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Kansas basketball: Former Jayhawk shows he can coach

By Stan Unruh

LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 21: David Padgett the interim head coach of the Louisville Cardinals gives instructions to his team in the game against the Southern Illinois Salukis at KFC YUM! Center on November 21, 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 21: David Padgett the interim head coach of the Louisville Cardinals gives instructions to his team in the game against the Southern Illinois Salukis at KFC YUM! Center on November 21, 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Former Kansas basketball player David Padgett is off to a good start as a head coach.  His team finished strong in a weekend win.

Many Kansas basketball fans didn’t appreciate it and didn’t understand it when David Padgett left the Jayhawks. As a matter of fact, I’m still mad he left Lawrence. He could have gone anyplace except Louisville. Why leave Bill Self for Rick Pitino? Especially with everything we know now about Pitino.

Most Kansas basketball fans remember Padgett for just one reason. That wild shot he hit to beat Missouri. I don’t like Padgett for leaving Lawrence but love what he did to the team in Columbia that day in March of 2004. The Jayhawks didn’t just win the game, they knocked their border rivals from the NCAA tournament.

The 6-foot-11 Padgett put one of the first nails in the coffin of Quin Snyder’s college basketball coaching career. His shot to win the game is the final shot ever at the old Hearnes Center. I’m sure that still makes Tiger fans mad. We all know they’d love to see the Border War return.

I smiled thinking about Padgett’s shot when I saw now head coach Padgett leading Louisville against Indiana Saturday on ESPN. Next to Danny Manning, he has to be the tallest coach in the country. I thought the administration in Louisville made a mistake when they kept Padgett on as acting-head coach. I thought his ties to Pitino were too close. Why not let former TCU coach Trent Johnson run the program? It was probably the best decision, considering the players.

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Padgett looked good in his dark suit and red tie on the sideline Saturday. He can challenge officials with more class than Pitino.  The former Jayhawk has learned a lot. His team struggled but finished strong to hold off the Hoosiers. The Cardinals also routed Bryant University Monday night. It’s always good to see former Jayhawks do well.

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