“Few are privileged to wear the colors of Kansas. … “

While they may not put it quite that way, about 190 members of the Kansas University basketball family here this weekend for the 105-year anniversary festivities are deeply proud they fit into that unique category.

Sub or superstar, they played here, or maybe just practiced a lot. Whatever the case, they are part of a family that has grown steadily closer under the leadership in loyalty by Roy Williams and his people.

My only regret is that the inimitable optimist Bob Billings won’t be able to share in the enjoyment.

First time I heard the “colors” approach was on March 1, 1955, the night KU dedicated Allen Fieldhouse. Phog Allen assistant Dick Harp was making the last-second pitch to an underdog Jayhawk squad. Phog had absented himself from the dressing room. He turned things over to Harp. Doc said he didn’t want to make the Jayhawks think they needed to win for him.

“You want to win for yourselves!” he stressed repeatedly to all his teams.

Harp, who’d worn those colors, followed his dramatic opening by reminding the squad that nobody in KU history had been in quite the same situation — dedicating an arena to an icon. His voice quivering, Dick pleaded simply that, win or lose, the players leave the court having given their best for the special occasion.

That’s what Gene Elstun, Maurice King, Dallas Dobbs, John Parker, Gary Padgett, Bill Brainard, Lew Johnson and John Anderson did. They stunned heavily favored Kansas State, 77-67, with a furious effort.

Later, an exhausted Elstun remarked: “Do you think we wanted to be remembered as the guys who lost to Kansas State the night they dedicated this place?”

Times have changed and there are lots of new factors in the mix, many of them aberrations and distractions. But I bet you’ll find few Jayhawk basketeers who won’t tell you that one of their proudest moments was getting that first letter to put on a sweater or jacket.

Maybe now the premium is on championship rings, league, NCAA and the like. KU guys have a lot of those. And lotsa money, of course. But lettering that first time at Kansas means as much to most guys as it did back in the more innocent 1930s when there was no television or even an NCAA Tournament. You had joined The Club.

Naive? Why other than intense pride would Wilt Chamberlain wear his letter jacket for his jersey dedication here? Clyde Lovellette, Bill Lienhard, Bill Hougland, Bob Kenney, Dean and Allen Kelley, Charlie Hoag, Dean Smith and all the lads on the ’52 title team wore those colors with tremendous pride, and still treasure those jackets. Most covet those monograms.

KU has never been as receptive and encouraging for its basketball family as it is today under Williams. No matter who the coach might have been, these guys are all Jayhawks in the Williams scheme. You can’t be around a gathering of eagles like the creation of this latest aerie and not realize how much “wearing the colors” has meant to them.

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Back to my recent reference to Jayhawk white guys who could jump, really jump, and did it 50 years or so ago, I featured Gary Padgett, Harry Gibson and John Cleland, who’ve done many good after-basketball things for KU. Didn’t intend to slight the Rozel Kangaroo, the incomparable Harold Patterson. John Drake, a 1954-56 KU football tackle, made doggone sure I didn’t.

Drake, retired here after more than 30 years with Southwestern Bell, wants Prince Hal to get his just dues, since John, an Attica kid, was a big admirer when Pat was leaping tall buildings with a single bound on the 1953 and 1954 KU court teams. (By the way, Drake’s Attica roots were in Kansas, not the prison riot location.)

I’d like to spin the clock back to watch these guys in a leapfest. Patterson, at only 6-foot-1, would more than hold his own.

Hal was at Garden City Community College two years, then at KU for the ’52 and ’53 football seasons (end/halfback) and the ’53 and ’54 basketball campaigns. Olympian Al Kelley, a teammate, sings his praises for a lot of things, including Patterson’s soaring proclivities. Hal also lettered as a baseball shortstop here, then went to Canada for football.

Pat played 14 seasons in Canada as a brilliant receiver, defender, halfback and anything else they needed. Prince Hal is in the Canadian Hall of Fame. He’s been rather incognito for some time, but he farms in the area of U.S. Highway 156 between Burdett and Larned. Hope he’s back this weekend.

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Got a note from Brad Padgett, the proud son of banker Gary. Brad said he grew up hearing stories about Gary’s regularly hurdling over a lofty hedge row at his parents’ house.

“Then when I was about 18 years old, I can recall shooting baskets with my dad at the goal attached to our garage. I was in the prime of my jumping ability, standing at 6-0, and could barely dunk a volleyball. I can recall my dad standing flat-footed under the goal and jumping up with ease to stuff the ball over the rim with both hands. This was some 20 years after he graduated. I’m now 41 … roughly the same age he was when he gave me a glimpse of his leaping talent,” Brad said.

“He is an amazing individual. … in excellent condition, highly motivated and with unbelievable focus. … bank branches in Greenleaf, Clay Center, Belleville, Concordia, Lansing and Leavenworth. … On the eve of his 70th birthday, I’m not so sure he couldn’t still stand flat-footed under a goal, jump up and slip one over the rim.”

Why not during the 105th reunion of Jayhawks here this weekend, guys? Like halftime of the Iowa State game?