Ron Franz obit

Former Kansas Jayhawks basketball player Ron Franz dies Monday at age of 76

He was not on the list. 

Former University of Kansas men’s basketball player and team captain Ron Franz died Monday in Fort Walton Beach, Florida at the age of 76, KU’s athletic department has confirmed. A graduate of Kansas City’s Bishop Ward High School, Franz was a three-year starter at KU during the 1964-65, 65-66 and 66-67 seasons. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 12.4 points and 6.9 rebounds a game his senior season after averaging 9.6 points and 6.5 rebounds as a junior and 5.7 points and 4.5 boards as a sophomore. Freshmen were ineligible during his playing days. During Franz’s junior and senior years KU won the Big Eight Conference regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament both years. KU won three Big Eight Holiday Tournaments with Franz on the team. In 1965-66, KU won the Big Eight regular-season title with a 13-1 record. The Jayhawks lost to Texas Western in the NCAA Regional finals, 81-80, in double overtime and finished the season with a 23-4 record. Others on that team included: Jo Jo White, Walt Wesley, Al Lopes, Delvy Lewis, Riney Lochmann, Rodger Bohnenstiehl, Bob Wilson, Pat Davis and Fred Chana. The Jayhawks went 13-1 in the Big Eight and 23-4 again during Franz’s senior season when he was a team captain. KU lost to Houston, 66-53, in an NCAA regional semifinal played at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. The Jayhawks finished that season by winning the regional’s third place game over Louisville, 70-68, in Allen. KU went 17-8 overall and 9-5, placing second in the league during Franz’s sophomore campaign. “Ron was not only an outstanding player but also an incredibly fine man,” former KU coach Ted Owens told The Star on Monday. “He was a great contributor on the ’66 and ’67 conference championship teams. You remember the Texas Western game (in which Jo Jo White was called for stepping out of bounds at a crucial moment; many disputing the call that proved pivotal in KU’s defeat to the eventual national champions in. a regional final). Ron was our starting power forward on that team. He was really an outstanding player who went on to play in the American Basketball Association.” Franz was selected in the fourth round of the 1967 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. Franz opted to play in the ABA for the Oakland Oaks (1967-68), the New Orleans Buccaneers (1968-70), the Floridians (1970-72), the Memphis Tams (1972), and the Dallas Chaparrals (1973). He concluded his basketball playing career with the Swiss Alpines in 1975. Owens recalled that Franz was a successful business contractor in Memphis after his playing days were over. In fact, he opened his own company, R.S. Franz Construction, which built homes in Tennessee, Florida and Arkansas. He and his wife, Georgia, later retired to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. “Back then we gave an award, the Dr. Forrest C,. Allen Award to our most valuable player,” former KU coach Owens said. “He and Jo Jo were MVPs in 1967. He had an outstanding career and was a wonderful man. He was really looking forward to returning to campus this year (for KU’s 125th year of basketball reunion).” Franz back in 2001 spoke to Jayhawk Insider reporter David Garfield about his KU career. “We brought KU back to where it had been,” Franz said. “Knowing I had some small part in KU coming back from when they were down and knowing we helped get it re-established playing with some really good quality guys, that’s what I’ll remember. Coach Owens came in when a time KU basketball was down, and he put it on a path again. He got the enthusiasm going again.” Of his own playing style, Franz said: “I was the guy that did the dirty work so to speak. If I could kind of push you out of bounds and not get caught, I kind of liked it.” Franz said one of his most satisfying moments as a Jayhawk was suiting up for an old timers game played in conjunction with KU’s 100th-year anniversary reunion of Kansas basketball on Feb. 7, 1998. “You went out on the court, and it was like time had stood still,” Franz told Garfield. “The place (Allen Fieldhouse) was sold out. When you started to warm up, 30 years had passed but it just didn’t seem like that. The band was playing. People were cheering. You saw some of the old guys not only on the floor, but in the stands. That was probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” Franz added. Franz recalled guarding Hall of Famer Julius (Dr. J.) Erving during the two players’ ABA days. “He was phenomenal,” Franz told Garfield. “I know he scored a lot on me, but I think I scored a few on him, too. ... Man, it (ABA) was a hoot. If they had cable then, it would have pushed the NBA off the map. It was the game they play now. The speed of the game was the ABA. It was an interesting league. You didn’t really know if your check was good every day. You took your check and ran to the bank right away to make sure it was good.”