Kansas University’s hoops team, the same team that looked so ordinary in a seven-point victory over Vermont on Friday that the pollsters dropped KU from No. 1 to 2, gained a batch of style points Tuesday night, whipping Saint Joseph’s, 91-51, in front of a 16,300 fans and an ESPN2 audience.

“There was a little buzz in the locker room about that,” KU senior Wayne Simien said of the Jayhawks dropping. “We were definitely surprised. We used it as a motivation for this game.”

Simien looked mighty motivated, collecting 14 points and 11 boards the first half in helping KU to a 50-19 lead over a team that didn’t lose a regular-season game last year.

He finished with 20 points and 13 boards in 23 minutes, getting a deserved rest the final 121/2 minutes as KU handed coach Phil Martelli his worst loss in 10 years at St. Joe’s — the previous worsts were 29-point losses to Villanova and Duke.

“We came out early, made stops, and they are sort of in a rebuilding mode,” Simien said of the team that lost two guards to the NBA and Pat Carroll for this game because of injury. “They were without one of their best players, and we were on.”

So on that most of the East Coast voters probably were in bed well before the start of the second half of this rout.

Simien had a double-double with five minutes still to play in the first half as KU blazed to a 38-14 lead.

Aaron Miles and Michael Lee, who were way off the mark versus Vermont, combined for nine and eight points the first half, with Miles hitting three of four shots, including two threes, and Lee three of four shots with two threes.

Lee, KU coach Bill Self said, “was the best performer tonight. He brought energy into the game off the bench.”

Lee finished with 13 points and four steals.

Miles who set the tone by opening with a three, scored 11 points with four assists in 22 minutes.

Backup guard Russell Robinson scored 10 points and had five assists, while freshmen big men Darnell Jackson had eight points and three boards, Sasha Kaun four points and six boards and athletic C.J. Giles eight points, five boards and three highlight-film blocks.

Giles said he was fired up for two reasons — 1.) the snub in the polls, and 2.) he received a pep talk from his dad, former Jayhawk Chester Giles before the game.

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“It caused everybody to play harder to prove we are the top team,” Giles said of the poll snub. “I had a long talk with my dad. He told me to play my game, and I did. It is blocking shots and rebounding. My dad said, ‘Come out and play and not worry about it.’ The three things I need to do are rebound, seal and run.”

The Jayhawks ran the Hawks out of the gym, leading 10-2 and 27-12 and 35-14.

“We made shots (62.5 percent including six of 11 threes). We ran much better. We played looser. I felt we had more energy,” Self said. “Wayne got every rebound early. And our bench played better. I was really pleased with Sasha and C.J., and Russell, if he can get rid of carelessness, he’ll be terrific. It was good they all got minutes.

“The second half, we lost focus and interest,” he added of a half in which KU outscored St. Joe’s, 41-32.

But all in all, he gives the Jayhawks passing grades.

“We needed to play well tonight so we could get our swagger back,” Self said.

So much swagger, the visiting coach thinks the Jayhawks really may be No. 1.

“I think,” Martelli said, “you’ll see them in St. Louis (site of Final Four).”

The Jayhawks (2-0) will meet today, take Thanksgiving Day off and practice twice a day Friday and Saturday in preparation for Monday’s 8 p.m. contest against Nevada.