With Ochai achieving "Rafters" status this season, I am reminded again of other worthys who are not yet there.
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT
Raise the jerseys of NCAA recognized Consensus All-Americans Tommy Johnson, Ralph Sproull and Dutch Lonborg to the rafters ASAP, with their descedents representing them in AFH for the ceremony(ies).
DISCUSSION
As of 2020-02-14, the "guaranteed" criteria to have your jersey "Phogged" are to be named:
1. NCAA D1 NPOY
2. NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
3. Consensus First Team All-American
4. Two time First Team All-American (consensus not required) or
5. Academic All-American of the Year (criteria set by Roy so Jacque Vaughn's jersey could be in the rafters)
6. Conference Player of the Year [established as "a lock" by Coach Self on 2020, qualified Marcus Morris (2011) and to my mind legitimizes the selection of JV (1996)]
And recall that on numerous occasions, Self has noted that these "guarantees" are only guidelines (witness the jerseys of Kirk Hinrich and Brandon Rush hanging in AFH)
With Ochai Agbaji meeting the criteria to be the next in line for the honor (2022 Big 12 POY, consensus first team All-American), here are the seven (7) players that have met the guaranteed criteria and aren't up there yet...
Recent players
Thomas Robinson, 2012 consensus first team All-American
Frank Mason, everybody's 2017 NPOY and consensus first team All-American
Devonté Graham, 2018 consensus first team All-American
Ochai Agbaji, 2012 Big 12 POY and Consensus first team All-American
Early KU players
(all are NCAA recognized Consensus AAs)
Tommy Johnson, forward, 1909
Ralph Sproull, forward, 1915
Dutch Lonborg, guard 1919
Despite Drew Gooden getting his jersey up there in 2003, the year after he left, as a rule of thumb under Self it is usually a few years before a player is so honored. We saw Marcus Morris honored two years ago, and I fully expect we will see Thomas, Frank and Devonté up there in the next few years, but my question is this --
Why aren't Tommy Johnson, Ralph Sproull and Dutch Lonborg already up there?
The NCAA has recognized them as Consensus AAs for years.
And going by Self's "guidelines" standard, they sure deserve to be up there!
Lawrence native Tommy Johnson, the first truly great hoops and football hero in KU history, is called "the original KU Legend" by KU historians. kuhistory.ku.edu/articles/touchdowns-and-tragedy
Ralph "Lefty" Sproull, another Lawrence native, was the first big time scorer for KU. He led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring for 3 straight years, and held the records for career points (839) and points in a game (40) until "Cumulus" Clyde Lovellette came along to shatter them in the 1950s.
Arthur C. "Dutch" Lonborg of Horton, Kansas was a 3 sport star at KU, twice all conference in hoops and All American in 1919. The guy is already in the Naismith HOF (as a coach) and the KU Athletics Hall of Fame. Get him in the rafters to recognize his playing career!
What's the hold up, KU? Just because these guys have been dead for decades doesn't mean they don't deserve to be up there. If I was a descendant of one of these guys, I'd be thrilled to stand in for grampa or great-grampa when their jerseys were placed In The Rafters! Make a big thing of it and have all three honored at the same time, or go the three separate ceremonies route, but do it and soon!
Come on, KU, it's long overdue! Get 'er done!
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT
Raise the jerseys of NCAA recognized Consensus All-Americans Tommy Johnson, Ralph Sproull and Dutch Lonborg to the rafters ASAP, with their descedents representing them in AFH for the ceremony(ies).
DISCUSSION
As of 2020-02-14, the "guaranteed" criteria to have your jersey "Phogged" are to be named:
1. NCAA D1 NPOY
2. NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
3. Consensus First Team All-American
4. Two time First Team All-American (consensus not required) or
5. Academic All-American of the Year (criteria set by Roy so Jacque Vaughn's jersey could be in the rafters)
6. Conference Player of the Year [established as "a lock" by Coach Self on 2020, qualified Marcus Morris (2011) and to my mind legitimizes the selection of JV (1996)]
And recall that on numerous occasions, Self has noted that these "guarantees" are only guidelines (witness the jerseys of Kirk Hinrich and Brandon Rush hanging in AFH)
With Ochai Agbaji meeting the criteria to be the next in line for the honor (2022 Big 12 POY, consensus first team All-American), here are the seven (7) players that have met the guaranteed criteria and aren't up there yet...
Recent players
Thomas Robinson, 2012 consensus first team All-American
Frank Mason, everybody's 2017 NPOY and consensus first team All-American
Devonté Graham, 2018 consensus first team All-American
Ochai Agbaji, 2012 Big 12 POY and Consensus first team All-American
Early KU players
(all are NCAA recognized Consensus AAs)
Tommy Johnson, forward, 1909
Ralph Sproull, forward, 1915
Dutch Lonborg, guard 1919
Despite Drew Gooden getting his jersey up there in 2003, the year after he left, as a rule of thumb under Self it is usually a few years before a player is so honored. We saw Marcus Morris honored two years ago, and I fully expect we will see Thomas, Frank and Devonté up there in the next few years, but my question is this --
Why aren't Tommy Johnson, Ralph Sproull and Dutch Lonborg already up there?
The NCAA has recognized them as Consensus AAs for years.
And going by Self's "guidelines" standard, they sure deserve to be up there!
Lawrence native Tommy Johnson, the first truly great hoops and football hero in KU history, is called "the original KU Legend" by KU historians. kuhistory.ku.edu/articles/touchdowns-and-tragedy
Ralph "Lefty" Sproull, another Lawrence native, was the first big time scorer for KU. He led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring for 3 straight years, and held the records for career points (839) and points in a game (40) until "Cumulus" Clyde Lovellette came along to shatter them in the 1950s.
Arthur C. "Dutch" Lonborg of Horton, Kansas was a 3 sport star at KU, twice all conference in hoops and All American in 1919. The guy is already in the Naismith HOF (as a coach) and the KU Athletics Hall of Fame. Get him in the rafters to recognize his playing career!
What's the hold up, KU? Just because these guys have been dead for decades doesn't mean they don't deserve to be up there. If I was a descendant of one of these guys, I'd be thrilled to stand in for grampa or great-grampa when their jerseys were placed In The Rafters! Make a big thing of it and have all three honored at the same time, or go the three separate ceremonies route, but do it and soon!
Come on, KU, it's long overdue! Get 'er done!
