Rush not regretting his return to the team
The junior guard injured his knee last June after a dunk went horribly wrong
Rush has been averaging 16 points per game in the NCAA Tourney and is looking hopeful for the first round of the NBA draft.
Monday, April 7th, 2008
SAN ANTONIO — After he ended any chances of a North Carolina comeback by scoring eight points down the stretch and completed yet another one of his great games this season, Brandon Rush looked into the Alamodome crowd to find his mom and grandma. He smiled.
Rush couldn’t ask for anything better. He’s one victory away from a national championship and playing the best ball of his career. It’s not where the junior guard envisioned being after declaring for the NBA Draft last season, but he’s happy where he’s at.
Photo by Jon Goering
Junior guard Brandon Rush answers questions during an afternoon press conference at the Alamo Dome. Rush scored 25 points in the Final Four game against North Carolina.
“It definitely means the world to me,” Rush said about this opportunity.
Everyone’s heard the Rush injury story by now. A dunk went horribly wrong last June. A knee popped. A NBA career had to be put on hold.
Those unexpected events brought Rush back to Kansas for his junior year. Instead of experiencing his first pro training camp in the fall, he was rehabbing his knee for hours with Kansas’ training staff, sometimes four times a day. It could get tough at times.
“You could just tell how bad he was feeling,” senior forward Darnell Jackson said. “One time, I could remember watching him. He was in tears, just pushing, pushing, pushing.”
As much as it hurt Rush, Kansas coach Bill Self knew Rush’s injury was a positive for the Jayhawks. Once Rush announced he was returning to school, Self called a meeting and told the them they had just gotten better.
The same could be said for Rush. Before the season started, Self talked about how his player had to become a “new Brandon.” He wanted Rush to rely less on his athletic ability and more on technique and fundamentals.
After struggling for much of the season to regain his athleticism, everything’s started going right for Rush in the postseason. He scored 28 points against Texas A&M and 19 against Texas in the Big 12 Tournament and was named player of the tournament. His run has continued in the NCAA Tournament. Rush is averaging about 16 points a game.
“His play has evolved this year in large part due to his health,” Self said, “because he’s gone from 80 percent to 90 percent to 95 percent, and now he’s as close to whole as he’s been. We’re very proud of that, and the timing couldn’t have been better.”
Rush’s improved game was on full display against the Tar Heels. He scored 25 points despite missing five of his seven three-pointers. Instead of continuing to shoot from the outside, Rush changed his approach. He finally drove to the basket more often and finished consistently.
“It’s big for me,” Rush said, “but it’s definitely big for us. In order for us to win, somebody’s going to have to step up and make plays.”
He’ll get another opportunity to be the man for Kansas tonight. If the Jayhawks get the victory, Rush could easily be named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. He’s also likely elevated himself into at least the last first round of this season’s NBA Draft because of his postseason.
Rush may not have originally wanted to play for the Jayhawks this season, but sometimes things turn out differently for the better.
“Being here has been one of my main goals,” Rush said. “This could be the perfect ending to a good story.”
— Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
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