Instead of opening the regular season at home against a mid-major opponent as has been the case the first 13 years of the Bill Self era, Kansas’ basketball team has embarked on something radically different.
The No. 3-ranked Jayhawks, who flew commercially out of KC International on Tuesday morning, will cover about 10,000 air miles in eight days — first taking on No. 11 Indiana Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center on the University of Hawaii campus, then moving on to New York for Tuesday’s Champions Classic contest against No. 1 Duke in Madison Square Garden.
“Initially when it was done, I wasn’t really hip on the idea,” Self said of agreeing to a challenging start.
His Jayhawks have opened with the likes of Chattanooga, Vermont, Idaho State, Northern Arizona, Louisiana Monroe, UMKC, Hofstra, Longwood, Towson, Southeast Missouri State, Louisiana at Monroe, UC Santa Barbara and Northern Colorado the past 13 campaigns.
“I don’t think anybody would be hip on the idea of traveling to Hawaii for one game and turn around and fly to New York when you know that is when it (jet lag) will hit you — a five-hour difference over five time zones playing the No. 1 team in the country,” Self said. “It’s probably not the brightest scheduling anyone has ever done.”
“The reality is it being the 75th anniversary of (Japan’s attack on) Pearl Harbor and playing (Indiana) on Veterans Day … the significance to me is having your team experience something and appreciate something that is bigger than a season-opener,” Self added.
The Jayhawks, who are meeting the Hoosiers in the fifth Armed Forces Classic — a one-day event sponsored by ESPN that is meant to bring college basketball games to members of the U.S. military — will tour the USS Arizona Memorial on Wednesday and also hold a clinic for kids in Honolulu.
“I do believe this to be the case, three survivors of the attack are going to address our team. Their ages I believe are 94, 95, 96,” Self said. “To be able to do something that is so much bigger than the actual game and how educational it could potentially be for our guys … I think would give everyone, including myself and everybody involved with our party and the other teams’ parties a unique perspective on what it’s all about. I think that right there makes the trip worth it regardless of people saying, ‘Well that wasn’t a smart schedule.’ I agree it wasn’t a smart schedule basketball-wise, but in the big picture I think it was a really smart schedule.”
UConn and Michigan State played in the first Armed Forces Classic game in 2012 in Ramstein, Germany. In 2013 it was Georgetown vs. Oregon in Pyongtaek, South Korea. Louisville and Minnesota met in 2014 in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Pitt and Gonzaga squared off last year in Okinawa, Japan, in a game called at halftime because of condensation on the court and unsafe floor conditions. The condensation issue is one of the reasons this year’s game is being played at the University of Hawaii instead of in a base hangar. Air conditioning would have had to be installed for such an event at Pearl Harbor.
“It’s always been the goal to provide a slice of home to the men and women in uniform who serve our country,” Clint Overby, vice president, ESPN Events, said of the purpose of the event.
The Classic games are part of ESPN’s, “America’s Heroes: A Salute to Our Veterans initiative” honoring the those who have served and are serving in the United States military.
“It’s been a great event for the military. They’ve embraced the event. We’ve been working with the DOD (Department of Defense) since the 2012 event when we were in Ramstein. By all accounts, it’s been a great arrangement between both parties. Take good teams and go where the troops are stationed,” Overby said.
“What we’ve experienced is there is high enthusiasm for the opportunity. It’s been well received by the military, well received by all the teams that have attended. It’s been a rewarding experience on all fronts.”
KU’s players are enthused about participating in the school’s first Armed Forces Classic.
“It definitely will be meaningful playing in front of people who protect and represent our country. It’s going to be amazing,” KU freshman guard Josh Jackson said.
“I mean they do such great things for our country,” senior forward Landen Lucas said. “It’s going to be awesome to meet them, go out there and put a show on for them.”
Senior Tyler Self said he’d, “been to the Pearl Harbor memorial once before. I’m real excited to go there again. I’m older and will be able to understand more of what’s going on. I was told we’ll get to talk to a vet who was on one of the ships when Pearl Harbor got attacked. It will be cool to see the bases there and hang out with some of the people in the military. It’s exciting for us. It will be a great experience for all of us and something I’m looking forward to.”