Landen Letter to KU fans from KUathletics.com
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Bosthawk said:
Copied here for your convenience, a Recent Landen Lucas letter to KU fans
Kinda sums it up doesn’t it ?
“Dear Jayhawk Nation,
It might be strange to say, but I never truly understood what being a Kansas Jayhawk meant until my days in a KU uniform were over. It’s something I have learned in the two years since I played my final game in the Crimson and Blue. This week, when I have seen so many former players, coaches and fans, I believe I can now express what it means to be a member of this incredible community and how important that is to me.
Don’t get me wrong, I valued my time in Lawrence and as a member of this program. The wins we fought together for, the trophies we lifted and the memories we made are still surreal for me to this day. The epic triple-overtime win over Oklahoma, and coming back from 14 down in the final three minutes to beat West Virginia my senior year are just a snapshot of my favorite memories that we made.
But when you’re at the ground level, so invested in practice, in class, in games and everything else that 18-22 year olds face on a daily basis, it’s easy to forget to stop and take a look around to get a true appreciation of all the great things Kansas is.
Eventually it has all sunk in for me and I have realized what I was and am still a part of. I gained perspective and I now have a greater appreciation for what it means to be a part of this program, this school and this community. Playing in the games I played in and playing in front of the greatest fans in the country was truly the honor of a lifetime.
The fans – you are the backbone of this program. If you take one thing from this message, it’s this: Everything you do, it is noticed. From packing the Fieldhouse hours before tip-off, traveling in the thousands to road arenas, even writing letters and giving us words of encouragement. It all mean so much to this team. We might not always be able to show how much all these gestures mean to us, but everyone I know who has been a part of the program really does notice all of it and appreciates it.
My professional career has taken me all over the world and everywhere I go, there are Kansas fans somewhere. It’s hard to go through a day where I don’t run into at least one Jayhawk. You’re always so proud of the school and so appreciative of my small contribution to Kansas basketball and I’ll be forever grateful for that.
Being a Jayhawk is truly being a part of this family forever. Even once you leave, the feelings of belonging and legacy are still there. The continued support is like no other, whether it’s from the fans, donors or alumni, everyone comes together to form this incredible support structure that I feel very privileged to be a part of.
As a part of this KU family, you are a part of something that’s so much bigger than yourself. Every time we stepped on the court and wore the “Kansas” across our chest, we were representing something way bigger than the team. Being a part of something like that makes you want to strive to be your best and that is what being a Jayhawk is all about.
Thank you for all you have done for me, Kansas basketball and the University. It will forever be an honor to be able to call myself a Jayhawk.
Rock Chalk!
Landen Lucas ('17)”
You can say all you want about Landen’s skills as a player, but he gets it to the core. And that core is why l LOVE KU basketball.
Gee I wonder what kind of note a guy like Quentin Grimes is going to write someday?
So very well said by Landen , he truly is a Jay Hawk - - always has been - always will be.
There were some , just like with any other program where some of the fans didn’t really particular care or thought it was a waste for Landen to be on the floor. - - I wasn’t one of them. - When his time came I thought he did pretty dang well all things considered.
True Landen wasn’t a flashy player by any means - - - he wasn’t a dominant player either - - he wasn’t a huge rim protector either - -Yet what he was - – -was another guy that always put forth his best when on the floor - - consistently giving anywhere from 8- - 9 - -n10 points a game and time after time after time double digit rebounding effort. - - No Landen wasn’t a guy who by far wasn’t going to blow you away - - - BUT what Landen was - -was a True Jay Hawk - and as you can read from this letter - -a kid who loves the University of Kansas - he will always have a place from me. - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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Woodrow said:
There’s a kid that’s gets it. Love reading things like that.
Me too , here is where you get to really see the inside of an individual - -you never seen Landen in any kind of trouble off the Court - -all you saw was an individual doing was what he could do - and that was giving what he could to help KU win yet another conference championship and advance in the Tourney - he is ok by me.
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He’s a good guy, but he fricking drove me nuts on offense.
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Notwithstanding what others thought and said during his tenure, I loved LL. He wasn’t the most talented nor the most athletic, but his heart is trophy-worthy.
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bcjayhawk said:
Notwithstanding what others thought and said during his tenure, I loved LL. He wasn’t the most talented nor the most athletic, but his hear is trophy-worthy.
3* but 5
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When they put LL in the starting lineup his junior year, we went 17-1 with him in the lineup. Many fans were hollering about it, but it proved to be the best move by far.
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KUSTEVE said:
When they put LL in the starting lineup his junior year, we went 17-1 with him in the lineup. Many fans were hollering about it, but it proved to be the best move by far.
Here we go again.
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@BShark What was that about?
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KUSTEVE said:
When they put LL in the starting lineup his junior year, we went 17-1 with him in the lineup. Many fans were hollering about it, but it proved to be the best move by far.
100% agree. ducks
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@KUSTEVE Just bracing for impact from HEM.
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I know I’ve connected with Jayhawks in many countries. I see our unique Jayhawk logo everywhere. Hard to imagine what it would be like to be a player after leaving KU. The one thing I know is we have a global community. Family. I’m sure there are some other schools with the same, and maybe I just notice everything KU out there… but it seems like we have the largest fan base over all other college teams.
Anyone have #s out there to support which school has the largest fan base? I’m certain whatever the answer is I will kindly put on my crimson/blue shades and announce Kansas as the clear winner!
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@BShark LOL. LL is on his Jamari list, isn’t he?
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Loved LL. He gave his all here and was instrumental to our success. Glad to see his story about what KU means to him
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To appreciate LL, you had to see – and hear – him (from decent seats in AFH) go set a screen at the top of the key. That’s why the guards loved him
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Hard for me to get that Oregon game out of my head. I was actually saying, don’t pass it to LL.
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KUSTEVE said:
When they put LL in the starting lineup his junior year, we went 17-1 with him in the lineup. Many fans were hollering about it, but it proved to be the best move by far.
I remember reading Coach Self ask fellow players who they wanted - they said Landen
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KU doesn’t even make it to that Oregon game without Landen. Landen’s rebounding is why KU made it that deep in the tournament because without it, KU isn’t a 1 seed, may not have been in KC, and probably doesn’t reach the E8 because someone else would’ve out rebounded and bounced KU.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 I agree, but we weren’t going any further w/him
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Crimsonorblue22 said:
@Texas-Hawk-10 I agree, but we weren’t going any further w/him
if NOT him then with who? - - he wasn’t the reason for us not going any further - -it was the team right? - - Win as a team - - lose as a team. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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jayballer73 said:
Crimsonorblue22 said:
@Texas-Hawk-10 I agree, but we weren’t going any further w/him
if NOT him then with who? - - he wasn’t the reason for us not going any further - -it was the team right? - - Win as a team - - lose as a team. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
I remember thinking, ‘damn, I’m glad that we have Lucas.’ It seemed that he was always in position for every needed rebound.
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I think he took us as far as he was capable. We didn’t have anybody else. Didn’t help josh getting those quick fouls.
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Marco said:
jayballer73 said:
Crimsonorblue22 said:
@Texas-Hawk-10 I agree, but we weren’t going any further w/him
if NOT him then with who? - - he wasn’t the reason for us not going any further - -it was the team right? - - Win as a team - - lose as a team. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
I remember thinking, ‘damn, I’m glad that we have Lucas.’ It seemed that he was always in position for every needed rebound.
true. - - again not flashy - -not dominant - - yet steady
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Crimsonorblue22 said:
I think he took us as far as he was capable. We didn’t have anybody else. Didn’t help josh getting those quick fouls.
Agree, we definitely had no frontcourt depth. That’s another reason why I’m ready for this coming season - unleash the monsters.
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jayballer73 said:
Marco said:
jayballer73 said:
Crimsonorblue22 said:
@Texas-Hawk-10 I agree, but we weren’t going any further w/him
if NOT him then with who? - - he wasn’t the reason for us not going any further - -it was the team right? - - Win as a team - - lose as a team. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
I remember thinking, ‘damn, I’m glad that we have Lucas.’ It seemed that he was always in position for every needed rebound.
true. - - again not flashy - -not dominant - - yet steady
Yeah, I remember he hardly even played at first, then he did start getting some PT and sometimes when we were getting worked over on the boards I’d yell, “put in Lucas!” He was great at getting position.
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