Kansas University's Jeremy Case is the lone member of the 2006-07 men's basketball team who will take part in today's graduation ceremony at Memorial Stadium. While he has one year of eligibility remaining on the hardwood, Case already has completed his work toward a bachelor's degree in communications studies.

The sight of Kansas University basketball guard Jeremy Case descending Campanile Hill in cap and gown today will be enough to make at least one grown man cry.

“I will have tears in my eyes. People may think I’m crazy. I will be more proud of him graduating than if he was drafted by the NBA,” said Win Case, head basketball coach at Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla., and proud father of Jeremy, who today receives his bachelor’s degree in communication studies.

The fourth-year junior shooting guard out of McAlester (Okla.) High will begin work on his master’s in sports administration this summer and continue through the 2007-08 school year as he completes his on-court eligibility at KU.

Case red-shirted the 2004-05 season, meaning he has five years to complete his four-year hoops career, one more year than it took to earn his undergraduate degree.

“That’s unheard of for an average student, let alone an athlete. To do it in four years is amazing. His advisers are awesome,” said Win Case, a college teammate of KU coach Bill Self at Oklahoma State. “It took me longer. I was on the 10-year plan. I’m kidding, (but) it took me six years. This makes it even more special.”

Jeremy Case, who recalls his most challenging classes as “Western Civilization, rhetoric, speech and Statistics,” shrugs at his quick progress toward a degree.

Kansas University's Jeremy Case is the lone member of the 2006-07 men's basketball team who will take part in today's graduation ceremony at Memorial Stadium. While he has one year of eligibility remaining on the hardwood, Case already has completed his work toward a bachelor's degree in communications studies.

“When I came here, I didn’t even know you could do it in more than four years. I thought in college that’s what you are supposed to do,” said Case, who said he took 15 hours each semester as well as two classes each summer.

“I took six hours my first summer here and Scott Ward (senior associate director, academic and career counseling) put me in the right classes and stayed on my tail. He pushed me through and I thank him for that.”

Of course, Jeremy Case also would thank his many family members who will be here for today’s 2:30 p.m. graduation festivities at Memorial Stadium.

Case’s mom, stepdad and three sisters are making the trip from Alma, Ark. Jeremy’s grandmother, aunt and several cousins are driving from McAlester, Okla., with other aunts, uncles and cousins heading in from Texas. Dad and his dad’s fiancee are arriving from El Reno.

“I had a 3.5 (grade point average) all the way through high school,” said Case, an Academic All-Big 12 pick two seasons ago. “My mother stayed on me hard. One thing she always said was, ‘If you want to play basketball, you have to do well in school.’ She told me it was more important to get an education. School has always been important to me.”

Well … almost always.

“I’ll tell you something. Jeremy was an interesting child – sweet and kind, but very busy in class is a way to word it,” Case’s mom, Rita Newton, said. “In seventh grade, he came home with a couple C’s. I went to school and had a meeting with the teachers to find out why he got C’s. He came up to me that night and said, ‘Were you at school today? Why were you at school?’ I said, ‘I went and asked why you had all C’s.’ He wasn’t happy about it.

“I said, ‘Make A’s and B’s and I won’t go back.’ I never had to talk to a teacher again.”

Case’s mom said on her trip to the grade school she learned her son for a time “was not paying attention, being a class clown. I never knew he was funny until seventh, eighth grade,” she cracked.

“Jeremy is pretty cool, a very nice person.”

One who would second that notion is Self.

“Jeremy has been dealt a tough hand from a playing standpoint, but has had a great attitude,” Self said of the seldom-used Case, who scored 37 points with 16 assists against four turnovers in 19 games his junior season. He had 60 points in 24 games his sophomore campaign after netting 26 points in 21 games as a freshman.

“He’s a team leader, highly respected by his teammates and coaches,” Self added. “Even though to this point he hasn’t had many minutes, he has had an important role in the success of the program. He would be a great coach.”

And that is the plan. Case has decided he wants to follow in his dad’s footsteps and coach for a living, perhaps even at KU.

“Jeremy and I have talked about some different things,” Self said. “I won’t say what I will or won’t do (about perhaps adding Case to the staff as a graduate assistant in two years). If he is hungry he’ll be great at it.

“Before anybody can jump in and be an assistant coach, they’ve got to cut their teeth somewhere. He understands that.”

Case said his preference would be to coach in Division I, though he wouldn’t be against joining his dad’s juco staff in Oklahoma.

“I feel I have knowledge of the game. I see it in a different way. I understand it. I want to teach it,” Jeremy Case said.

First things first, however.

He has a final year left in his playing career and, though KU again is loaded with guards, will try to crack the playing rotation.

“Not just guards, but good guards. We’ve got great players, the best in the nation,” Case said, admitting it’s been frustrating averaging no more than five minutes a game.

“After my sophomore year I thought I about leaving for some other school where I might play a lot of minutes, but we might not win. I’d rather be here and be part of something great. I’ll continue to work hard. Hopefully my number will be called.”

His family members hope so.

“Jeremy will not give up. He’ll keep fighting,” Win Case said. “I told him, ‘Before your career is over you will do something very special on the court, maybe hit the shot that gets Kansas to the Final Four.’ He’ll do something. I had a premonition.”

Mom Rita noted: “It’s not worked out on the court the way he wanted it to, the way we wanted it to. He’s overcome a lot of injuries. He never gave up, has kept working and has a year left.

“He will be successful no matter what he’s doing on the court. Life is not all about dribbling and shooting. Kansas is where he’s supposed to be.”