Maybe they didn’t intend it, but the gods of basketball have richly blessed and sometimes even spoiled Kansas University participants and fans for over 100 years. Kentucky, North Carolina, UCLA and a handful of other schools also have been favored, but KU takes a back seat to nobody for long-term success, pride, enjoyment and excitement.

Makes no difference when you began or where you might be on the age scale; if you’re a Jayhawker at heart, you’ve always had something, good or bad, to hold your interest. Graduate, ex-student, athletic nut or faltering grandma or grandpa : you contract the KU virus, you never quite shuck it.

If Kansas State thinks Bill Snyder’s football miracle boosted enrollment, fostered endowments and helped the Purple People hold their heads higher, know that Kansas basketball has been doing that for decades longer, without hitting the depths KSU football did.

Reflect on all the wondrous experiences you as a KU player, coach and follower have been able to savor, like those delicious Christmas holiday tournaments that once created so many delightful experiences in Kansas City – when downtown Kansas City was worthy of great events, shopping sprees and terrific eating orgies. Bet you can’t enumerate all the enjoyment you’ve had via Allen Fieldhouse since 1955, on-site or as a television junkie.

One of the saddest aspects of “league” activity was the elimination of the holiday tournament and installation of the postseason melee. They tried to have both holiday and postseason tourneys in 1976-77, ’77-78 and ’78-79, but judged it too much of a good thing. Bigger money, a la TV, came from the latter event, so guess what we have now. In Dallas again this year.

Oh, for a return to those slap-thigh, rub-gut, convivial K.C. gatherings of the 1950s, 1960s and into the mid-1970s. All bad things end, but so do too many good ones. Countless priceless experiences are included on my delight list.

But check the overall picture and see just how favorably the gods have smiled and orchestrated KU basketball. Much of it happened because of innumerable great people. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good; the Kansas Nation has been doggone lucky in the final analysis, right up to this year’s up-and-down, toddling group of kids who will make a lot of February and March opponents sorry they met.

But first things first. In 1905, the Lawrence Daily World carried an item saying Forrest Allen, probably the world’s best “goal-thrower,” had come to KU after a brilliant career with the Kansas City Athletic Club. Forrest wasn’t even Doc Allen or Phog yet, but he spent a productive year here, set a scoring record of 26 points, then coached at Baker, Haskell and Central Missouri State, while along the line becoming a world-class osteopath. Doc came back to KU full-time in 1920 and accomplished incredible things as a coach, teacher, civic leader and Jayhawk icon.

What did he do to sustain interest until he engineered the NCAA Tournament by 1939? From 1931 to ’43, his KU teams won seven Big Six titles outright and tied for four more. Thank you, gods!

Look what has happened since and what could happen just down the line. Man, we have been truly blessed by so many great gifts! How popular does KU basketball remain, despite the recent slump?

I know a guy who gave up his Kentucky tickets for $450! The gods remain happy; maybe occasionally they also go a little crazy.