Kansas can’t complain

By Gary Bedore     Jan 17, 2005

Scott McClurg/Journal-World Photo
Kansas University seniors, from left, Keith Langford, Wayne Simien and Aaron Miles defend Colorado's Richard Roby in the second half of their game. The second-ranked Jayhawks popped the Buffaloes, 76-61, Saturday in Boulder, Colo.

C.J. Giles would have had a good excuse had he decided to stay in bed all day Sunday and watch NFL playoff games on TV.

The Kansas University freshman forward, who had a temperature of 104 degrees and needed intravenous fluids Friday, resisted any temptation to call in sick. He was at Allen Fieldhouse with the rest of his teammates working a clinic with Special Olympians a day after the Jayhawks’ 76-61 victory over Colorado in Boulder, Colo.

“I had to come out here and enjoy this. I had to come out and have fun,” said Giles, who was limited to two minutes Saturday. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. It’s the highlight of my day — my year, really — having fun with kids.”

Nobody had to worry about Giles being contagious Sunday.

“I feel a lot better today. I don’t even think I have a temperature,” the 6-foot-10, 220-pound Seattle native said. “I think it was just a bad case of the flu. I was all dehydrated, but I’m fine now.”

Scott McClurg/Journal-World Photo
Kansas freshman Darnell Jackson goes up for a shot against Chris Copeland (15) in the second half.

Another less-than-100-percent Jayhawk could have opted out of Sunday’s festivities, but didn’t. Junior Christian Moody, who re-sprained his left ankle in Saturday’s win, was on hand to play ball and sign autographs. His ankle was heavily taped.

“It hurts a little. It’s sore, a little stiff today,” said Moody, who scored seven points with three rebounds in 12 minutes Saturday. “But to get to do this … there’s no complaining. This is one of the best things we get to do all year. They (Olympians) are here to laugh. We’re not here to make them happy. They make us happy.”

Moody said he didn’t know if he’d have been able to play had a game been Sunday.

“It hurts more than it did before the game yesterday, but I’ll be all right. I’m fine,” Moody said.

The Jayhawks on Sunday still were amazed about the scene Saturday in Boulder, where KU fans accounted for at least half of the crowd of 11,057 at Coors Events Center.

“I was real surprised. It was like it was the fieldhouse away from the fieldhouse,” Giles said. “The fans really came out to support us.”

The headline on Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla’s piece Sunday was: “Kansas faithful give CU taste of real fans.”

In the column, he wrote, “The big crowd went home happy, because Colorado’s favorite college hoops team won.”

The article, of course, was referring to KU, a school with a large alumni contingent in Denver, as well as support of fans who drove from Western Kansas for the game.

“I felt they were the home team at points in the game,” said CU freshman Richard Roby, who had 14 points off 6-of-16 shooting.

Of that statement, columnist Kiszla said: “No criticism could describe the sad state of hoops passion in Colorado more graphically. How can (coach) Ricardo Patton ever coax growth of a winning tradition from cold, hard ground choked by apathy?”

The Buffaloes fell to 8-6 overall, 0-3 in the Big 12 Conference. KU is rolling along at 13-0 and 3-0 entering Wednesday’s 7 p.m. home battle versus Nebraska.

Perhaps the only thing the Jayhawks need to worry about is developing a killer instinct, being able to put away teams.

The Jayhawks led CU by 18 in the first half, and the Buffs whittled the lead to one before KU pulled away late.

“We didn’t do a very good job of finishing out the first half and put them away the second half,” senior forward Wayne Simien said. “They felt they had a chance to win and did. It was a mishap on our part not closing them down.”

KU had won its past four games by six points or less.

“I don’t know if we need close games. We need to learn to keep our foot on somebody’s throat when we’re up like that,” Moody said. “We really needed to be focused coming in. It looked like we weren’t giving as much effort as we needed to.”

The Jayhawks gave enough effort to win again and gave extra effort Sunday in volunteering to work with the Olympians, despite the fact the team had had three road games in the past six days.

“I don’t think we’re a tired team,” Giles said. “We might be a little tired today, but we’re OK. We’re just going to get ready for Nebraska now.”

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Columnist passionate: The KU-CU game in Boulder tends to inspire some impassioned talk because of so many KU fans invading the home team’s gym.

Boulder Daily Camera columnist Neill Woelk wrote in Sunday’s editions: “Colorado basketball has become the poster child for mediocrity. We’ve been conditioned to believe that anything above average is a success. We were sold that bill of goods by a CU administration that talked about excellence but practiced mediocrity — then blamed us for not taking the bait.

“Fact is, CU hasn’t aimed for the top in basketball for decades.”

He said the answer was simple: “Aim for the top.”

¢

Coach watches Mario: KU signee Mario Chalmers of Anchorage tallied 15 points Sunday in Bartlett High’s 60-44 loss to Springfield (Mo.) Republic in the seventh-place game at the Bass Pro Tournament in Springfield, Mo. KU coach Bill Self was among the spectators watching the point guard.

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