For a fleeting instant on Saturday afternoon, Kirk Hinrich was Dylen Smith, and Nick Collison was the tallest football center in America.

“I just cracked up,” Kansas University coach Roy Williams said about the wacky mirth-provoking incident in the Jayhawks’ 100-70 walk over Texas A&M in Allen Fieldhouse.

With a little more than 16 minutes remaining and Kansas hully-gullying with a 60-39 lead over one of the Big 12 Conference’s worst teams, the 6-foot-9 Collison wiped one of his five rebounds off the glass.

Momentarily, Collison double-pumped looking to throw the ball downcourt, but saw all of his teammates covered. Standing behind Collison was Hinrich, eager to take the ball and dribble it down the floor as he has done countless times.

And yet, instead of just turning and flipping the ball back to Hinrich, Collison bent over and hiked it to Hinrich between his legs.

“I don’t think Kirk said ‘Hut,’ either,” Williams quipped.

Of course, it wasn’t until after the game that the two most pressing questions could be asked about the hilarious moment.

One, did Hinrich yell, ‘Hut’ or ‘Hike’ or use any other quarterback lingo?

“No,” Hinrich said, breaking into a grin. “I didn’t say anything, but I kind of saw it coming.”

Two, was Collison showing the many football recruits in Allen Fieldhouse that KU’s reputation as a basketball school is overstated?

“I just did that,” Collison said sheepishly. “I don’t really know what I was thinking.”

Not that it matters. Just the fact that the quirky incident happened, though, may tell more about this team than anything.

For instance, I doubt if last year, when Hinrich and Collison were both freshmen, the moment would have occurred. College basketball is always serious business to a freshman because it’s such a change in intensity and skill level from high school.

Anybody who watched Kansas play last year and has seen the Jayhawks this year knows that Hinrich, in particular, is 100 percent better than he was as a yearling.

At times last season, Hinrich looked like he wasn’t sure he belonged on the floor, that he was overwhelmed by the sheer non-Sioux Cityness of it all. Now, of course, he’s one of the best point guards in the Big 12.

It’s ironic that Hinrich wouldn’t be playing as much point guard today if he had stayed the course after committing to Iowa State. Hinrich, as you know, went back on the open market after Tim Floyd left ISU for the Chicago Bulls, and eventually he signed with Kansas.

If Hinrich had stuck with his Iowa State decision he would be No. 2 point guard behind Jamaal Tinsley because the truth is, Tinsley is a more talented athlete than Hinrich. For pure point skills, Tinsley may be even better than Duke’s Jason Williams.

Hinrich is a lock for the Big 12’s mythical most improved team. At the same time, perhaps Collison should be considered, too. His numbers are up. not way, way up, but up.

Collison shot 49.7 percent from the field as a freshman. Today following a torrid 9-for-11 performance against the Aggies Collison is shooting 65.9 percent from the floor.

“He’ll tell you that’s because he’s shooting from two inches,” Williams said. “but I like guys who can shoot from two inches.”

Collison, one of those rare big men who doesn’t have to put the ball on the floor before shooting, is suddenly a threat to Mark Randall’s school record 64.6 percent established in 1989.

The 6-8 Randall was a classic two-inch shooter, too, deadly on the blocks but really not much of a jump shooter. Collison is more versatile with a nice baby hook and a dangerous 12-foot jump shot.

Not to mention a dandy Hut-One, Hut-Two pass.