Kansas basketball is back — albeit basketball accompanied by a routine pairing the players with KU dancers and closely followed by a Flo Rida concert, but still Kansas basketball.
Yes, KU held its annual Late Night in the Phog celebration Friday evening at Allen Fieldhouse. And while the formula may have been familiar to many of the attendees, it was new to six scholarship players and three walk-ons on the very team charged with performing said routine.
Last year’s Late Night was highlighted by the unveiling of a national championship banner from the 2021-22 season, the first since 2008. This time around, the team was able to tack on a “2023” to its banner for Big 12 Conference titles, but head coach Bill Self and the players had their eyes on a return to greater heights.
“Last year, we had a Big 12 championship,” super-senior Kevin McCullar Jr. said, as he gestured back toward the six national title banners. “It was great, but this year we want to get one of those up there.”
Added Self: “We waited 14 years to get our second one. I’d like to think two years sounds a hell of a lot better.”
The 2023-24 squad has already earned plaudits as the preseason No. 1 team in the nation from a variety of early polls. But before that campaign for a seventh national championship overall and third under Self could begin in earnest, there remained, indeed, 15 minutes of semi-legitimate exhibition basketball to be played.
McCullar scored 12 points for the Crimson squad, and Nick Timberlake hit a trio of 3s and a pull-up jumper to get 11 for the Blue team, but Crimson pulled out a 24-19 win in a scrimmage where the offense did not quite rise to the level of the defense.
KJ Adams Jr. found a cutting Johnny Furphy, the Australian freshman, for a two-handed dunk that gave Crimson an early lead and became one of the standout plays of the scrimmage.
Otherwise, Timberlake’s shooting was a highlight, but the offense was lackluster enough to draw a couple of sardonic jokes from Self as he hosted his annual giveaway of $10,000 each to a pair of KU students. Staff members Brennan Bechard and Jeremy Case came up empty on a variety of half-court, 3-point and free-throw attempts to win Self’s money for the students before KU alumnus Mario Chalmers came through by banking in a half-court shot on his third try.
“The most disappointing thing of the night wasn’t Brennan missing,” Self said. “It was Jeremy missing. He brags about being the best shooter in the gym. I would definitely beg to differ on that tonight.”
Self reserved his greatest disappointment for the current team’s scrimmage performance, though, which he called “as bad of play as we’ve ever had for a Late Night.”
“That’s just not basketball, guys,” Self said after the festivities had concluded. “I mean, God. I’ve already had ex-players FaceTime me and say ‘Are you kidding me?’
“Christian Braun said, ‘I wish I could be in practice on Sunday because you’re going to kill them, aren’t you?’ And the answer is yes. Just from a competitive standpoint, there wasn’t anything out there, you know.”
Of course, Self made sure to add that it won’t have any impact on how the team looks by the time November comes.
Center Hunter Dickinson said, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that he “might have been joking around a little bit too much out there but in my defense, I was saving myself for the dance a little bit. I was a little nervous about that. But it’s good that it didn’t count, but I’m sure Coach Self will have some words for us, of encouragement and coaching.”
Even with the lackluster on-court showing, Dickinson said he relished the chance to debut for the fans.
“I was thinking about it in warmups,” he said. “I can’t wait just for the first game, for the first exhibition in Allen. It’s going to be a special year, and I think the fans will have a lot to do with it.”
Late Night also retained its annual significance as a recruiting event for KU basketball. The Jayhawks’ chances of assembling a truly unparalleled 2024 class took a hit when top recruit Cooper Flagg canceled his visit to Lawrence, but they still had a few prominent high school players on hand, some already committed.
That included, per several reports, four-star forward Rakease Passmore, who recently canceled a visit to Arkansas and is set to announce his commitment, which could be to KU, on Oct. 11.
Red Team forward KJ Adams Jr. floats in the lane for a shot over Hunter Dickinson, left, and Dajuan Harris Jr. during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. pulls up for a three against Nicolas Timberlake during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Blue Team guard Jamari McDowell and Red Team guard Johnny Furphy compete for a loose ball during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. delivers a dunk for the Red Team during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Blue Team center Hunter Dickinson jumps on Red Team forward KJ Adams Jr.’s back to slow him down during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Elmarko Jackson goes up against Jamari McDowell during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas forward Parker Braun puts a three over center Hunter Dickinson during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas head coach Bill Self welcomes Kansas great Mario Chalmers to the court during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas center Hunter Dickinson dances for his grand entrance during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Johnny Furphy pulls a rebound from guard Patrick Cassidy during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Johnny Furphy is introduced during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas head coach Bill Self is greeted by the crowd during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
