The Jayhawker

Junior Christian Braun was born for the Border Showdown, which returns this winter on the basketball court. Although he claims Burlington, Kansas, as his hometown, his mom's side of the family is so well-known in Missouri that they are in the state's athletic Hall of Fame. The whole family.

But that didn't stop Braun from rocking the Crimson and Blue growing up. A late bloomer, Braun turned his family's competitive nature into a successful high school career and a basketball scholarship to play for his dream school. Now in his third season with the team, Braun still pinches himself when he takes the Allen Fieldhouse floor on gamedays. It's not a dream, and when he looks into the crowd, he sees himself in those fans in the stands.

Coaching women's basketball is in Jayhawk coach Brandon Schneider's veins. His father, Bob, spent 43 years coaching women's basketball in Texas and the Schneider name is very well known. Although it seemed like a natural fit for Brandon to follow in his Dad's footsteps, going into coaching was not always a sure thing. However, like his father, Brandon took to the profession and excelled in stops at Division II Emporia State, where he won a national championship, and then at Stephen F. Austin, before he arrived in Lawrence in 2015. Throughout his career, Brandon has emulated his father with his desire to develop young women into quality human beings, and in the end, he learned that it's the simple things that matter the most.

Dr. Ramsey Nijem has loved the game of basketball his entire life, and at the age of 23, Nijem became the NBA's youngest head strength coach with the Sacramento Kings. After working what he thought was his dream job in the NBA, Kansas came calling, and he felt he had to live up to one of the principles he had been teaching to his players throughout his career. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Football Director of Sports Performance Matt Gildersleeve is at the forefront of the changes new coach Lance Leipold wants to implement with the Jayhawks. But even he knows that he is just a piece of a bigger puzzle. On paper, Gildersleeve and Leipold are an odd couple. Gildersleeve played at Division III powerhouse Mount Union, where he was 57 and 3 in his career. Those three losses: To Leipold and Wisconsin Whitewater. One thing is for certain. Gildersleeve is on a mission to impact and influence the Jayhawk football roster, one day and one workout at a time. And there's no place he'd rather be.

Jayhawk Zach Bradford is one of the top collegiate pole vaulters, and in 2021, he has the best mark in the nation for a collegiate at over 19 feet. Bradford's background is unique – he grew up with a family of pole vaulters. His father was a pole vaulter. His brother was a pole vaulter. But Zach, being the competitive person he is, wanted to be the best Bradford. He is now gearing up for his most intense time of the year with the NCAA Championships and the Olympic Trials for the Tokyo games. He has big aspirations, especially after a successful spring season and a Big 12 championship under his belt.