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Downs |
Steve Downs gave his son a basketball the day he was born. Not long after that, Micah Downs learned the importance of the team his father rooted for with unbridled passion, even if the West Coast native didn't know the location of his father's favorite team. "I was probably 5- or 6-years-old, and my dad showed me this old T-shirt he had as a kid that had Kansas on it," Downs said, "I was like, ‘Kansas?' I'd never heard of them."
Monday, Downs knew of Kansas University and the significance the school would hold for him and his family when he announced that he had made an oral commitment to enroll at KU in the fall of 2005. "My dad was a big fan growing up and loved the great tradition," said Downs, a 6-foot-8 high school junior from Bothell (Wash.) High with long-range shooting skills. "I think I really began liking them because of him. When I started getting recruited heavily, they became more a part of my picture, and I knew it would be a good place for me.
"I was leaning toward Kansas all year, they were my favorite. But I didn't know if I would pick them. Then on my recruiting visit, I pretty much knew it was the school for me." Downs told KU coach Bill Self on Sunday that he was choosing Kansas over Duke and Gonzaga. He was the first junior to commit to KU for 2005. "The tradition is unbelievable," Downs said. "With James Naismith inventing the game and guys like Wilt Chamberlain playing there, it's going to be awesome to be a part of it." For his family, too.
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"This is like winning the lottery to me," said Steve Downs, who played high school football in the Seattle area, but has several ties to Kansas. His grandfather was born in the Sunflower State in 1885. "This is a dream come true for me. I always wanted him to play for Kansas. He'll get to play for the most tradition-rich program in the country."
Downs' mother, Gerri, was the only one accompanying Micah on his lone recruiting visit this past weekend, so Downs' first game in Allen Fieldhouse will be his father's first, too. "I've never had that opportunity to get to watch my favorite team," Steve said. "Now I'll have the chance to watch my favorite team and my favorite basketball player."
Downs earned first-team King County 4A honors in his first season at Bothell High in suburban Seattle, averaging 19.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Bothell High coach Ron Bollinger calls Downs "a gifted athlete." Despite his size, Downs weighs just 175 pounds.
"He needs to get a lot stronger," Bollinger said, "but he's just a junior and should add weight next year." Downs' main strengths, his coach said, were his athleticism and his ability to shoot from long range. "When he penetrates, he can get bumped and still finish," Bollinger said. "And he can shoot from way deep. If they move the three-point line back like they say they will, it won't bother him."
Downs, rated the 22nd player in the Class of 2005 by Rivals.com, was born in Auburn, Wash., and spent his elementary years in Yakima, Wash. He moved to Mexico, Mo., in sixth grade when his maternal grandmother was sick. Because of his father's construction work, the family moved to Las Vegas, where Downs spent eighth, ninth and part of 10th grade. But then his paternal grandfather fail ill, and the Downs moved to Butte, Mont., until last summer, when they settled back in the Seattle area.
"I don't mind the rain," Downs said. "But I also like hot, dry weather." While Kansas' climate should suit the guard quite well, it was Self's character that finally sold Downs on Mount Oread. "Probably the talk that I had with coach Self and the coaches, and people around him," Downs said of his deciding factor. "The campus is real big, there's always a packed house, Kansas will always be in the tournament, and they're a championship-caliber team that could go all the way and play in the Final Four. "When I got down to KU and met everybody, I just knew it was the place for me to be. You just know when something's right, and I knew this was it."