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KU vs. UMKC

Players don't just walk into a basketball program like Kansas and become instant fan favorites. They have to earn that distinction. It takes some longer than others.

It didn't take Travis Releford long at all. It took him all of 13 minutes. That's how long Releford was on the floor in KU's season-opening, 71-56 victory Sunday night against a UMKC team that had a way of coming back to life.

A long, 6-foot-5 freshman out of Bishop Miege High in Roeland Park, Releford gave the equivalent of a Rolaids to the 16,300 in Allen Fieldhouse. He turned worry into excitement on a night the crowd was treated to flashes of talent from several newcomers and served a reminder that patience is in order in terms of what to expect from a team so young.

Gone from the team that pulled a Lazarus to defeat Memphis in overtime in the national-title game are 187 of the 225 minutes of playing time and 64 of the 75 points.

New, exciting talent has replaced six men now playing for pay. Few things match watching a baby take its first steps, but changing diapers comes with the deal, like it or not. The newcomers showed a lot of promise and enthusiasm, but at times their wisdom, well, stunk. Talented Tyshawn Taylor showed he's quick enough with the ball that he can get where he wants to go, but sometimes looked like a teenager flooring it, steering skillfully, yet not noticing the other car in the intersection.

For Releford, it was a positive night in which he showed how much he enjoys playing defense and sparked the team in the second half with pure hustle. In 12 second-half minutes, Releford contributed six points, one of his two rebounds, an assist and two huge steals, helping Kansas to win a game that was tied at the half.

Watching Releford dribble can be like watching Manny Ramirez chase a flyball. It's a bit of an adventure. He fell down doing it twice, but it's defensively that he will make his biggest contributions off the bench.

Releford has played on various all-star games on local and national levels, but he said he never had to wait that long to get into the game. He was the 10th player sent into the game, entering late in the first half.

"It was different," Releford said. "I knew I had to get in and get after it right away. I couldn't wait to get warmed up. I had to get after it."

He did. The crowd responded with loud ovations to every play he made.

"I felt it," he said of the crowd's reaction to him. "The momentum of the game changed."

Releford doesn't have a shooting stroke to match that of Tyrel Reed or Brady Morningstar and doesn't keep the ball moving with passes as naturally as they do, but in certain games his defense will be needed to match up against small forwards.

"I thought Travis was a big spark for us," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "... He could be a major-college defender real soon. He doesn't understand positioning just yet, but he's getting there. What Travis needs to do for us is steal us extra possessions. He stole us three extra possessions (including one offensive rebound), which turned out to be key for us."

Next to Cole Aldrich playing three minutes in the first half and 19 in the second, Releford represented the biggest difference between the halves.