Vick’s mom ‘cried like a baby’ reading text from son about his 32-point game for KU
Lagerald Vick’s mother, La La, was back in her hometown of Memphis, not in Allen Fieldhouse, for her son’s career-high 32-point performance against Vermont on Monday night.
She watched on TV and enjoyed the ESPN2 crew’s words of praise for KU’s 6-foot-5 senior guard, who hit 12 of 14 shots and made all eight threes he attempted in the No. 2-ranked Jayhawks’ 84-68 victory over the unranked, mid-major Catamounts.
“The text he (Lagerald) sent me after the game brought tears to my eyes and put a smile in my heart,” La La Vick told the Star on Tuesday in an instant message on social media. “He said, ‘I LOVE YOU MA ... THAT GAME WAS FOR YOU!!!!’ I cried like a baby….lol,” La La Vick added.
She said she had an idea Lagerald would have a big game after she text an inspirational message prior to KU’s home opener.
It read: “When GOD says it’s SHOWTIME there ain’t a single person that can say ‘cut.’’’
“That means that when God speaks … things happen,” La La told The Star. “Whatever God has for ‘Boomain’ (her nickname for Lagerald), nobody can stop it.”
She added: “Honestly....my mom and I planted the seed years ago. A few days ago I posted on Twitter that I have a seed in the ground and it’s blooming. I was speaking about ‘Boomain.’ He is special. I have other children and they are all special in their own way. So each seed will bloom when God speaks.”
La La Vick noted that she wants to attend all of her son’s games, but finances are limited.
“I saved enough to make it to New York. That’s why I didn’t come last night. I couldn’t afford it...lol....my mom, brother and best friend all pitched in to get me there (New York),” La La said in an instant message of next week’s trip to Brooklyn for KU’s games against Marquette (Nov. 21) and either Tennessee or Louisville (Nov. 23).
Vick’s torrid shooting on Monday (the 8-of-8 from three set a school record for most threes made in a game without a miss) led coach Bill Self to call the 32-point outburst “the best offensive game that I’ve ever had a player have, whenever I’ve coached them.”
A check of the record books during the Self era indicates Vick’s 32 points tied for sixth-most by a KU player in Self’s 16 seasons in Lawrence.
Andrew Wiggins scored 41 points on March 8, 2014, at West Virginia; Elijah Johnson 39 points on Feb. 25, 2013 at Iowa State and Ben McLemore 36 points on March 2, 2013 versus West Virginia. Devonté Graham had 35 points twice — against Syracuse on Dec. 2, 2017 and versus Toledo on Nov. 28, 2017. McLemore, Wayne Selden, Marcus Morris, Sherron Collins and Julian Wright each had 33 in a game for KU. Others to score 32: Simien, Collins, Malik Newman, Frank Mason and Perry Ellis.
“He had 28 against Washington,” Self said of Vick’s previous career high, “and on his worst night, the worst he could have got was 28. They dared him to score (in middle of Washington’s zone).”
Vick’s previous career best mark of 28 points came in a 74-65 loss to Washington last Dec. 6 at the Sprint Center.
“Tonight they didn’t (dare him),” Self added. “He made some hard plays and I’m so happy for him. Especially after he didn’t have a great game offensively against Michigan State (two points, 1-of-7 shooting in KU’s 92-87 season-opening win). He was so good, and he carried us. If we didn’t have him early in the game we’d have been down 12 or 14.”
Vick, who is a man of few words in interviews, said simply of his performance: “Just really, it’s senior year, so you’ve got to go out with a bang.”
Vick’s career-high outburst came on the same night junior preseason All-American Dedric Lawson failed to score for the first time in his career.
Lawson — he was 0-for-6 shooting after scoring 20 points on chilly 5-of-18 shooting in the opener — had a previous low of six points three times (versus UConn, South Carolina and IUPUI) in his freshman year at Memphis. His low his sophomore season at Memphis was eight points versus East Carolina and Mississippi.
“We saw the worst Dedric will ever play in his life,” Self said of the transfer. “Even when he’s playing rec ball when he’s 55 years old he will never have a game like he did tonight.”
Asked if he was concerned about Lawson, Self said: “I do worry a little bit. I thought he played very unathletically tonight. He got every shot blocked it seemed like. When they had him pushed off the spot, he shot some marginal shots. Then he had some decent looks that didn’t go in. He had a drive to a layup that he’s got to make. The biggest thing is that he wasn’t engaged tonight. We have got to have him engaged. He’s way too good of a player to have nights like that. I think it’s good for us. I think it’s good that different guys have to step up. … Really when you look at it, the one consistent performer we’ve had is Udoka (Azubuike, 23 points, 11 boards versus Vermont; 17 points, four blocks vs. Michigan State). He’s just getting better and better every day.”
KU will next meet Louisiana at 7 p.m. Friday in Allen Fieldhouse.
Gary Bedore
Gary Bedore covers University of Kansas athletics for The Star.
This story was originally published November 13, 2018 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Vick’s mom ‘cried like a baby’ reading text from son about his 32-point game for KU."