Brennan Bechard says he has something to prove. Already.

“A little bit, yeah,” Bechard said. “Show some people wrong.”

He really shouldn’t have to. The kid has been on the Kansas University campus a week, is just getting settled into his Intro to Jazz class, and is paying his own way to do so.

Still, he’s already heard the whispers from fans that he didn’t earn his way on the Jayhawk basketball team.

He’s taking it as motivation. And also with a grain of salt.

“You can’t really listen to what everyone thinks,” Bechard said. “Not everyone’s going to like you or agree with what you’re doing. But you can’t listen to that. You just keep moving on.”

The 6-foot sophomore guard became the latest addition to the KU basketball team over the summer. After spending a year at Barton County Community College, where he averaged 8.9 minutes and 2.6 points per game, he received an invitation from Kansas coach Bill Self to walk on to this year’s KU basketball squad.

“It’s definitely crazy,” Bechard said. “I never really thought any of this would really ever happen.”

Bechard doesn’t have to look hard – or far – to find a player to model his game after.

That would be graduated walk-on Steven Vinson, who not only looks similar to Bechard but also graduated from Lawrence High like him.

Vinson, who was nicknamed “The Standard” for his work ethic, played significant minutes for the Jayhawks last season, including a career-high 25 minutes in a 69-56 victory over Cal.

“I think Stephen was very good for KU,” Bechard said. “He did all the right things, played hard, helped them out in practice and last year played quite a few minutes for them. If I could be like him, I think my career would be successful.”

He admits it will be a change from what he’s used to. Known as a sharpshooter – he made 41 percent of his three-point attempts at Barton last season – Bechard knows the walk-on position will ask the most of him outside the actual games.

“It’s definitely a role I know I can accept,” Bechard said. “I’m going to go hard in practice against these guys.”

It’s that kind of selfless mindset that drew Self to Bechard.

“The biggest reason I wanted Brennan here is because he gets it,” Self said. “He’ll help these other young guys develop and mature. I think he’ll be the equal of a Stephen Vinson or Brett Olson or Christian Moody as far as bringing a lot of positive intangibles to our program.”

After talking with Self some after his senior season of high school, Bechard decided a year at Barton County would serve him best. Not only was he born in Great Bend, but he also grew up shooting in that same gym.

With a talented roster of sophomore guards, however, Bechard saw limited time on the floor.

“I would have liked to play a little more, but I think it definitely helped me a lot,” Bechard said. “In our league – the Jayhawk League – there’s a lot of D-I players who didn’t have grades. There’s a lot of good talent there.”

Becoming a Jayhawk also allows Bechard to reunite with a middle-school teammate: freshman Brady Morningstar. The two played together at Lawrence’s Southwest Junior High.

Bechard also has deep ties to KU within his own family. His father, Ray, is the volleyball coach, and his sister, Ashley, was a four-year member of the squad.

Brennan himself attended the Jayhawk basketball camps from fifth through 11th grades.

“When you talk about Kansas, it’s definitely one of the elite schools in the country,” Bechard said. “Just growing

up here and being around Kansas basketball, I’m definitely excited.”