Jeff Hawkins and his 5-for-5 three-point shooting in Kansas University’s 20-point victory over Baylor on Tuesday night drew raves in newspapers and on talk shows Wednesday.
“Yesterday was ‘Hawk’s Night,'” KU coach Bill Self said proudly on his Hawk Talk radio show.
It also was the night freshman Russell Robinson was the only Jayhawk who didn’t log any playing time, another fact widely discussed by both media types and fans the day after KU’s 15th win in 16 tries.
“The story is not that Russell didn’t get in the game or whatever. The story is that Jeff played really, really well,” Self said. “That’s the story. There’s no problems. On this particular night and in practice of late, Jeff Hawkins has been real good, and our players would tell you that.”
Self said after the game that Robinson declined a chance to enter the contest with two minutes left. Self expounded on the situation Wednesday and again said it was no big deal.
“I went down the bench and asked the guys … instead of saying, ‘Hey, get in there,’ sometimes, depending on personalities, I may say, ‘Hey, do you want to go in or let these guys play it out?’ They may say, ‘Ah, coach, let them play it out.’
“That’s what happened with Russell last night,” Self said. “Russell just said, ‘Coach, let the other guys play.’ He wasn’t belligerent about it, and I certainly wasn’t upset. He’s going through a tough stretch now from a performance standpoint. His confidence is a little shaken right now. But that wasn’t anything negative at all. I could have told Russell, ‘You get in there,’ and he would have. That wasn’t the way the conversation went.”
Self said it was impossible for everybody to play meaningful minutes.
“We should be playing ‘Mou,’ giving ‘Mou’ a chance to play in certain situations,” he said of Moulaye Niang, “but you can’t play everybody.
“Jeff is a guy who hasn’t had a chance to play much,” Self said. “And to see how he practices every day, I think the guys on the bench that maybe he took the minutes from should cheer for him and that should be the story, just like he’s been cheering for those guys. That’s what makes our team a team.”
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Day off: KU’s players had a day off Wednesday and will resume practice today in preparation for Saturday’s 8 p.m. home contest against Texas.
“It was much deserved. These guys have had something going on every day since Christmas whether two film sessions, Special Olympics or holiday clinic,” Self said.
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Cold Pizza: Self and Wayne Simien will be guests on ESPN2’s Cold Pizza, which will air live cut-ins from 7 to 9 a.m. Friday at Allen Fieldhouse. Doors open at Allen Fieldhouse at 6 a.m. for spectators, who are welcome. Broadcaster Max Falkenstien will be featured during the 7-8 a.m. hour, and Self and Simien during the 8-9 hour. There will be giveaways for fans.
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Recruit: Cole Aldrich, a 6-foot-10 high school junior from Bloomington, Minn., tells rivals.com he’ll make an unofficial visit to KU for the Texas game. It’ll be his second visit to KU. He’s also considering Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, North Carolina, Wisconsin and others.
6Sports video: Lone Star State kind to Hawkins
‘Hawks Hoops Forecaster – Kansas vs. Texas
Scorecard: Grade KU’s performance against Baylor
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