who is currently debating whether or not to enter the NBA Draft.

“Whatever you decide, I’m cool with it,” Self said. “But if you come back, I’ll line up and play against anybody, anywhere. Because we’re going to be good.”

Aside from the lack of individual awards, the event was different in another way as well. It was held at the Holiday Inn Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive, where a meal was served in the large banquet room. In previous years, the event was held in an auditorium and did not include food.

Self said he enjoyed the new format because it provided an intimate environment for fans and players to mingle.

The master of ceremonies for the evening was broadcaster Dave Armstrong, who began by saluting former broadcaster Max Falkenstien, who turned 83 years old on Tuesday.

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I want all my guys to become head coaches.

-coach Bill Self

When Self took the microphone, he first recognized the assistant coaches. Tim Jankovich was not on hand, as he was preparing for his new job at Southern Illinois, a job for which Self said the former assistant coach was well-suited.

“I want all my guys to become head coaches,” Self said.

An especially loud ovation went to the man who will take Jankovich’s place, former Jayhawk great Danny Manning. Self said that a lot of NBA greats wouldn’t do the dirty work that Manning did on a daily basis when he worked with the team.

Instead of beginning the awards, Self made his announcement that none would be given.

He cited several examples of awards that would have to be split between several players. He said that an academic award would have to be split between Sasha Kaun, a computer science major, and Matt Kleinmann, an architecture major. Both are on pace to graduate a semester early and are maintaining a grade point average well above 3.0.

A free-throw award would go to sophomore guard Mario Chalmers, but freshman guard Sherron Collins finished just one free-throw away from tying.

Self said that if a most valuable player award was given, it would be shared among sophomores Rush, Chalmers and Julian Wright.

The evening ended with fans and boosters being cleared out of the room, giving the players the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company for the remainder of the evening. It was something Self was looking forward to.

“I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed being around a group of guys and a staff more than I have this year,” he said.

Kansan senior sportswriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@kansan.com.

— Edited by Katie Sullivan

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