Nick Collison answered to the nickname “Junior” a year ago.
“Coach Williams called me that because we had Nick Bradford and coach would get us mixed up when he wanted to say something to us,” said Collison, Kansas University’s sophomore forward from Iowa Falls, Iowa.
“Hopefully, that will go away. I really didn’t like that. I don’t have a nickname,” Collison added. “I’m kind of just a fundamentally sound guy, not someone who will have anything out there to get a nickname.”
Collison may not have a recognizable nickname “Junior” indeed has disappeared this preseason but he does have a label.
“They labeled me as the ‘Consistent one,”‘ Collison said of the press.
The 6-foot-91/2, 250-pounder averaged 10.5 points and 6.9 boards his rookie season. He hit 49.7 percent of his shots and 67.4 percent of his free throws. In Big 12 play, Collison tallied 10.6 points and 6.8 boards. He hit 48.9 percent of his shots and 72.1 percent of his charities.
Yep … consistent might as well be his middle name.
“Actually, I’d like to have been more consistent,” Collison said. “Some games I didn’t play well usually when I got in foul trouble. Overall I’m pretty happy. It’s such a big step up from teams in the North Central Conference in Class 2A (in Iowa), where I’m from, to Big 12 schools and 7-footers.
“I think I adjusted well. I don’t think I ever hit a freshman wall that I heard so much about coming in.”
Energized, not burned out, Collison went to work on his game during a busy summer of hoops.
First, he and KU teammate Drew Gooden played on the USA 20 and under Young Men’s Qualifying team that won five of six games and placed second at the world qualifying tourney in Brazil.
“We didn’t play that well as a team,” Collison said. “We ended up losing to Argentina, a team we beat earlier in the tournament. It was a good experience, but we’d like to have won the gold medal.”
Next Collison was part of a 12-player U.S. Select Team dispatched to Honolulu to scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team. Collison scored a basket and grabbed three boards in a nine-minute stint as the U.S. Select fell to the Dream Team, 111-74, in a week-ending, nationally televised exhibition game.
“I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get to play more. I would like to have played more, but that’s OK. We had a lot of good players. I think I learned a lot,” Collison said. “They (NBA players) are big and strong, smart with great athletic ability.
“I’ll work on every area of my game to try to get to that level.”
In an attempt to become a more well-rounded player, Collison worked hard on his outside game over the summer.
“I definitely worked on facing the basket more this summer,” Collison said. “I think I always had good post moves ever since my sophomore year in high school.
“I worked on those, but I think those just kind of come tome. Facing the basket is something I had trouble doing it last year. If I can do that, I can take those bigger guys off the dribble. Drew and I can both play out there. Chances are teams don’t have two post guys who are mobile. It’s coming along. I’m going to be better. I’m going to know where the help defense is coming from.”
Collison sees big things for himself, and more importantly, from the Jayhawks this season.
“The thing about this year’s team compared to last year, we’ve all played together a year now,” Collison said. Fellow freshmen Kirk Hinrich and Gooden were inexperienced cogs a year ago. “We will not have to look up to the seniors as much. They will still be leaders and very important, but we’ll know more what we are doing.
“I think we had talent last year, but we made a lot of mistakes. We were intimidated on the road a few times. By the end of the season, the Duke and DePaul games (one win, one loss in NCAA Tournament) … we played those teams tough. When we play teams like that we need to be tough, smart. I think that’s what we’ll be from the start this year.
“I think this year we’ll be (good) from the bell. We’ll be a lot more mature, more experienced and that will help a lot.”
He said the team will be energized following Roy Williams’ decision to turn down the North Carolina job last summer and remain the coach.
Williams cited his players, past and present, as the reason he turned down coaching overtures from his alma mater.
“It does mean a lot to us,” Collison said. “It’s kind of like we got a new kick, a new excitement on the team, that he’s staying. He’s going to be fired up. We’re going to be fired up. It should be a good year.”
And oh by the way, Collison may have a nickname after all.
“Call him ‘All that Collison,”‘ center Eric Chenowith said with a laugh.
