Former Kansas University player Kenny Gregory, right, as a member of Efes Pilsen (Turkey), takes a shot over former Iowa State standout Marcus Fizer of Maccabi Tel Aviv in this November 2007 file photo in Tel Aviv, Israel. Gregory has played the last two basketball seasons in Greece after stops in England, Italy, France, Spain and Turkey.

Kenny Gregory, left, formerly of Efes Pilsen, duels for the ball with Dejan Borovnjak of Partizan Igokea in this file photo of Euroleague action from Feb. 28, 2008, in Belgrade, Serbia.

Kenny Gregory throws down a dunk against Kansas State in this 2001 file photo at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. Gregory was known for his ferocious slams during his time at Kansas.

One of the top players in Columbus, Ohio, high school basketball history, sky-walking Kenny Gregory flies under the radar these days.

“I’m the answer to a ‘What ever happened to this guy?’ question,” Gregory, Kansas University’s 15th-leading basketball scorer of all-time, said Sunday in a phone interview from his hometown, where he’s spent the summer visiting relatives.

“People say, ‘What’s this guy been doing? He had a lot of talent.’ I kind of enjoy that. I like being a mystery,” Gregory added, laughing.

The 31-year old shooting guard/small forward hasn’t fallen off the map since graduating from KU in 2001.

He’s traversed it.

Gregory has played the last two seasons in Greece after stops in England, Italy, France, Spain and Turkey.

“I’ve been doing the overseas hustle,” said Gregory, who abandoned the NBA dream early.

Ignored in the 2001 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-6, 220-pounder spent one season with the Greenville Groove of the NBA’s Developmental League. After failing to land a guaranteed NBA contract, he elected to head overseas, where top players make between $200,000 and $600,000 per season.

“Most people don’t realize … there’s a misconception,” Gregory said of players being able to make a good living outside of the NBA. “Earlier in my career, guys who played overseas were not talked about in the States at all. It was like, ‘These guys are not good enough to play in the NBA and are in some rec league over there.’

“Now with the NBA drafting European guys and guys like Josh Childress going there and making $6-7 million a year, it’s more commercial and well-known now.

“It’s a good living. You sacrifice a lot being away from your family eight months a year, but it’s worth it.”

Gregory, who is single, said he plans on playing at least three more years.

He remains a hot commodity — Spain is a possibility for the upcoming season — after averaging 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds a game for P.A.O.K., a team based in Thessaloniki, Greece.

A fan favorite because of his dunking ability, Gregory hit 55 percent of his shots during the 2009-10 season.

“Luckily that’s something I’ve not lost yet,” Gregory said of his hops. “I’ve got maybe two or three more years to do that pretty well. I think last year I had the most dunks I’ve had in a few years. With my knees feeling better, it’s one thing I can still do.”

Gregory had his share of highlight-reel dunks in a KU career that included one Big 12 championship and two runner-up finishes, but no trips to the Final Four.

“I was part of not rebuilding — because we don’t do that at KU — but a transitional period,” said Gregory, whose teammates included Paul Pierce, Drew Gooden, Kirk Hinrich, Nick Collison and Raef LaFrentz. “We didn’t make deep runs in the tournament in my four years,” added Gregory, who never advanced past the Sweet 16.

“I know we made it right after I left (two straight Final Fours), so hopefully we had something to do with that. At least I hope so.”

There’s been a lingering misconception Gregory was more than willing to clear up.

It’s been speculated he was disgruntled at times during his four-year KU career.

“Not disgruntled, maybe frustrated at times. Maybe the style of play didn’t always fit me,” Gregory said. “I was more disgruntled after I left,” he added, chuckling, “because after I left they were running and gunning. The last two years we always talked about opening it up more.

“The year after I left, I was in the D-League, watching games on TV and they were taking pull-up jumpers in transition.”

As he wanted to do in a KU uniform.

“Even with some bad times, I learned something — not just basketball-wise but about life and dealing with people and how they are. To look back on it, I would not change anything. I was happy then. I’m happy now. It was a short period of my life and a good experience regardless.”

Gregory was thrilled to see KU win it all in 2008.

“I won my Final Four pool overseas,” Gregory said. “I’ve got buddies who played at Ohio State who are like, ‘Kansas under Roy Williams should have won four or five championships with the teams he had.’ It seems like we were always the school disappointed at the end.

“You’ve got to be lucky to get one,” Gregory added of a national title. “To win six (games) in a row? C’mon. You have to be good and have some luck, too. It was great to see KU get one (in 2008).”

Gregory has actually been back in Lawrence just once since his senior year — last month for former KU guard Aaron Miles’ wedding. While in town, Gregory was able to reconnect with two of the former Jayhawks he corresponds with the most — Terry Nooner and Nick Bradford — as well as Gooden and Collison.

“I’m not sure,” Gregory said of why he hadn’t returned in so long.

“I think for me, maybe because of the expectation levels … before I even got there, they were so high, maybe I feel I didn’t live up to them in people’s eyes.

“I still love KU. I’m not sure what the fans think. I hope there’s no hard feelings.”

Gregory certainly gave the fans — and his teammates — their share of thrills, many watching his trademark dunks.

“Kenny Gregory is probably the most explosive jumper I’ve ever seen. I’d put him with Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant. Kenny is right at that level,” said former KU center Eric Chenowith, who played with Gregory for four years at KU.

“He’s that explosive of a leaper. When Kenny jumped, it was forceful, strong, powerful. It wasn’t like he was floating. When he jumped, he jumped with a purpose,” added Chenowith, an assistant coach at Villa Park (Calif.) High School.

Gregory, who also was known for his shaved head and infectious smile, is one teammate Chenowith will never forget.

“Whenever people ask me who I played at Kansas with, the first person I say is Kenny Gregory,” Chenowith said. “I played with Paul, Raef and Drew, but the first person I say is Kenny. He was fairly quiet, but once you got to know him, he had a real funny side that I had the pleasure of getting to know. He was just an all-around, good person.”

Gregory is looking forward to his next trip back to town — one three or four years from now during basketball season.

“I would like to experience the fieldhouse in an actual game one more time,” said Gregory, hoping to run his own business in a yet-to-be-determined field after retiring from the game.

“It was always a great feeling to come out of the (northwest) tunnel onto the court. I always was appreciative that I had the opportunity to do that. I’d like to do that again.”