‘Beyond the Phog’ excerpt: J.R. Giddens on leaving KU

[teddycoke]

Interesting read....tough spot for a Coach to be in when your kid puts himself in a position to get satabbed....



http://www2.kusports.com/news/2011/sep/28/beyond-phog-excerpt-jr-giddens-dreams-dashed/



‘Beyond the Phog’ excerpt: J.R. Giddens on leaving KU

 "Beyond the Phog" book.
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"Beyond the Phog" book.
The following is an excerpt from "Beyond the Phog - Untold Stories from Kansas Basketball's Most Dominant Decade." Compiled by Jason King of Yahoo! Sports and Lawrence Journal-World sportswriter Jesse Newell, the 400-page book includes interviews with 40 players and coaches from the most successful era in Jayhawks history. "Beyond the Phog" will be available in stores Friday. For more information on ordering the book or upcoming book signings, check out kubook.net.

In J.R. Giddens' words ...
DREAMS DASHED?

Any thoughts I had about leaving (school early) for the NBA ended when I got stabbed. After that I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. If anything, I was trying to figure out if I was ever going to play basketball again.

I think that’s why they made me leave Kansas. The doctor said I would walk with a limp for the rest of my life. He said I was going to come back 50% and I wasn't going to be able to play basketball anymore.

I’m not saying Kansas threw me out like a battery. But they get McDonald’s All-Americans every day. They weren’t going to let me stay around campus and be Moulaye Niang.

Micah Downs was coming in. Bill Self used to always tell me, “Micah is coming in and he's better than you.” He would just say little stuff like that and I was like, “Dang, man, you’re not even for me, are you?” I wanted to stay at Kansas but I felt like they just pushed me out the door, especially after getting stabbed. I was like, “I'm sitting here worrying if I'm ever play basketball again and you guys are over here talking to me in an inappropriate manner? I'm 19 years old. You guys are supposed to my college coaches. Instead, at the first sign of trouble, you guys are turning your back on me?” I felt like it was everyone from the coaching staff to the people up there in the offices. As a 19-year-old who was immature and didn’t understand life, I took that really hard. I left the office in tears when I knew I was leaving.

I remember that day really well. I walked out of there on crutches, crying. I’d been interrogated for about seven hours for three days straight. Then those guys did that to me? A few weeks before that, I had to move out of my dorm at the Towers. I and was staying with Josi Lima, my girlfriend at the time who played volleyball. Bill Self was telling my teammates not to have any contact with me. Darnell Jackson and Jeremy Case were two of my best friends, and they weren’t even allowed to talk to me. Aaron Miles was done playing so he came over. He was the only person who came and saw me. I was like, “Dang, I’m 30 feet from where I used to stay and you guys can’t even come over here and see me?” I’m stabbed and laid up and don’t even know if I’m going to play basketball again. That was very kind of Kansas basketball and Bill Self, to tell people to stay away from me like I was a team cancer.

• A previous version of this excerpt was updated.

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[dw3dw3dw3]

Wow... that is an amazing story. Granted its only one side of the story, and there could be much more to it than just that, but powerful if true.   I would hope MU would never turn its back on someone like that.

I retract these comments after reading more about him.

From everything I read, Liam was still treated well while he was here, not sure if there any other examples.

[GGGG]

JD Giddens...the guy who was suspended indefinately from the New Mexico basketball team.

I'm sorry, but I would have worked with the university to give him a full ride academically, but the basketball scholie is too valuable.

[MUMac]

JD Giddens...the guy who was suspended indefinately from the New Mexico basketball team.

Doesn't matter really, as KU will get bad press out of this.  Rightly or wrongly, that is the way it will be.  I doubt KU responds, as a he said/they said will not be of interest to the higher ups.  They will likely take the bad press and move on.

[forgetful]

JD Giddens...the guy who was suspended indefinately from the New Mexico basketball team.

I'm sorry, but I would have worked with the university to give him a full ride academically, but the basketball scholie is too valuable.

Obviously I don't know if this was the case here, but after being treated like he was at Kansas it really could have screwed him up mentally.  Hard to have a team first mentality after being tossed to the curb, because you were no longer as valuable.  That could really mess with someone, especially a young kid.

[MUMac]

Obviously I don't know if this was the case here, but after being treated like he was at Kansas it really could have screwed him up mentally.  Hard to have a team first mentality after being tossed to the curb, because you were no longer as valuable.  That could really mess with someone, especially a young kid.

I have read a couple of articles where he has admitted to having made mistakes in his past.  He said he has matured and is making better decisions. 

One article also said that he played for 4 different coaches in his first 4 seasons.  Recruited by Williams at KU and Self replaced Williams after his Freshman season.  Transfers to New Mexico and Alford becomes the coach his first year of eligibility - after having sat out for a year. 

[GGGG]

Oh give me a break.  He transferred to another D1 school, was drafted into the NBA, and currently plays professionally in Europe.  Yeah, the guy didn't keep his KU scholarship....Liam didn't keep his athletic scholarship at MU.  (He did have an academic one however.)  And let's not forget that Giddens was not exactly a model citizen at KU either.

I'm sure he will recover.  Life goes on.

[Pakuni]

Oh give me a break.  He transferred to another D1 school, was drafted into the NBA, and currently plays professionally in Europe.  Yeah, the guy didn't keep his KU scholarship....Liam didn't keep his athletic scholarship at MU.  (He did have an academic one however.)  And let's not forget that Giddens was not exactly a model citizen at KU either.

I'm sure he will recover.  Life goes on.

Not siding with either Giddens or KU here, but McMorrow's situation was very different.

[leever]

I'm sure this has nothing to do with Liam's situation, but his brother is about to go to trial for smuggling drugs into the US from Canada while playing hockey for the Rochester (NY) Americans.

[4everwarriors]

Did Liam ever marry that broad who worked for the Admirals?