Unveiling of 2022 NCAA title banner thrills fans at Kansas Jayhawks’ Late Night in Phog
On Friday, Oct. 14, at exactly 8:10 in the evening — six months after the Kansas Jayhawks defeated North Carolina 72-69 in the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball championship game in New Orleans — KU’s national-title banner was unfurled before 16,300 foot-stomping fans at Allen Fieldhouse.
Yes, the 2022 title banner was visible for all to see — right next to banners of the 1922, 1923, 1952, 1988 and 2008 title teams — hanging high in the north rafters of KU’s tradition-rich building.
The moment came at the conclusion of an entertaining 38th annual Late Night in the Phog which included a 15-minute intrasquad scrimmage in which forward Jalen Wilson’s late three sparked the White Team to a 32-31 win over the Blue squad.
Also preceding the banner unfurling was a speech by Kansas coach Bill Self that included his bellowing: “Lawrence, Kansas is the place to be!” as well as the reminder that “We’re the only school in America that gets to celebrate a national championship. We’re the only school in America that can drop one back-to-back!”
What’s more ... before the banner drama, Self wrote a pair of checks for $10,000 apiece to KU sophomore Emma Ryan of Prairie Village, who chose Mario Chalmers to shoot a halfcourt shot for the money (he connected on a fourth try — two extra tries were given Chalmers by Self) and also Yalone Woodruff, a junior from Henderson, Kentucky, who chose to shoot his own halfcourt shot. His third attempt swished through for 10 grand.
The banner ceremony followed the awarding of 2022 NCAA title rings to members of the 2021-22 team in attendance. Self, KU chancellor Douglas Girod and athletic director Travis Goff were there to congratulate each player after Self gave the individual players their rings.
“You come here to try to do that,” Mitch Lightfoot, a forward on the 2022 title team said of hanging a banner for the university and the hoops program. “To be able to actually see that come to fruition and see all the videos from the guys who weren’t able to be here (David McCormack, Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun) was special, very special.”
Of the ring he received, Lightfoot, who reported he’s headed to Germany next week to play pro ball, said: “It takes my words away. I’ve got a lot of rings since I’ve been here. This is by far the most important.”
Lightfoot and Chris Teahan, another player from last year’s NCAA title team, opened the 38th annual Late Night in the Phog. They spoke briefly to the fans from the makeshift stage constructed for Late Night, which included a DJ set from DJ Diesel, aka Shaquille O’Neal.
Shortly after, Teahan joined his brother, Conner Teahan of KU’s 2008 NCAA title team, in a three-point shooting contest. The elder Teahan and a partner from the student body defeated Chris and a student-body member. Final tally: 12 threes to 8.
The KU women’s team’s 15-minute scrimmage featured eight points from Mia Vuksic, whose Blue team lost to the White squad, 27-14. Sanna Strom had seven points for the winning squad.
The men’s scrimmage had a batch of highlights in addition to Wilson’s scrimmage-winning three.
Sophomore point guard Bobby Pettiford, who had missed almost the entire preseason because of a hamstring injury, scored four points and dished two assists with a steal while playing 12 minutes for the losing Blue team.
Wilson had eight points and KJ Adams seven for the White squad; walk-on Michael Jankovich hit three threes for the Blue team, while Cam Martin and Zuby Ejiofor had six points apiece. Dajuan Harris had six points and four assists for the winning squad.
Highlight-reel plays included a floater in the lane by Pettiford, an Ejiofor dunk off a pass off the backboard by Kevin McCullar, who had four assists; a follow-slam by Martin; and two slams from Ernest Udeh.
“This was very cool,” Lightfoot said of Late Night, shortly before DJ Diesel’s set.
“It was nice to see freshness to it. From what I saw when the guys were playing ... Coach won’t be too upset with them. They played some defense tonight.”
This story was originally published October 14, 2022 at 9:16 PM.
