“Tonight’s about number four.”

Bill Self couldn’t have said it any better.

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Sherron Collins' Kansas career

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Collins strolled through the tunnel into a sweltering Allen Fieldhouse for the last time Wednesday night. He received a two-minute standing ovation as the decibel meter hit 106.9 right before tip off. The decibel level stayed high for the rest of the night.

Many of the 16,300 fans lifted four fingers to the sky or hoisted signs that expressed love and gratitude for Collins’ time at Kansas. “Ain’t no seats” was lifted proudly for possibly the last time.

It was Collins’ night, but it wasn’t about the 17 points in 38 minutes that he put up. He has had much better nights. It’s about the 1,774 points in 3,883 minutes that Collins put up in his career at Kansas. It’s about the 125 victories that he has helped Kansas achieve.

There is an unwritten expectation at Kansas. In March, you win the Big 12 Conference. In April, you go to the Final Four. In May, you walk down the hill.

Sure, athletes sometimes leave early, and most fans don’t blame them. But Collins opted to forgo an immediate future in the NBA multiple times to help solidify his legend at Kansas.

Collins stepped off the Naismith Court for the last time with 30.4 seconds to be greeted by bear hugs from his teammates. He looked more nervous than he had ever seemed in Allen Fieldhouse, tugging at his shirt and staring at the ground while delivering his senior night speech.

Beads of sweat turned to tears of joy.

Collins predicted a waterfall of tears by the end of the night, and sure enough tears cascaded down his face, especially as he thanked his family.

He wasn’t the only one. All through the crowd fans were rubbing tears off their faces and wiping their noses.

Collins finished his speech by thanking the fans for a wonderful four years.

Well, thank you, Sherron, for four fantastic years.

— Edited by Katie Blankenau