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Published on: 1/18/2002 Last Visited: 1/17/2003
Alonzo Jamison's
road to basketball glory at Kansas had a few bumps along the way. After signing
with Kansas out of Rancho Santiago Junior College (Santa
Ana, Calif.) in May of 1988, Jamison saw KU coach Larry Brown leave for the pros
a month and half later. Then, Roy Williams was hired in July when
Jamison learned he was
academically ineligible and would have to sit out the 1988-89 season.
"Coach Williams had told me he would recruit me again if
I wanted to go back to junior college another year," Jamison
said. "That's when I knew he was genuine and really on a
level that you don't see that often in Division I. I decided it would be a lot
better if I sat out a year and learned the system and try to help the team out
the year after."
After sitting out the season, Jamison was then sidelined
an additional semester for failure to meet NCAA eligibility requirements. The
year and a half layoff was a trying time for Jamison,
who learned a great deal about perseverance and overcoming adversity.
He said the struggles made him a better person.
"That's when I finally knew (being declared academically ineligible the fall of
1989) I was going to have to buckle down and do my job,"
Jamison said. "It sort of prepared me for life. Nobody really cares.
After you play ball, you're a has been. You have to make your own way in life.
Nobody's going to do it for you."
...
A tenacious battler and unselfish player, Jamison
(6-foot-6, 225 pounds) eventually won over the hearts of the KU faithful and
Williams with his work ethic and defense. Williams
called Jamison the "quickest learner I've ever coached"
and one of the top defensive players he's had.
Jamison, who ranks No. 6 at KU in career steals,
possessed the strength and quickness to stop opponents both on the wing and in
the post.
"He's had a lot of good defensive players,"
Jamison said. "He's had a lot of
good players, period. To even be mentioned in that type of context is kind of
special... Anybody could score. At least that was my mentality. It was one of
those things where it takes a very special person to go out and shut somebody
down."
...
Jamison was, indeed, a very special player. He'll
probably be most remembered by KU fans for leading the ‘Hawks into the 1991
Final Four with his career game against Arkansas.
Jamison, who scored 26 points and hauled down 9
rebounds, was masterful in keying a second half comeback win.
He earned Most Outstanding Player of the Southeast Regional.
"To tell you the truth, I don't remember a lot," said Jamison
about the victory. "I was more in a zone. People get in a zone and they don't
think about what you're doing. You just react. I just felt the rim was a little
bit bigger than what everybody else was looking at."
Unfortunately, KU lost to Duke in the title game.
...
After concluding his collegiate career (10.0 ppg in
1991-92), Jamison tried his luck
with professional basketball. He was released by Denver
in rookie camp and then sliced by the Los Angeles Lakers in veterans camp.
Jamison next played six months in Sweden and two months
in France. A few months later upon returning home in 1993,
Jamison ruptured his Achilles and had surgery.
He then decided to give up the game.
"It was pretty difficult at the time," Jamison said. "It
was one of those things where my body was falling apart pretty good (Jamison
also had knee surgery after being cut by Los Angeles) so there wasn't a lot I
could do about it. The mind was willing but the body wasn't."
Jamison admits there were other reasons
he quit basketball.
"I was so instilled with the team atmosphere and team game in college, I
couldn't take myself out of that realm and put it towards the individual one on
one game," Jamison said. "I think that was my biggest
downfall... The professional level is completely different than the college
level. For college, you're playing for pride of the school. Professionally, it's
a business."
Jamison moved on with his life
and became a manager for Applebees restaurant in 1994.
After working there two years, he changed professions
and entered the banking business. He was a branch
manager for Commerce Bank in Kansas City for four years
before switching to Bank of Blue Valley. Jamison works
with commercial lending as the business development manager for the past year.
"I enjoy meeting people and getting to know people's needs and try to fit our
product with what their needs are," he said.
When he's not working, Jamison keeps busy spending time
with his wife and three children. And, of course,
he follows the Jayhawks. Jamison
calls Williams about once a month, "just to see where his
head is and give him a pat on the back and let him know he's
still the man." The California native will never forget the statement Williams
made at the awards banquet in 1992 - that Jamison meant
so much to the program, he would give the shirt off
his back to him.
"It's one of those things that is still in my mind," Jamison
said. "He's a very special person. For somebody to
believe in me and my skills when he didn't even know me
to tell me he would recruit me again out of loyalty not
only from him but the university, we can just say that coach is one of my
closest friends."
Jamison admits their relationship was rough at first.
"All friendships are going to have a rocky stage," Jamison
said. "Ours was at the beginning. I'm just glad he saw
something in me that he liked, and we just persevered.
I've been through a lot with that man."