Walk-ons provide boost from bench
Vinson, Bahe cheer, contribute in practice
Kansas University’s big-time basketball standouts such as Wayne Simien, Keith Langford and Aaron Miles might be the ones putting smiles on the faces of fans in the stands.
But at the same time, there is an ensemble cast of less heralded KU bench players helping the big guns keep pumped up on and off the floor.
“We’re pretty entertaining over there. I’m sure it would be real interesting if there was a camera on us all the time,” KU junior guard Stephen Vinson said. “We have no real inhibitions. We just kind of let loose.”
Probably no one leads the reserves’ hooting-and-hollering section better than walk-ons Vinson and sophomore guard Nick Bahe.
“My role right now is to do whatever I can in both practice and games to get the guys ready to play,” said Bahe, a former standout high school football player from Lincoln, Neb., who chose to keep his career on the court rather than the gridiron for the Cornhuskers.
“On practice days, it’s our job to provide a good look from our upcoming opponents on the scout team. Then on game days, it’s an even bigger role to keep the guys energized, to keep their heads up.”
No Jayhawk seems to excel at that as much as the enthusiastic Bahe.
“He’s always out there doing his thing, but I kind of always find my little spot at the front of the line,” said Vinson of Bahe, who heads the Jayhawks’ greeting line during pregame warm-ups.
The aspiring sports broadcaster meets each of the KU starters with a signature handshake or hug, but also admits to having a handful of various chest bumps in his repertoire.
Jayhawks Stephen Vinson, left, Nick Bahe, Center, and Sasha Kaun cheer from the bench. Vinson and Bahe pride themselves on their ability to fire up their teammates.
“The first game of the year, no one was standing out there, so I just slowly moseyed on out there, and no one ever said anything,” Bahe said. “I guess they just accepted it, and that’s how that began.”
Vinson was a standout at Lawrence High who always dreamed of playing at the legendary local university.
Bahe turned down several scholarship offers and even spurned the tradition of following the footsteps of his father and uncle to play football at Nebraska.
Neither regrets his decision to take on a limited role to play at such a prestigious basketball school.
“This has been everything I dreamed about. I mean, I would be lying if I didn’t say I don’t miss playing, and being in the heat of the battles,” Bahe said. “But being a part of this is really special.”
The two even have had their share of success off the bench, too.
For Vinson, one of the highlights of his career was logging minutes in Kansas’ lopsided defeat of Marquette during the 2003 Final Four. Earlier this season, during the Jayhawks’ fall trip to Canada, Vinson had his best game statistically when he scored nine points, dished eight assists and tallied four steals in KU’s rout of Langara College.
Bahe, on the other hand, has played in 11 regular-season games this year and scored 12 points. Still, his most meaningful action took place last season in his hometown, when he hit a couple of big three-pointers during Kansas’ loss at Nebraska.
“Moments like that make it all worth it,” Vinson said, “especially come this time of year during the tournament.”
While the walk-ons’ personalities differ, Bahe says the one thing in common is their love for basketball.
“Steve brings more raw encouragement, where I might bring more of the antics,” said a smiling Bahe. “But together we’re lights-out off the bench.”
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Photos: Last Dance
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