Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Russell Robinson couldn’t help it. The emotions were too much. Minutes before Monday’s game, Kansas’ resident New Yorker listened as his teammates were introduced. Senior by senior, their names were called out. As Robinson watched, the tears started to flow.
“I almost started crying because Russ started crying,” senior forward Darnell Jackson said. “I was like, ‘Come on Rus, you can’t be doing this.’ I just told him, ‘let it out.’”
Senior guard Jeremy Case with his parents before Monday's senior night game against Texas Tech.
Nearly five months after Kansas’ five seniors walked into Allen Fieldhouse for Late Night in the Phog decked in tuxedos and white basketball shoes, the quintet exited Allen Fieldhouse the exact same way they came in — together and in style.
In a night dedicated to Kansas’ elder statesmen, Kansas’ senior quintet put on a show. Every shot seemed like it was destined to find the bottom of the net — and most of them did.
The seniors shot a blistering 17-of-24 from the field and combined for 50 points.
In his last game at Allen Fieldhouse, Robinson never hesitated and led Kansas’ scoring barrage with 15 points. Kansas’ floor leader didn’t miss, shooting 5-of-5 from the field.
“I was feeling it,” Robinson said.
That was just the opening act. Jackson displayed his soft shooting touch to the tune of 10 points, and banged around Texas Tech’s big men inside.
Sasha Kaun, with his mom in the stands, returned to the starting lineup and added 10 points.
Then it was Jeremy Case’s turn to heat up.
After missing on his first few attempts, Case finally rattled a three-pointer home with 9:53 to play in the second half. Case’s father, Win, rose to his feet and slapped high-fives with Rodrick Stewart’s father, Andrew.
“I got goosebumps,” Case said after the game.
Moments later, Case did it again, draining a three-pointer from the left wing. He added another one, and then Stewart brought the house down with a three-pointer of his own.
One of Pat Knight’s assistant coaches leaned over and asked Texas Tech’s coach if he wanted a time-out. Knight just shrugged and shook his head no.
Not even time-outs could stop Kansas’ seniors on this night.
“Seniors usually play pretty well on senior night,” Self said. “That’s the way it should be.”
Self said this is the first senior class he’s ever recruited and seen all the way through.
“I normally don’t get emotional publicly,” Self said. “But I almost choked up before the game.”
With 2:43 left, and Kansas leading 101-48, Bill Self reinserted his seniors for one final encore. One minute later, the quintet came off one-by-one and took one final bow. Robinson, the two-time Mr. Jayhawk award winner, walked off the Allen Fieldhouse floor for the final time and gave Self a bear-hug. Next came Jackson, who looked up at the adoring crowd and couldn’t help but smile.
“We’ve been through it all,” Jackson said. “We’re just going to have to stay together as a family when we leave here. I know we’re going to do that, because we’re too close as a team. We look at each other like brothers.”
— Edited by Katherine Loeck
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