The Jayhawks' Christian Moody is not, as proclaimed by overzealous announcer Billy Packer, the best walk-on player in college basketball history. (That would be Jeff Hornacek.) He wasn't even the best walk-on in his own conference last year, with Texas Tech's Ronald Ross taking that honor. That disclaimer aside, Moody ranks among the Big 12's most pivotal players for the upcoming season. As the squad's only senior starter, the brainy (first-team All-Academic), lanky forward must lead by example, showing callow recruits the Rock-Hawk-Jayhawk way. The deceptively tough Moody always puts team first -- he once ate a mayo-smothered pineapple as part of a pregame motivational stunt -- and his modest statistics understate his importance: Even with a star-studded lineup, the 2004 Jayhawks struggled when Moody missed time with an injury.
