Kansas State University Athletics
Public Invited to Honor Wildcat Greats
Jan 09, 2006 | Men's Basketball
The public is invited to the event, to be held at noon in the K and S rooms of the K-State Union. A special ticket package, including admission to the luncheon and a reserved seat for that evening’s basketball game against
Tickets are available for purchase in person at the K-State Athletic Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum or by calling 1-800-221-CATS. The ticket office is open from 9 a.m., to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and during K-State athletic events.
Kruger, Evans and Williams, who starred for the Wildcats of head coach Jack Hartman during the 1970s, will become the fourth, fifth and sixth players men’s basketball players to have their jerseys retired during halftime ceremonies of the Iowa State game. Fans should note that tip-off for the game is 6:30 p.m., due to television commitments. Prior to the game, the three will be available for autographs from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., on the concourse of Bramlage Coliseum.
Last year, K-State began honoring its past men’s basketball greats by retiring the jerseys of Bob Boozer (30), Ernie Barrett (22) and Jack Parr (33) and hanging replicas in Bramlage Coliseum. The jerseys of Kruger (12), Evans (12) and Williams (10) will be raised during the ceremonies.
During the luncheon, the three men will have the opportunity to address the audience and recall their playing careers. All three were members of K-State’s All-Century Basketball Team announced during the 2002-03 season, while Kruger and Evans are inductees in the KSU Sports Hall of Fame.
Kruger, now the head basketball coach at UNLV, was a two-time Big Eight Player of the Year during his career from 1971-74. He also was head coach of the Wildcats from 1986-90, compiling a record of 81-47 while leading K-State to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
Evans is the K-State men’s career scoring leader with 2,115 points and, like Kruger, was twice named the Big Eight Player of the Year in addition to earning first-team all-conference honors three times during his career from 1974-78.
Williams’ career from 1972-76 spanned that of his fellow honorees and allowed him to be paired in the backcourt with both Kruger and Evans. He was one of the great long-distance shooters of his era, helping the Wildcats to two Elite Eight appearances.