Honorable mentions:
- At UND, 2001: When making the non-conference schedule, Roy Williams has always been big on giving seniors a chance to play close to home during their senior year. For that I am truly grateful, because if Jeff Boschee wasn't from North Dakota, there is no way in a million years that KU ever comes up for a basketball game. I was 19, and this was was my first look at KU in person. I'll never forget it.
(Neither will Jerome Beasley, who went nuts on KU and immediately jumped on the radar of NBA scouts everywhere. Based largely on that game, he was actually drafted in '03 by Miami, but almost immediately flamed out and was soon playing Noonball with us on UND's campus. In games to 15, he would score at least 12 of the points, with all of us hanging on his arms and back like six-year-olds playing against their dad in the driveway, and yet he claimed those were his "workouts to get him back in the League." I don't know if he is still getting paid to play basketball anymore, but I do know that he spends time in jail from to time to time beause he owes hundreds of thousands in child support. There's a lesson in there somewhere, and that lesson is related to how you spend your off-season if you're a professional basketball player.)
- Vs. Baylor, 2009. My first time sitting in Zim's high-roller seats. After only watching games from seats closer to the ceiling than to the floor, this game was eye-opening. I'd give my remaining testicle for just one season of season tickets directly behind KU's bench.
- Vs. Ohio St., 2011. Dude, I was all over ESPN that day. Holler at me, Jay Bilas.
- Vs. Texas, 2011. This might sound weird, since this is the only game that KU has lost at home since I moved here over five years ago, and the game that broke their 69-game home winning streak. But it was still an experience. Thomas Robinson's mom died unexpectedly the night before. The whole team and coaching staff stayed up and consoled him all night, so they were going on zero hours of sleep coming into the 3pm game. Kyle and I (and many others) knew what was going on since we were internet savvy, but I'd guess at least half the crowd had no idea what had happened until there was a moment of silence immediately before the game. KU played their hearts out in probably the most emotionally charged game I've ever seen live (not including #1 on this list) but they didn't have enough in the end. And not to blame this loss on T-Rob's mom dying or anything, but if that hadn't happened, KU would probably be sitting on a 101-game home winning streak right now. That's almost as ridiculous as Bill Self having more consecutive conference titles than home losses in his KU career. (If you're a non-KU fan, you're probably hovering your mouse over the red 'X' button on your Internet Explorer right now. I promise, there's nowhere to go but up for this post.)
The top 5:
#5. Vs. Missouri, 2009
I scalped a ticket to this game by myself, since they were retiring my all-time favorite Jayhawk Kirk Hinrich, and even though I couldn't find anyone willing to throw down money and go with me (Missouri games are NOT cheap) I couldn't forgive myself if I didn't go. We absolutely destroyed Mizzou that day, and there ended up being a professional panoramic picture taken of the Fieldhouse crowd that day (this one, actually). If you know where to look, and you look closely, you can see me standing up and throwing up the 3-ball sign that has since become insanely popular. I ended up buying and framing that picture, and if you've been to my house even once, rest assured I've gone out of my way to point myself out in the crowd to you while you pretend like you're interested. (I appreciate your faux-interest, by the way.)
#4. Vs. Texas Tech, 2004
My first time at the Fieldhouse. Pure magic. I have AT LEAST seven or eight shitty photos from an old disposable camera to prove it. Plus Bobby Knight got ejected and we got to taunt the shit out of him, so that was fun.
But mostly magic.
#3. Vs. Iowa St., 2013
Damn that game was fun. There isn't the opportunity for many buzzer beaters at home for KU, but when there does happen to be one, we know what to do. (For what it's worth, this is not my video below, but it does the job.)
Also, regarding Ben McLemore and how awesome he is and how much I love him even though he's guaranteed to be a one-and-done at this point....he could leave for the NBA right now, like TODAY, just say "Sup guys, I'm gonna go work out and just get ready for the draft for the next six months. Kiss the rings, I'm out." And I wouldn't even be mad at him. I'd still remember him more fondly than Xavier Henry and Josh Selby combined. You do you, Benny Mac.
#2. Vs. Texas, 2008 (Big 12 title game in Kansas City)
Just an extrordinarily well-played game that kick-started KU's run to the National Championship. (It's easy to forget for Jayhawk fans now, but if KU loses this game, Texas gets the last #1 seed, and suddenly instead of playing Davidson in the Elite 8, KU probably gets UCLA.) Chalmers hit eight 3's, Rush had six, DJ Augustin tore KU's defense up, there was tons of trash talk both ways....just a fun game to watch.
Immediately afterwards, Kyle and I hopped in his car and were speeding back to Lawrence to catch the Selection Show, and we had a classic Terry (Kyle and Ben's dad) Moment. Terry is a KU fan himself, and Kyle called him to see how he enjoyed the game (which, I can't stress enough, was the most well-played college basketball game I had ever seen, as well as the clincher for a Big 12 tournament title and a probable #1 seed. A reason to be overjoyed, if there ever was one.) Terry's immediate response? "What the fuck was Brandon Rush doing on that inbounds play with 30 seconds left? Somebody tell him to get his head out of his ass!"
Classic.
#1. Vs. Missouri, 2012
Unless they give Brady Morningstar another year of eligibility and he drops 100 points in a game, or I get called down at halftime and hit a halfcourt shot for a million dollars, or Jean-Claude Van Damme fights a terrorist disguised as a mascot and ends up saving the Fieldhouse from getting blown up as soon as the final buzzer sounds......until something like that happens, this game will probably never be topped for me. Last game against our biggest rival (who KU has played every year since 1907) before they leave for the SEC; playing for the Big 12 regular season title; coming back from a 19-point second half deficit to win in OT.....just insanity. Somebody offered me $900 cash before the game for my ticket, and I said no way. I'll be honest, there was more than one occasion in the second half, when KU was getting killed, that I kinda wished I would've sold the ticket. After the way it ended....$900 would've been a steal for that guy. Bill Self was more fired up after this win than anything I've ever seen during March Madness, including the championship.
