No. 14 Kansas will close its regular season Saturday afternoon against rival Kansas State, but before the ball tips inside Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks will pause to celebrate Senior Day. Kansas will wear its special senior day crimson uniforms.
Kansas (21-9, 11-6 Big 12) will honor six seniors: Nginyu “Gee” Ngala, Jayden Dawson, Tre White, Wilder Evers, Melvin Council Jr. and Justin Cross, along with senior manager Abby Patterson before facing the Wildcats in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT on CBS.
For many of the seniors, the moment represents the end of a journey that brought them to one of college basketball’s most historic programs.
“This is what I’ve been working towards my whole entire life because this place is so special,” Evers said in a social media post. “It’s just a blessing to be part of the Jayhawk family and it means a lot to me.”
The emotions of Senior Day will meet the intensity of one of college basketball’s longest rivalries. Kansas leads the all-time series 204-97 and has won 19 straight meetings against Kansas State in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks also have not lost a home regular-season finale since the 1983-84 season.
But Saturday’s game will be about more than rivalry history for the players being honored.
“People always say Rock Chalk forever, once a Jayhawk always a Jayhawk,” Cross said. “And I’m truly proud and grateful to be a Jayhawk forever.”
Ngala’s journey to this moment started thousands of miles away.
“Just a small kid from Montreal just dreaming to play college basketball one day in the States,” Ngala said. “To playing his final game with Kansas on his chest, it’s something I’ll cherish forever.”
Dawson said the opportunity to play at Kansas is something he will always remember.
“This was really a once in a lifetime experience that I’ll forever be grateful and blessed to live,” Dawson said. “Looking back on this, this will forever be one of the best moments of my life.”
The Jayhawks enter the regular-season finale tied with Iowa State for fourth in the Big 12 standings and could finish anywhere from third to fifth before next week’s conference tournament. Bill Self said on Hawk Talk this week that most of the seniors will start on Saturday.
For the seniors, though, Saturday is about one last game in Allen Fieldhouse, and the chance to leave the court as Jayhawks one final time.
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