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The Jayhawks return to the new Allen Fieldhouse to announce the 2024-25 season

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The Jayhawks return to the new Allen Fieldhouse to announce the 2024-25 season

By John Fenwick

October 19, 2024October 19, 2024

5 minutes, 12 seconds Read

Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal World

Kansas head coach Bill Self speaks to the crowd during Late Night in the Phog at Allen Fieldhouse on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 in Lawrence.

Late Night in the Phog is bound to be something new each year for some first-time Kansas Jayhawks, who get to enjoy the pageantry that begins each year in KU basketball.

“This has always been one of the highlights of every single team and every single year,” KU men’s basketball coach Bill Self said during the event. “We have the best seed in all of college basketball here in Lawrence, Kansas.”

This year, however, the celebrations represented a novelty for all members of the squad as it served as a formal reintroduction to Allen Fieldhouse.

“The building is great,” Self said afterwards. “It's great and we hadn't even seen it finished yet. They hadn’t even seen the graphics, they hadn’t seen the things that make it look even better.”

Players and fans alike got an in-depth look at the results of the $50 million renovation project, with its new video boards, seating and indoor amenities, on an evening that featured the usual lighthearted vibe but also some brief glimpses of basketball was shaped.

“We may not look great tonight,” Self told the assembled crowd, “but we have a squad you will absolutely love.”

When it came time for the Jayhawks to play some basketball after a series of skits and dances, they put on a far more skillful performance than the one that drew Self's ire on Late Night last year.

High-profile five-star freshman center Flory Bidunga, whom Self called KU's best young player, arguably stole the show. His teammates were clearly eager to throw him the ball at every possible opportunity, and Bidunga rewarded them with a series of dunks, including one in the final moments of the 15-minute scrimmage. He finished with 13 points.

His teammate Dajuan Harris Jr. had already made the go-ahead layup with 33 seconds left, and the Blue team, led by that pairing and also featuring transfers Rylan Griffen and AJ Storr, finished the game with a 30-26 victory.

Senior KJ Adams had a solid performance of his own, scoring 10 points, a team-high for the Crimson, and told fans after the game, “Hopefully we can do well enough to put another banner there.”

Walk-on Rice transfer Noah Shelby and Northern Illinois transfer David Coit each made two 3-pointers to increase the score down the stretch. The Crimson team scored 11 points in a row at one point before Bidunga picked up seven points in a row on his own.

“I’m not going to leave here angry,” Self said of the quality of play. “I thought it would be fine. First time in the spotlight and the guys were nervous and stuff, I thought it would be OK.”

Return to the fieldhouse

Allen Fieldhouse welcomed its new capacity of 15,300 fans for the first time since completing its renovation project.

“We were able to be here tonight thanks to the many workers from Turner and other construction companies who have been working 70 hours a week for the last two or three months,” Self said.

During a media tour on Friday, athletic director Travis Goff said one of the main goals was to “ensure that 1 to 15,300” and not just a certain segment of fans would benefit.

The results were clear at Late Night, particularly in areas such as the much cleaner, wider and more modern lobby on the third floor. Goff acknowledged that in previous years the third floor had been “crowded, dark and dingy,” even though about half the fans were required to enter it, and that there were “huge mechanical devices stacked on top of one,” whereas now he has a sleek one Look consistent with the rest of the renovated arena.

This “1 to 15,300” goal also included students. As KU removed some older bleachers from the top of the facility, two new rows were also added on either side behind the basket to maintain overall student capacity, which Goff said “just gives more people a chance to be up there and a chance.” “To have greater influence on what happens on the field, for both our men and our women.”

“I think the beauty of the result is that it really makes a difference for every single one of our patrons,” he said, “including every single student who will set foot here.”

The redesigned arena includes some accessibility measures that were previously inaccessible, as Goff said it was “one of the least accessible facilities in the market for a long time.” Now the number of accessible seats has doubled, extending far beyond the previous options near the basket to also include midcourt and corner options, and KU has also added an elevator.

“You can experience a basketball game in a way we’ve never been able to offer before,” Goff said.

Recruitment update

One group that didn't experience Late Night in the usual numbers were recruits.

According to JayhawkSlant.com, 2025 prospects Sebastian Williams-Adams and Isaiah Denis canceled their scheduled visits leading up to the event, leaving 2026 small forward Jalen Montonati of Owasso, Oklahoma, as the men's only expected guest . The women's team had a slightly larger contingent, according to multiple reports, including 2025 five-star Keeley Parks.

Self explained earlier in the week that changes to the calendar, including the delayed positioning of Late Night this year, encouraged the KU men's basketball team to solicit prospects whenever possible rather than focusing visits on a specific event.