Chi-Hi graduate Rogers-Schmidt savors chance to play at Kansas' Allen Fieldhouse

Nov. 12—Peyton Rogers-Schmidt didn't have much time to prepare himself.

When his name was called down the bench, the Emporia State forward's adrenaline was in overdrive. When he checked into the game in front of 16,200 fans, he was thrown right into the fire. The Hornets had the ball against mighty Kansas — the nation's third-ranked team — and wanted to get him involved.

Emporia State dialed up a lob play to get the 6-foot-7 Rogers-Schmidt the ball at the hoop. Brooks Haddock lofted a pass to the rim from the 3-point line, and the Chippewa Falls native took care of the rest.

"I think I jumped the highest I ever jumped before," Rogers-Schmidt said.

He darted behind Jayhawks guard Remy Martin, pulled the pass down from right next to the rim and rolled in a reverse layup. Just like that, he had scored in one of college basketball's most hallowed arenas.

It was quite an introduction to major college hoops for the freshman.

"The adrenaline was just flowing for me," Rogers-Schmidt said. "I had been sitting for a while, but I got on the floor and felt real loose. I was just ready to go."

Rogers-Schmidt made sure to savor every moment of the Hornets' exhibition against Kansas last week. After all, opportunities for a Division II player to take the court at an arena like Allen Fieldhouse don't come around often.

"It was unreal," he said. "You look up into the rafters and you're seeing all these big-time names, NBA players and a lot of college guys that were really good there at Kansas. It was just a crazy experience, to be honest."

Allen Fieldhouse has no shortage of history. Named after Forrest "Phog" Allen, the gym has been home to 12 Final Four Jayhawks teams and 33 regular season conference champions. It's widely considered one of the toughest places for a visiting team to play in college basketball.

Rogers-Schmidt, a Chippewa Falls alumnus, got to experience that history and atmosphere firsthand. He played for 12 minutes in front of a near-capacity crowd.

"It was great. This was my first game back with a lot of fans, and that was the most fans I've ever seen in my life," he said. "Coming back from COVID and you're playing in front of 16,000, it's just surreal. You just laugh at the heckles and stuff like that. You've just got to enjoy the experience with all the people there."

Emporia State has often scrimmaged the Jayhawks over the last handful of years. It can be mutually beneficial for each side.

"I think that it was awesome that Coach (Bill) Self, the staff and the Lawrence community invited us here to play this game," Emporia State coach Craig Doty said after the exhibition. "I thought that it was beneficial for both teams. This all comes down to us preparing for our first game and Kansas preparing for theirs."

The Hornets won't see an opponent of the Jayhawks' quality again all season. But the 86-60 defeat did show them, including Rogers-Schmidt, what areas they could improve in.

"You're not going to go against a starting five of guys that are going to have the potential to go into the NBA (again), so we just wanted to enjoy the moment and compete our butts off," he said.

Rogers-Schmidt came to Emporia State after a year playing at the junior college level with Ranger College. The 2020 graduate of Chi-Hi's recruitment took a hit when the pandemic brought hopes of campus visits to an end at the conclusion of his prep career.

So he went to Ranger, where he helped the 13th-seeded Rangers reach the Final Four of the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division 1 tournament. He averaged 7.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in the tournament run and started all four contests.

"All year, we weren't ranked or anything," Rogers-Schmidt said. "We always were the underdogs and we always had a chip on our shoulders."

His time in Texas proved well-spent after the season. His performances with the Rangers, including shining during the team's postseason run, earned him interest from Division II schools. Emporia State seemed like the best fit, and he enrolled shortly after.

The move quickly paid off with a chance to play at one of the country's most historic sporting venues. He won't forget the opportunity any time soon.

"It was surreal," he said. "Just crazy."