If Kansas University’s basketball players were as fired up for every game as Monday’s KU-Missouri contest, the Jayhawks just might be undefeated right now.
Fists were pumping after baskets and defensive stops, and bodies were bouncing all over the Allen Fieldhouse floor during the Jayhawks’ 65-56 victory over their rivals.
“The difference between last night’s game and the Michigan State game from the Richmond game, the K-State game at home, the game at Texas A&M and game at Iowa State was energy,” KU coach Bill Self said Tuesday on his Hawk Talk radio show.
“This team has to play with unbelievable passion and energy every night. When we do that, we’re good. When we don’t do that, we’re much closer to average. I’m confident we’ll play like we did last night (in remaining games).”
The Jayhawks (14-4, 6-1 Big 12 Conference) held the Tigers (9-9, 4-4) to 35.9 percent shooting and outrebounded MU 40-39.
“I saw Wayne today, and I think his quote was, ‘I felt I was in a car accident last night,”‘ Self said of junior Wayne Simien, who fell hard on his surgically repaired right shoulder in the first half and played an extremely physical game in grabbing four boards to go with 18 points in 27 minutes.
“He was beat up — not bad, just sore,” Self added.
Other Jayhawks joined Simien in giving up their bodies. Freshman J.R. Giddens finished with 11 points and seven boards despite a sore knee. Junior point guard Aaron Miles finished with 11 points and eight assists in 30 minutes, despite a sore ankle.
“I didn’t know J.R. tweaked his knee until I watched tape and saw him hobbling at the end. I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Self said. “And Aaron … I just think he wanted to Willis Reed it a little bit, turn his ankle, come back and be a hero,” he joked.
Self was referring to former New York Knicks great Reed, who led the Knicks to an NBA title in 1970 despite playing with a leg injury. Miles sprained his ankle early in second half but returned 31/2 minutes later.
“I think they all will be fine,” Self said of the Jayhawks.
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Legends in coaching: KU’s next two games will be contested against Texas Tech (3 p.m., Saturday, Allen Fieldhouse) and Oklahoma State (8 p.m., Monday, Stillwater). Those schools are coached by Bob Knight and Eddie Sutton, who have 825 and 739 wins respectively.
“I did not know this until coach Sutton and Knight played last week … it was the most wins ever in a basketball game on the sidelines,” Self said. “Here you’ve got me going against them, and it’s what’s wrong with that picture basically because I have not even remotely been in that class.”
Knight appears to have survived an incident in which he had a verbal altercation with Tech’s chancellor and is expected to coach Saturday.
“I’m excited. In the Big Ten, I never had a chance to go against coach Knight. He left Indiana right when I got there (Illinois),” Self said.
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Case contributes: KU freshman Jeremy Case had an assist while logging two minutes Monday night. He also drew a charging foul.
“To put him in the game shows we had some confidence (in him),” Self said. “He deserves it. He’s been one of our best players in practice the last week or so.”
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More on jingle: KU’s band has stopped playing the Wheaties jingle after opposing players foul out because of an NCAA rule that says bands can play only at halftime or during timeouts.
Self has noticed some other ‘ bands are playing during junctures besides halftime and timeouts.
“My personal opinion is they are doing it at other places whether it’s a rule or not,” Self said. “If it’s going to be a rule, we either need to enforce it everywhere or we need to get back to doing it. My opinion is it’s great to have rules, but we shouldn’t be the only ones to play by them.”
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In awe: Self was amazed by Monday’s full house.
“The crowd was awesome,” he said. “The crowd was juiced and in place early. I think that’s awesome. I really believe the crowd should always be there 30 minutes beforehand because it does so much for the spirits of the players. Trust me … when they came back from warm-ups, they were excited.”
If Kansas University’s basketball players were as fired up for every game as Monday’s KU-Missouri contest, the Jayhawks just might be undefeated right now.
Fists were pumping after baskets and defensive stops, and bodies were bouncing all over the Allen Fieldhouse floor during the Jayhawks’ 65-56 victory over their rivals.
“The difference between last night’s game and the Michigan State game from the Richmond game, the K-State game at home, the game at Texas A&M and game at Iowa State was energy,” KU coach Bill Self said Tuesday on his Hawk Talk radio show.
“This team has to play with unbelievable passion and energy every night. When we do that, we’re good. When we don’t do that, we’re much closer to average. I’m confident we’ll play like we did last night (in remaining games).”
The Jayhawks (14-4, 6-1 Big 12 Conference) held the Tigers (9-9, 4-4) to 35.9 percent shooting and outrebounded MU 40-39.
“I saw Wayne today, and I think his quote was, ‘I felt I was in a car accident last night,”‘ Self said of junior Wayne Simien, who fell hard on his surgically repaired right shoulder in the first half and played an extremely physical game in grabbing four boards to go with 18 points in 27 minutes.
“He was beat up — not bad, just sore,” Self added.
Other Jayhawks joined Simien in giving up their bodies. Freshman J.R. Giddens finished with 11 points and seven boards despite a sore knee. Junior point guard Aaron Miles finished with 11 points and eight assists in 30 minutes, despite a sore ankle.
“I didn’t know J.R. tweaked his knee until I watched tape and saw him hobbling at the end. I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Self said. “And Aaron … I just think he wanted to Willis Reed it a little bit, turn his ankle, come back and be a hero,” he joked.
  6Sports video: Miles’ sprain not serious 6Sports video: Knight still in business for Tech Knight reprimanded by Texas Tech |
Self was referring to former New York Knicks great Reed, who led the Knicks to an NBA title in 1970 despite playing with a leg injury. Miles sprained his ankle early in second half but returned 31/2 minutes later.
“I think they all will be fine,” Self said of the Jayhawks.
¢
Legends in coaching: KU’s next two games will be contested against Texas Tech (3 p.m., Saturday, Allen Fieldhouse) and Oklahoma State (8 p.m., Monday, Stillwater). Those schools are coached by Bob Knight and Eddie Sutton, who have 825 and 739 wins respectively.
“I did not know this until coach Sutton and Knight played last week … it was the most wins ever in a basketball game on the sidelines,” Self said. “Here you’ve got me going against them, and it’s what’s wrong with that picture basically because I have not even remotely been in that class.”
Knight appears to have survived an incident in which he had a verbal altercation with Tech’s chancellor and is expected to coach Saturday.
“I’m excited. In the Big Ten, I never had a chance to go against coach Knight. He left Indiana right when I got there (Illinois),” Self said.
¢
Case contributes: KU freshman Jeremy Case had an assist while logging two minutes Monday night. He also drew a charging foul.
“To put him in the game shows we had some confidence (in him),” Self said. “He deserves it. He’s been one of our best players in practice the last week or so.”
¢
More on jingle: KU’s band has stopped playing the Wheaties jingle after opposing players foul out because of an NCAA rule that says bands can play only at halftime or during timeouts.
Self has noticed some other ‘ bands are playing during junctures besides halftime and timeouts.
“My personal opinion is they are doing it at other places whether it’s a rule or not,” Self said. “If it’s going to be a rule, we either need to enforce it everywhere or we need to get back to doing it. My opinion is it’s great to have rules, but we shouldn’t be the only ones to play by them.”
¢
In awe: Self was amazed by Monday’s full house.
“The crowd was awesome,” he said. “The crowd was juiced and in place early. I think that’s awesome. I really believe the crowd should always be there 30 minutes beforehand because it does so much for the spirits of the players. Trust me … when they came back from warm-ups, they were excited.”
