The one player who comes to mind

Maybe not the best one, but one we especially remember. Mine is Christian Moody.

Yours?

D-Block 32, Darnell Jackson. He’s my guy. Captured for all posterity, ready to rebound if Mario missed THE SHOT. Plus the triple chest thump on FT’s. Endured more than anyone will ever know and was a key part of that 2008 NC team. Also loved loved Kirk Hinrich. No one was faster on the made shot getting the ball back up the court. The dude could mean hoop. My all baby face guy is Turgeon. I seriously thought when he first appeared in a game that it must be a joke. The dude looked like he was 12 years old. And for some reason, I really enjoyed Ostertag. Also, Paul Mokeski. Saw him a lot around campus and he was just a big lumbering dude. AlsoDonnie von Moore. Another contemporary who I met a number of times.

Guess I was referring to a player who was an asset but not really the best or most talented. Just one who never took a day off and was sometimes overlooked.

I chose Christian because he kept on working hard and doing what he could for the team. I remember he got criticism on this board for playing as many minutes as he did and of course for starting. And who could forget the backward pass he made to a team member behind him who made a 3 pointer?

In years to come I will have a special place in my heart for Mitch Lightfoot, also, for many of the same reasons.

I always remember Steve Woodberry, silky smooth.

For me I think it would have to be Russell Robinson. Had such a hard time getting into the line-up and seemed to be on Self's short leash for his first few years, but stuck with it and ended up being a key cog of a national championship team... which included another "great guy" Darnell Jackson as had been previously mentioned.

Junkman, I got to know RussRob a little and I can tell you he was anything but a typical prima Donna college athlete. He was soft-spoken and humble. I truly and sincerely admired and enjoyed him and he is one of my favorites as well. I remember the time at Texas Tech where he refused to go into the game and many thought that would be the end of him. With Sharon and Mario on the team it could have been a bad situation for minutes for RussRob. But he simply was too good of a team player that made everyone better. Self could not keep him off the floor for the sake of the team. Good call on RussRob.

Usually I would say Mike Lee, the throw in with Aaron Miles who played important minutes. But, after watching the 2007 Big XII championship OT win over Texas and their soon to be NBA HOFer I say Julian Wright.

He's always been one of my favorites. I live in Des Moines and back in the day had season tickets to our D-League Iowa Energy team. I was in the process of making arrangements to take Russell out to dinner with the family when the team he played for was in town (Maine Red Claws), but unfortunately he was traded a couple of weeks prior to the game and we never got the chance. My kids were devastated... and I must admit I was just a tad disappointed myself!

I seem to have a soft spot for the role players. In my teens Cedric Hunter was my favorite. Loved how he ran the offense with Kellogg, Thompson, Dreiling and some guy named Manning. That 85-86 team is still, in my opinion, the best KU team I've seen... unfortunately Duke was pretty dang good that year as well.