Kansas basketball: Next chapter begins for Landen Lucas

Kansas basketball fans will miss workhorse Landon Lucas. After 5-years he begins the next chapter of his basketball life in the NBA summer league.

Whether Kansas basketball fans love him or not, Bill Self will miss Landen Lucas this fall. The 6-foot-10, 240 pound forward from Portland has the brains to make it in the NBA. On Wednesday, he will get an opportunity to start showing the Boston Celtics just how valuable he can be to a team.

As a matter of fact,  only 17 players in the history of Kansas basketball pulled down over 700 rebounds. Lucas did that and led the team in rebounds 19 times last season. In January, his 18 points in the win against KSU on 8 of 10 shooting were huge. In the conference opener at TCU, he scored 15 points and hustled his way to 17 rebounds. The effort earned him Big 12 Player of the Week honors.

Lucas’ court sense and work ethic are incredibly valuable as he does the little things most fans miss. He sets the screens, hits the floor and is a difference maker. I hope the Celtics see in Landon what Bill Self saw. He worked out for nearly a dozen NBA teams, according to Kansas City Star and had offers from five teams.

More from Through the Phog

• Kansas basketball: Esteemed recruit Jalil Bethea to announce college decision tomorrow
• Kansas football: Lassiter brothers exchange good-natured banter on social media
• Kansas basketball: Liam McNeeley cuts list to two, includes Jayhawks and Indiana
• Kansas football: Reviewing Jayhawks PFF grades, snap counts from win over Nevada
• Kansas football: JB Brown emerging as star for Jayhawks defense

On Monday, The Celtics’ summer league team opens play in the Utah Jazz Summer League in Salt Lake City. The Las Vegas summer league runs July 7-17. Lucas and the Celtics will play in that also.  Many of the games are on television.  Tune in and watch former Kansas basketball stars in action.