Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotosA couple of seconds after the crowd’s craziness died down after J.R. Giddens’ pump dunk in the second half of Kansas University’s 115-70 victory over Emporia State in Allen Fieldhouse, one fan voiced his approval about Giddens’ electrifying slam.
The fan, using lyrics from a popular rap song, screamed at the top of his lungs: “J.R. don’t dance he just pulls up his pants and does the rock-a-way.”
While the lyrics were appropriate for Giddens’ acrobatic aerial maneuver in which he brought the ball to his knees before jamming it through the rim, Giddens said he didn’t hear the young man above his own celebratory yell — but did appreciate his support.
However, Sunday night, there only was one fan in the capacity crowd who Giddens was trying to impress.
“My mom got to watch me play today,” Giddens said of his mother, Dianna, who battled serious health issues all of last season and had yet to watch her son play in the fieldhouse.
Giddens didn’t disappoint. The sophomore guard finished with 22 points, but was most impressive in the first half when he tallied 18 on 7-of-8 shooting — including 10 points on two threes and two jumpers during a 19-0 KU run that broke the game wide open.
“I hit a couple of shots and looked up and winked at her,” Giddens said of his No. 1 fan, who he said was “feeling better and good in spirits.”
“I’ve been waiting a long time just to have her see me shoot a shot and it felt so good tonight.”
Giddens, who was two points away from matching his career-high, said his handful of dunks and treys put him in a festive mood, too.
“I guess you could say I’m a people person, I’m just happy to be here,” said Giddens, who seemed to show no ill effects from two offseason surgeries. “It’s college. Why not have fun? I think my personality kind of comes into play on the basketball court.”
Giddens also enjoys the crowd noise.
“We feed off each other,” Giddens said. “I feed off them, and they feed off me. That’s good, because when they’re in the fieldhouse I want to make sure they get their money’s worth.”
KU coach Bill Self was pleased with Giddens’ performance. The soph sank nine of 14 shots and added five rebounds in 16 minutes.
“J.R. really hasn’t played that well in practice,” Self said. “In practice so many times you’re starting off deep in sets, where guys get up underneath you. But in games it becomes free flowing and guys automatically get space. When he has space he’s as good as any player around.”
| 63Points scored by Kansas’ bench19Points scored by Emporia State’s bench63%KU’s shooting percentage (46-for-73)10Height advantage, in inches, of KU’s starters over ESU’s starters |
Giddens certainly shone Sunday night, and his teammates took notice — or as senior Keith Langford put it, when J.R. gets in a certain “energetic” zone.
“A lot of J.R.’s game is based off confidence or how he’s received by the crowd,” Langford said. “The more the crowd is for him, or against him, that gives him a lot of energy.
“As different as we are, we’re a lot alike in that way. We’re both expressive in what we want to say and how we want to play. We play off what the crowd does. J.R.’s obviously a crowd favorite.”
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