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 Ken Davis always dreamed of writing a book.
As a sports writer, he hit pay dirt penning a basketball history book about his alma mater, the University of Kansas.
“This is why I love basketball; because of KU basketball,” Davis said.
Davis wrote the history text in “The University of Kansas Basketball Vault: The History of the Jayhawks,” published by Whitman Publishing and released in December.
Davis, a Shawnee Mission North High School graduate, lives in Connecticut, where he covered University of Connecticut college sports for 20 years with the Hartford Courant newspaper and now freelances. He remembers getting hooked on KU basketball watching the Big Eight holiday tournaments with his father at Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium during the 1960s.
“That was the big thing,” Davis said.
He followed the Jayhawks during his college years at KU in the 1970s. As a journalism student, he served as sports correspondent with The Kansas City Star, covering KU football and men’s basketball while writing track and baseball stories for the student newspaper, the Daily Kansan. Davis said he continued covering KU games throughout his career as a sports writer. His passion for basketball led him to write the book.
“I like history. I love college basketball. I love KU,” he said. “It was a convergence of all those things.”
 The coffee table-style book doubles as a scrapbook with reproductions of tickets, photographs, postcards, and letters. The first chapter, “Founders and Fathers 1898-1907,” begins with Dr. James Naismith, basketball’s inventor, and moves through notable coaches such as Phog Allen, Dick Harp, Ted Owens and Bill Self. Davis weaves personal stories, anecdotes and game coverage of legendary KU players like Wilt Chamberlin, Clyde Lovellette, and Jerry Waugh throughout the text.
“It’s a unique product,” Davis said.
Davis said the book covers 110 years of KU basketball history. The chapters, organized by eras of KU’s eight basketball coaches, tell readers how the coaches made their way into KU basketball, what happened during their time with the team and what they did off court.
“I dedicated each chapter as an essay about that particular coach,” he said.
Davis especially enjoyed interviewing championship players like Lovellette from the 1952 team, recruited by legendary coach Allen. Lovellette wrote the afterword for “Kansas Basketball Vault.”
“One of the biggest thrills was getting to meet Clyde Lovellette,” Davis said. “He’s terrific.”
Davis said former players of the 1950s never tire of telling basketball stories from their KU days.
“For them to tell me about Phog Allen; that was one of the highlights,” he said. “I could do a book on each guy. Their stories are as fascinating.”
Davis said the book will appeal to many basketball fans, whether they cheer for the Kansas Jayhawks or not. He said KU basketball remains unique because no other college can lay claim to the inventor of basketball and first coach.
Though far from his roots, Davis remains passionate about KU basketball. He said if he was granted one wish before he died, he would grab the family and head to a basketball game in KU’s Allen Fieldhouse
“It’s in my heart and soul,” he said. “That will never change.”
“The University of Kansas Basketball Vault” may be found locally at Borders Book Stores, Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club.
FAST FACTS Ken Davis signs books in Lawrence this week. The schedule is:
Today, Feb. 18, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Booth Family Hall of Athletics, Allen Fieldhouse with legendary KU broadcaster, Max Falkenstien.
Friday, Feb. 20, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Bistro Bella, 3514 Clinton Parkway.
Saturday, Feb. 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., KU Bookstore, Kansas Union.
View www.CollegeVaultBooks.com for more information.
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