RALEIGH, N.C. – They came to boo Danny Manning, and they did, early and often.
But, oh, did the Kansas All-American answer them without saying a word – particularly in the second half – as the Jayhawks overcame North Carolina State, 74-67, on Saturday afternoon in Reynolds Coliseum.
With a record crowd of 12,715 and a national television audience watching, Manning was, well, pick a glowing adjective.
“I think the second half was one of the best second halfs of basketball I’ve ever seen him play,” KU coach Larry Brown gushed afterward. “He did everything.”
If you looked at Manning’s scoring stats, it would appear each half was terrific. He scores 16 in both for a season-high 32 points.
Ah, but the 6-10 forward snatched only one rebound in the first 20 minutes, and that number was like a beacon in the locker room at halftime.
“I knew it, coach knew it and everybody knew it,” said Manning who was swamped by a huge media contingent after the game.
Manning must have been asked a hundred different times in a hundred different ways how he felt about playing in the state where he spent seven years of his life.
But Manning never said, in effect, what they figured he would say about how sweet it was to silence the folks on Tobacco Road.
“Everytime I go on the court,” Manning said typically, “I want to play a good basketball game.”
This one was better than good, of course.
“He was awesome,” siad teammate Archie Marshall.
“A great player takes over,” echoed guard Kevin Pritchard, “and that’s what Danny did. When we needed him most, he rose to the occasion.”
For instance:
-With 4:06 remaining, Manning cashed a pair of bonus charities to give the Jayhawks a 66-65 lead. It was only the second Kansas lead since early in the first half.
-With 3:40 showing, Manning popped in a short jumper for a 68-65 Kansas lead.
-WIth about 2 1/2 minutes left and KU up by three, Manning deflected a pass out of the hands of NC State’s Charles Shackleford under the basket, and Kansas regained possession.
-With 1:45 on the clock, Manning popped in still another field goal to give the Jayhawks a 72-67 cushion.
In other words, when it was nitty-gritty time, Manning did what a senior All-American does. He took control.
Last time Manning played in thse parts, he did not. That was two years ago in Greensboro, his former hometown, and he finished with just eight points against the Wolfpack.
The difference?
“He’s stronger,” said dad Ed, a KU assistant coach, “and he knows what he was to do. Plus, he really wanted it so bad because his friends are all here.”
Indeed, Manning’s toughest task Saturday may have been balancing post-game time between the omnipresent media and several old firends who came down the interstate from Greensboro to see him. It was a hurry-up situation because the Jayhawks had to rush to catch a flight home.
Manning’s consuming perfomrance int he last five minutes negated what appeared at times on the verge of a North Carolina State runaway.
Kansas lagged 41-36 at intermission, then missed five of its first six second-half shots to fall as many as nine points behind.
Gradually, though, Kansas crept back in it. Marshall’s bucket at 10:54 knotted the count at 54-54. Moments later, Marshall’s free throw gave Kansas its first lead since the early going, 57-56.
For the next five minutes, though, North Carolina State led alternately by one and three points…until the curtain went up on the Danny Manning Late-in-the-Game Show.
In the meantime, NC State self-destructed, wasting its last five trips down the floor – four bricks, one turnover.
“We have a very young team,” said Wolfpack coach Jim Valvano, “and in the last five minutes – especially the last three – we did some things that are not conducive to winning basketball games.”
Young, yes…and the Wolfpack had played only two collegiate foes this season, the last one more than two weeks ago.
“I think not playing a lot of games might have hurt them,” Brown conceded, “and that may have been a factor down the stretch.
“We got a lead and had them looking for three-point shots and that’s tough.”
Still, it may not have been os much waht NC State didn’t do as what Manning did.
How good was Manning?
“He’s pretty,” Brown grinned, “darned good.”
Kansas, now 7-2 and a winner of six straight, is idle until meeting MEmphis State in the first round of the ECAC Holiday Classic on Dec. 28 in Madison Square Garden.
Box Score
Kansas3638-74
NC St.4126-67
Kansas: Archie Marshall 5-12 2-3 12, Danny Manning 13-25 5-8 32, Marvin Branch 0-2 2-3 2, Otis Livingston 0-0 0-0 0, Kevin Pritchard 5-8 4-5 14, Scooter Barry 1-3 2-3 4, Chris Piper 2-2 0-0 4, Lincoln Minor 1-2 0-0 2, Milt Newton 0-1 0-0 0, Clint Normore 1-1 0-0 2, Jeff Gueldner 1-1 0-0 2, Team 29-57 15-23 74.
Three-point goals: 1-2 (Manning 1-2). Assists: 21 (Barry 7, Pritchard 4, Manning 2, Branch 2, Piper 2, Livingston, Minor, Newton, Gueldner). Turnovers: 16 (Pritchard 7, Manning 2, Gueldner 2, Branch, Livingston, Piper, Minor). Blocked shots: 3 (Manning 3). Steals: 3 (Livingston 2, Manning).
NC State: Brian Howard 1-3 0-0 2, Chucky Brown 8-10 0-1 16, Charles Shackleford 5-15 0-1 10, Chris Corchiani 2-3 4-4 9, Vinny Del Negro 8-18 1-3 17, Rodney Monroe 4-14 1-2 11, Avie Lester 0-2 0-0 0, Kellsey Weems 1-1 0-0 2, Sean Green 0-5 0-0 0, Quentin Jackson 0-0 0-0 0, Team 29-17 6-11 67
Three-point goals: 3-10 (Monroe 2-7, Corchiani 1-1, Green 0-2). Assists: 16 (Corchiani 7, Howard 2, Del Negro 2, Monroe 2, Jackson 2, Weems). Turnovers: 11 (Corchiani 4, Monroe 3, Weems 2, Howard, Shackleford). Blocked shots: 4 (Shackleford 2, Del Negro, Monroe). Steals: 8 (Corchiani 3, Monroe 2, Shackleford, Del Negro, Jackson).
