Former Kansas Jayhawks standout Jeff Boschee bringing Pitt State Gorillas to Allen

Jeff Boschee, the all-time leading three-point shooter in Kansas men’s basketball history, returns to Lawrence this week — this time to coach against his alma mater in tradition-rich Allen Fieldhouse.

The 42-year-old Boschee, who made 338 threes (42 more than runner-up Devonté Graham) for the Jayhawks from 1998-99 to 2001-02, will direct the NCAA Division II Pittsburg State Gorillas on Thursday in an exhibition game against KU.

Tipoff is 7 p.m. with a livestream on ESPN+.

“I am excited. It’s something not everybody gets to do, play in Allen Fieldhouse ...” Boschee said Tuesday in a phone interview. “To get to play and (then) coach on the home court of the best arena in the country is fun. It’s exciting.”

Boschee, in his first year at Pittsburg State after eight seasons as head coach at Missouri Southern, said he’s looking forward to “seeing some familiar faces” during his team’s trip to Lawrence.

The Gorillas were planning to hold a shootaround and perhaps take a look around Allen Fieldhouse Wednesday night — then, after staying on campus at the nearby Oread Hotel, they’ll head back to Allen Fieldhouse for the game Thursday.

“I think the last time I was in the fieldhouse for a game was 2012,” Boschee said.

He brought his wife Jamie and daughters Mary Rose and Julia Rae to Lawrence to watch a KU-Washburn exhibition game.

“We haven’t been back for a game. I’ve been back a couple times to watch practice and to tour the new facilities. I came over and watched Cam practice last year,” Boschee added of former Missouri Southern forward Cam Martin, who redshirted the 2021-22 season after transferring to KU a year ago.

Martin is out for an extended period of time with a separated shoulder thus can’t play Thursday.

“There will be a lot of memories rushing back,” Boschee said.

He was a starter on Roy Williams’ 2001-02 KU team that went 33-4 overall and 16-0 in the Big 12. That team lost to Maryland in a Final Four semifinal in Atlanta.

“Honestly I felt that game against Maryland was the national championship game,” Boschee said. “I felt we were the two best teams.

“Duke was right up there all year with us. They didn’t make it. We got down 15, 17 points and clawed our way back. We were down five with a minute and a half to go. We couldn’t fully close the gap (in 97-88 loss to Terps). It was hard. I felt we were sitting there Monday night watching Maryland and Indiana play. It was hard because we felt we were better than Indiana at that time. We just came up short.”

Indiana beat Oklahoma 73-64 in one 2002 national semifinal while Maryland outlasted KU in the other. Maryland beat Indiana in the title game 64-52.

“Our team,” Boschee continued, “had Kirk, Nick and Drew (juniors Kirk Hinrich, Nick Collison, Drew Gooden) and Keith (Langford) and Wayne (Simien) and Aaron (Miles) who were young. That team could score. A couple years ago I went back and looked at the stats. The conference season we shot close to 50% from three. The offensive numbers were astounding.”

KU averaged 94.8 points per game in 16 Big 12 games. The Jayhawks hit 45.6% of their threes in league play that season.

When asked about still holding KU’s three-point shooting record, Boschee said modestly: “It’s because guys don’t stay four years anymore.”

Yet Graham, like Boschee, did play at KU four seasons.

“It’s something you work for your entire life and work to be the best you possibly can be,” Boschee said. “To see the work pay off is something I’m proud of and still wish I had the Big 12 record (he’s now fourth having been passed by A.J. Abrams, LaceDarius Dunn and Buddy Hield).

“It’s a pretty big deal to be a record holder at the University of Kansas with as much tradition and as many good players as have come through there.”

A native of Valley City, North Dakota, Boschee said he is enjoying his first few months at Pittsburg State, which is a rival of Missouri Southern. His first Pitt State team has been picked to finish in a tie for 10th in the 14-team MIAA.

“Hopefully we (Gorillas) can be a little bit competitive and try to get something out of this game as much as we can,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a blast, especially the first half. The second half, I may want it to be over with,” he added with a laugh.