Players enjoy gridiron games

Jeremy Case envisions a perfect Saturday unfolding today – a rare day in the school year in which he and his Kansas University’s basketball teammates can blend in with the rest of the student body and enjoy a home football game.

“Sleep in late, get some lunch or breakfast and go to the game and hang out,” Case, KU’s fourth-year junior guard from McAlester, Okla., said, describing his routine for last week’s opener against Northwestern State as well as tonight’s 6 p.m. contest against Louisiana-Monroe.

“The games are great. They have improved so much since I got here. When I first got here, it wasn’t great,” Case said of the atmosphere for Jayhawk football.

“I like football a lot,” added Case, who grew up as an Oklahoma Sooner fan. “I still follow them (Sooners) a little bit. I try to not be too loud about it.”

Case said he could get loud at KU games.

Typically the basketball players sit in the front row on about the 50 yard line on the visitors side of the field – in front of the KU student section.

“We do cheer for them,” Case said of the Jayhawks. “If you don’t cheer, you won’t enjoy it. I kind of got excited last week.”

Sophomore Julian Wright, who can be seen at most KU volleyball home games this time of year, also is vocal at the football contests.

“We are fortunate to sit in good seats down low by the 50-yard line. We try to hold our end of the bargain by screaming and yelling, just like we want to be out there (on the field),” Wright said. “I think it’s fun to see and support other sports like football.”

Wright attended last week’s KU game even though he may have been tempted to stay home and watch his Homewood-Flossmoor High School hoops teammate – Bowling Green quarterback Freddie Barnes – make his collegiate debut against Wisconsin on TV.

Barnes, a 6-foot-2, 206-pound red-shirt freshman, rushed for 158 yards off 29 carries and scored two touchdowns in Bowling Green’s 35-14 loss in Cleveland. He also completed 12 of 19 passes for 82 yards.

“I went to the (KU) game and couldn’t find it on TV (later),” Wright said. “From what I saw, he had a good game. It was his first game. I’m proud of him. He’s definitely going to do well for himself there. I will continue to follow him as well.”

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Song gone: KU coach Bill Self said he would miss the KU pep band’s rendition of “Rock and Roll Part Two” – also known as “The Hey Song” or “The Hey Cheer” – at KU hoops games this season.

KU’s athletic department on Thursday decided to follow the NFL’s lead and ban the song, which was written and performed by Gary Glitter, a British rocker convicted of molesting underage girls in Vietnam.

“I don’t know any of the particulars. I will go along with whatever the university thinks is the right thing to do,” Self said. “I trust the administration.

“I will say if the song is not played for whatever reason it will be missed. It is probably as good a song as we play to create more atmosphere.”

During the song, students sometimes are tossed into the air in the north and south bleachers.

“I will miss hearing that tune. The way we do it is about as good as it gets,” Self said. “That song actually could potentially give you chills if everybody is into it.”

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Recruiting update: Tyrel Reed, a 6-3 senior from Burlington High, will make an official visit to Oklahoma this weekend. His AAU teammate, Travis Releford, a 6-4 junior guard from Shawnee Mission Miege, is making an unofficial to OU. Releford is considering KU, North Carolina and others. Reed is not discussing his recruitment, but is said to have KU, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Wake Forest, Kansas State and Purdue on his list. … James Anderson, a 6-5 senior forward from Junction City, Ark., is visiting Arkansas this weekend. He’s also considering KU, Florida and Oklahoma State. … Anthony Randolph, a 6-10 senior from Dallas, is visiting Texas this weekend. He’s also considering Georgetown, LSU, Kansas and Cincinnati. … Several prep seniors will visit Kansas State on Sept. 23. They are: DeJuan Blair, 6-7, Pittsburgh; D.J. Kennedy, 6-5, Pittsburgh; Bill Walker, 6-6, Cincinnati and Michael Beasley, 6-9, Fitchburg, Mass. Junior college guard Marcus Thornton, 6-4 from Kilgore, Texas, also will visit Sept. 23. Beasley has already committed to KSU.