Nick Bradford wore his socks high during his freshman year and part of his sophomore season at Kansas.
After wearing his socks low last year and the first 12 games of his senior season, Bradford brought back his high-sock fashion statement on Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Why?
“A little girl asked me to do it,” Bradford said after KU’s 105-59 victory over Penn. “We had our clinic (for youths last Friday), and there were three little girls who said they were coming to the game. One of them asked me to wear them high again. I thought I’d do it and make them happy. I don’t know if it’s something I’ll do again or not.”
Bradford collected six assists, nine points and two steals in 19 minutes.
“We’ve had some good practices and wanted it to continue into the game. We played pretty well,” Bradford said.
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Long drive: Freshman Kirk Hinrich, who had seven points, five assists and two blocks in 17 minutes, was surprised to see his dad, Jim, in the stands.
It’s believed Jim Hinrich, head basketball coach at Sioux City (Iowa) West High, missed his first practice in 26 years in order to drive to Lawrence to watch his son play ball.
“I talked to him last night and he said he wasn’t coming. Then I saw him walk in before the game,” Kirk Hinrich said. “I don’t know if he missed practice or not, but I guess he’d have to to make it here in time. It was good to see him.”
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Day off: The Jayhawks, who have been practicing twice a day since returning from the holiday break, will receive a day off today.
“The seniors voted,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “It was tough on Nick (Bradford). I gave Nick the first choice. He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to stay in bed, but didn’t want to make me mad, either.”
Bradford voted to give the Jayhawks a day off after the Jayhawks’ 46-point victory, the team’s largest margin of victory since a 110-52 win over Prairie View A&M on March 19, 1998. It was KU’s largest margin of victory in Allen Fieldhouse since a 94-47 win over Baylor on Jan. 28, 1998.
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Stats, facts: Radio announcer Max Falkenstien has now broadcast a game in each of the last seven decades. … KU’s 62 second-half points were a season high and most in a half since a 63-point half versus Texas on Jan. 10, 1998. … KU tied a season high by making nine threes (in 16 tries). … KU had a season-low 12 turnovers, three the second half. … Drew Gooden (20 points) and Paul Pierce are the only freshmen in the Roy Williams era to score 20 or more points in a game more than once.