University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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Living the dream EVCI' since he was two years old, Brad Witherspoon dreamed of playing basketball for the University of Kansas. The junior from Humboldt doesn't have to dream anymore, he was picked to join the team after Sunday, October 29th's open tryouts. Monday morning, Kansas assistant coach Tim J ankovich made the call to inform Witherspoon of Kansas' decision to give him a spot on the team. I was leaving my first class Monday and coach Jankovich called me and was like, 'Why are you out of class, Witherspoon said. HI said tWe got out early, cut me some slackf Then J ankovich said, 'Well, we think you can be that guy to come in and bring the intensity we need in practice. Witherspoon did not know what to say after he found out. It felt like I was floating, Witherspoon said. HI was walking up the hill, but it felt like I was floating up the hill. Jackie Witherspoon, Brad's mom, was the first person Brad called when he found out he made the Jayhawk basketball team. Brad has wanted this for a long timej, she said. 4'Ever since he was itty-bitty he pretended he was playing for the Hawks.', Interestingly, neither of his parents went to the University of Kansas for their undergraduate degrees, and his mom has no idea where his passion for Kansas basketball came from. 'Tm a K-State grad, and his dad went to college in Missouri at Drury, Jackie said. Jackie did, however, earn her master's degree from Kansas. Brad said his passion for KU basketball really UDK 10118 began once his brother was at KU. Witherspoon remembers attending his first KU basketball game, back when Greg Ostertag was on the team. 'fl ended up falling asleep on the bench, he said with a smirk. 'gBut I was a big Jacque Vaughn fan, and I still have an autographed poster of Greg Ostertag in my house as we speak. His high school coach, Craig Smith, encouraged Brad to look at Division II schools. 'tHe had offers from every JUCO around and a couple of D-2 schoolsf, Smith, now the Athletics Director at Humboldt High School, said. 'LI almost encouraged him to go to a D-2 school, but from day one, he was always set on KUF' Witherspoon said back in high school, everyone would ask him about his future. I told them, Tm going to KU,, and everyone thought I was an idiotj' he said. 'tLike, what the hell are you doing? Witherspoon was an all-state selection his senior year in 2004 at Humboldt High. He finished his high school career as the fourth-leading scorer in the schoolls history. He was a superb athlete on the basketball team, Smith, his high school coach, said. f'He is a very coachable kid, very humble. With him making the KU team, it shows if you work your butt off, good things happen to good people. Iam just overwhelmed here, Brad said. My mom is more overwhelmed than I am. She is getting e-mails and calls from people she doesn't even know. It's just been crazy.